Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders’ History, Culture, and Knowledge

Reflection on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders’ History, Culture, and Knowledge
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Reflection on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders’ History, Culture, and Knowledge
The first time I read about how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were treated during colonisation was when I pursued my Certificate III in Education Support in 2021 before I started my university studies. My course, Bachelors of Education (Primary), at Australian Catholic University has enabled me to deepen my knowledge about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals. In reality, reading what these individuals went through in the colonial and postcolonial periods was so embarrassing, which brought me to tears. They faced many struggles. The paper will reflect the content, including books, lectures, weekly tutorials, and workshops, I have learned throughout the course and show how it will affect my teaching of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.
The Impact of Colonial and Postcolonial Experiences on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People
Kaye Price’s Chapter 1, A Brief History of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education in Australia, in her book, “Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education. An Introduction for the Teaching Profession,” has made me appreciate how colonisation impacted Australia’s first peoples (Price, 2019). I have learned that during the colonial and postcolonial periods, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals encountered various challenges, such as inequity, disruptions, and racism. These people have faced resistance from the British since they were displaced from the land of their ancestors. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals had well-established land and water systems that facilitated the best use of natural resources. In my opinion, if these systems were not disrupted during the colonial and postcolonial periods, maybe they would have countered the effects of climate change experienced today. The resistance of Aboriginal people resulted in brutal massacres that led to the loss of lives. Others were forcibly removed from their ancestral land under the government's watch. 
Contemporary Issues, History, Context, and Policies and Their Impacts on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People
I think people should look at the history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people with honesty and openness. Since colonisation, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals have faced extreme hardships, including the loss of their homelands, traditional culture, denial of citizenship rights, and forceful separation of children from their parents. Aboriginal people comprise a significant percentage of Australians and their rights should be respected (Australian Human Rights Commission, n.d.). Currently, the history of injustice to these individuals appears to continue and the government has not enacted effective policies to safeguard or recognize these people. For instance, the majority of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders continue to suffer due to inaccessibility to education, employment, housing, and healthcare services. More surprisingly, due to these individuals living in deplorable conditions, their life expectancy is a decade shorter than that of other Australians. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are among the vulnerable population in Australia who suffer significantly from chronic illnesses, such as heart disease, compared to non-indigenous populations.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Students, as Learners and the Importance of Working with Communities, Pedagogies, and Knowledge
In particular, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students should be treated well and provided with learning opportunities. I have learned that the knowledge and understanding that these learners have of Australian local languages, cultures, contexts, and histories can facilitate an effective learning process. In other words, allowing the participation of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in education can help to bridge the gap or eliminate differences between non-indigenous and indigenous Australians (Burridge & Chodkiewicz, 2012). Aboriginal people can be valuable in the development of proper learning pedagogies that are all-inclusive. For example, these individuals can help to incorporate cultures into education settings, making it easy to reach remote communities. Due to the challenges that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders continue to face in contemporary society, some of them are uninterested to join learning institutions because they fear discrimination. However, I think the time has come for school leaders and management to create culturally safe environments for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. Education institutions can play significant roles to change society’s perceptions of indigenous individuals in Australia since if these individuals are given a chance they can significantly contribute to the country’s political, social, and economic developments.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Languages and Other Linguistics Factors in the Education of Indigenous Students
I have learned that many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages and linguistic factors have not been incorporated into the Australian education system. The majority of indigenous students who are fortunate to join schools encounter problems in speaking Standard Australian English. Nerida Blair’s “Privileging Australian Indigenous Knowledge: Sweet Potatoes, Spiders, Waterlilys and Brick Walls,” chapter 5, Reflecting Literature, Textual Sources, and Literacy Genres, shows the importance of Aboriginal people's languages. This chapter enabled me to learn about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures, beliefs, values, kinship, histories, spirituality, and languages (Blair, 2015). Among all these aspects, the linguistic factors of indigenous individuals can contribute to embracing diversity in Australia. The failure to learn about the country’s history is what makes many people disregard Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in various aspects of society, including education. The curricula should appreciate Aboriginal people by incorporating specific linguistic factors to facilitate effective knowledge acquisition of these individuals.
Reflection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People
I have realized that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander...