Abor2330 Assessment Task 2 Minor Essay

ABOR2330 c3347454 Maddison Hayes
ABOR2330 ASSESSMENT TASK 2 MINOR ESSAY

a) How does kinship continue to play a role in Aboriginal communities?
Kinship is a system in Aboriginal culture that determines an individual's societal role and
responsibility. Kinship is also closely correlated with connection to the land and belonging to
country, which makes this system a lot more unique than just a social hierarchy (Kinship,
n.d.). The broader Australian society must understand the meaning of Kinship as it will allow
people to better understand Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and family
structures as they are unique and different to traditional Western structures. In 1788,
Europeans began colonising Australia, which left Aboriginal communities dispossessed and
torn apart from their culture and family. The forced removal of Aboriginal children from their
families and homeland resulted in losing connection to land and kinship ties which still has
negative implications for generations today. However, despite Aboriginal communities'
hardships during colonisation, Kinship is still prevalent and a crucial part of Aboriginal
community structures today.
During European colonisation, Aboriginal people were removed from their lands,
taken away from their families and suppressed from practising their culture. These factors
immensely hurt the cultural connection of Aboriginal people, particularly the children who
were too young to learn about their culture and land before they were stolen and forced to
assimilate into Western culture. In today's society, it is still vital that Aboriginal children
understand the power of kinship and its impact on their well-being and sense of belonging
(Dudgeon & Bray, 2019). Transgenerational trauma affects many young Aboriginal children
who are still being removed from their homes and placed in out-of-home care with non-
Indigenous people. Many states are introducing new models that aim to provide kinship care
for Aboriginal children who cannot stay with their biological parents (Clare & Oakley, 2017).
Western Australia's Aboriginal population makes up 5% of the total population; however,
52% of Aboriginal children make up the percentage of children in care. This means placing
these children with relatives in the local community or other Aboriginal carers is imperative
for the child's cultural development (Clare & Oakley, 2017). Placing Aboriginal children in
non-Indigenous households can threaten their identity development and connection to their
kinship and culture. Research demonstrates that poor well-being and mental health are
correlated with a child being removed from their family and losing their cultural identity
(Kiraly et al., 2015). Promoting kinship in Aboriginal communities is essential to ensure
children develop a sense of belonging and feel connected to their family in order to sustain
healthy physical and mental well-being (Dudgeon & Bray, 2019).
Traditional Aboriginal kinship expresses relationality and demonstrates complex

knowledge about the land and people. Aboriginal relationality refers to all individuals being
spiritually connected to the world around them (Dudgeon & Bray, 2019). Aboriginal
relationality helps the broader society to understand Aboriginal perspectives regarding world
views, sense of belonging and spirituality. Through Dudgeon and Bray (2019), we can
explore how colonisation and assimilation have negatively affected Aboriginal women’s
kinships in Australia. Colonisation brought about much trauma for women’s kinships as
many endured the removal of their children, suppression of cultural birthing and pregnancy
rituals and reproductive oppression. However, Aboriginal women have worked through the
ramifications of colonisation and today have created strong kinship ties fighting for
reproductive justice, maternal health and emotional well-being. In rural and regional
Australia, many Aboriginal women are forced to relocate from their kinship networks and
homeland around their time of birth. This often causes emotional and physical health
problems for both the mother and newborn, as birth and pregnancy are spiritual experiences
in Aboriginal culture (Dietsche et al. 2011). The current Australian health service model does
not recognise the importance of kinship support in Aboriginal culture, resulting in Aboriginal
women feeling isolated, alienated and uncomfortable during their hospital pregnancy
experience. This is just one example of Aboriginal women utilising their kinship ties to help
educate and fight for women’s maternal health (Dudgeon & Bray, 2019).
Kinship is central in Aboriginal communities as it organises and establishes different

social relationships and obligations. Aboriginal kinship is complex as family structures are
made up differently compared to Western models (ReconciliationAus, 2013). For example, a
child's aunt and uncle are often referred to as mother and father as they share equal societal
importance as the child's biological mother and father; this is also the same for a child's
cousins, who are referred to as their brothers and sisters. As a child grows up in their
community, they will learn where they fit into this dynamic system and where they fit in with
others. Additionally, kinship continues to be relevant in today's society as it educates
Aboriginal children about their sacred land and promotes connection to their country and
community (Biddle & Swee, 2012). Through kinship ties, Aboriginal people share and learn
about integral knowledge of the land and support each other through community and cultural
interactions (Biddle & Swee, 2012). Aboriginal people thrived on Australian lands for
thousands of years before European settlement. Through stories and knowledge passed
through ancestors and generations, Aboriginal people were able to maintain their healthy land
and rich culture and kinship. The survival of Aboriginal culture and kinship is integral to
protecting the Australian land and heritage for future Aboriginal children to learn and
maintain their sense of belonging and connection to their birthplace (Burgess et al., 2009).
In conclusion, connection to country and kinship ties between Aboriginal

communities is essential in today's society for the optimal health and well-being of
Aboriginal communities. The restoration of kinship in Australia continues to support the
healthy development of physical and mental health of Aboriginal Australians, particularly the
youth. Furthermore, Australian organisations and the broader society must work with
Aboriginal communities to ensure that Kinship Care is being utilised for Aboriginal children
who cannot live with their biological parents. This will ensure that Aboriginal children can
still explore their culture and connection to country and maintain their important kinship ties.
We can also see how strong Aboriginal women and communities have fought for the
restoration of their kinship and brought about great change in reproductive practices within
Australia since colonisation. Finally, kinship is an important system that establishes unique
family structures and roles and responsibilities. These roles have been passed through
generations of Aboriginal ancestors who carry important messages and knowledge vital for
the survival of the world's oldest living culture, Aboriginal Australians.
References
Biddle, N., & Swee, H. (2012). The Relationship between Wellbeing and Indigenous Land,
Language and Culture in Australia. Australian Geographer, 43(3), 215–
232. https://doi.org/10.1080/00049182.2012.706201
Burgess, C. P., Johnston, F. H., Berry, H. L., McDonnell, J., Yibarbuk, D., Gunabarra, C.,
Mileran, A., & Potvin, L. (2009). Healthy country, healthy people: the relationship
between Indigenous health status and “caring for country.” The Medical Journal of
Australia, 190(10), 567–572. https://doi.org/10.5694/j.1326-5377.2009.tb02566.x
Clare, M. A., & Oakley, A. (2017). “Who’s my mob”? Pro-active searching for the extended
families of Aboriginal children in care. Communities, Children and Families
Australia, 11(1), 43–58. https://research-repository.uwa.edu.au/en/publications/whos-
my-mob-pro-active-searching-for-the-extended-families-of-abo
Dietsch, E., Martin, T., Shackleton, P., Davies, C., McLeod, M., & Alston, M. (2011).
Australian Aboriginal kinship: A means to enhance maternal well-being. Women and
Birth, 24(2), 58–64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wombi.2010.06.003
Dudgeon, P., & Bray, A. (2019). Indigenous Relationality: Women, Kinship and the
Law. Genealogy, 3(2), 23. https://doi.org/10.3390/genealogy3020023
Kinship. (n.d.). Deadly Story. https://deadlystory.com/page/culture/Life_Lore/Family/Kinship
Kiraly, M., James, J. C., & Humphreys, C. (2015). ‘It’s a Family Responsibility’: Family and
Cultural Connection for Aboriginal Children in Kinship Care. Children
Australia, 40(1), 23–32. https://doi.org/10.1017/cha.2014.36
ReconciliationAus. (2013, February 1). Family and kinship [Video].
YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNtPcW4t1PY

Abor2330 Assessment Task 2 Minor Essay

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Abor2330 Assessment Task 2 Minor Essay

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Abor2330 Assessment Task 2 Minor Essay

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

ABOR2330 c3347454 Maddison Hayes

ABOR2330 ASSESSMENT TASK 2 MINOR ESSAY

Traditional Aboriginal kinship expresses relationality and demonstrates complex

Kinship is central in Aboriginal communities as it organises and establishes different

In conclusion, connection to country and kinship ties between Aboriginal

You might also like