The Wombat In The Room Chapter Summary

Hampton, R. & Toombs, M. (2013). Chapter 2: Racism, colonisation/colonialism and impacts on Indigenous people. In Indigenous Australians and Health: The Wombat in the Room. Oxford University Press: South Melbourne.

“A Wombat in the Room”, written by Ronald Hampton and Maree Toombs, was published in 2013 as a source of information relating to Indigenous Australian’s and health. The book aims to direct readers to recognise the history and consequences of colonisation in Australia. Within the text, the authors make reference to Racism, Colonialism and the impacts these factors had on the Indigenous population during the early years of British settlement.

Hampton and Toombs state biological features do not define race, instead, race is based

on cultural and ethnic differences. Racism refers to “the idea of belief that each identifiable grouping of humans (race) possesses specific cultural and individual characteristics and abilities, which distinguish”. The authors discuss how the ideas and assumptions formed by individuals are made on the basis of ideologies and attitudes past down by generations as well as a heavy media influence. Racism can be individual or institutional. Both categories of racism elicit negative connotations that initiate from prejudice and misinformation.

Colonisation forced many Indigenous Australians into unemployment, poverty and reduced life expectancy.

The formation of new colonies meant Aboriginal people were given lower access to education and healthcare services and exposed to racism. The introduction of British colonies to Australian soil in 1788 caused enormous repercussions. Indigenous Australians were displaced from their traditional land, triggering disruption to cultural practices and loss of human rights. Hampton and Toombs describe how this shift in landowners introduced potent diseases, which significantly reduced the size of the Indigenous population in Australia. Colonisation ultimately had the greatest impact on health among Indigenous

societies.

Maher, P. (1999). A Review of Traditional Aboriginal Health Beliefs. Australian Journal of Rural Health. Vol. 7. Pp. 229-236.


Patrick Maher’s article “A Review of Traditional Aboriginal Health Beliefs” was published in 1999. The article was written due to discrepancy between the Indigenous and Western health belief systems. The fundamental aim of the article is to educate health professionals in understanding Aboriginal attitudes and behaviours towards healthcare. By respecting the traditional Aboriginal belief system, the cultural gap can be eradicated and positive interaction between Aboriginal and Western people can occur.

The Indigenous perspective on health describes causes of illness deriving from social and spiritual dysfunction. The Indigenous health belief system is highly respected and interconnects with many aspects of Indigenous life, including, kinship, obligations and religion. Supernatural intervention is the “ultimate reason why a person becomes ill”, and is therefore, believed to be the biggest influence on unexpected and sudden deaths.

Historical factors are predominately discussed during Maher’s article. The role of bush medicines and healing treatments in improving health are highly regarded in the Aboriginal community. Although there is disparity in beliefs, it is a common idea in Western and Indigenous society that someone of the same sex should treat gender specific health concerns.

Maher’s article in the “Australian Journal of Rural Health” outlines the vitality of developing trusting relationships and improved communication skills between Aboriginal patients and Western healthcare professionals. It is also stated that appreciating the Aboriginal model of health will reduce the gap between the cultures.

Tjilari, A. & Peter, R. (2003). Introduction. In Ngangkari work – Anangu Way: traditional healers of central Australia (pp.18-21). Alice Springs, NT: Ngaanyatjarra Pitjantjatjara Women’s Council Aboriginal Corporation.

“Ngangkari Work” written by Andy Tjilari and Rupert Peter in 2003, was created to raise awareness and educate readers on the role of ngangkari people in the mental health field. The introductory manuscript has given readers an insight into ngangkari work and their responsibility in people’s lives.

Tjilari and Peter state there is no definite amount of ngangkari in Australia and can be found in many communities. The power to work in the ngangkari profession, specializing in treating mental health disorders, is given to both men and women by their grandfathers when they are children. Ngangkari work is identified as being similar to a doctor, apart from gaining a qualification at university.

The Indigenous perspective on health is evident in “Ngangkari Work”. Aboriginal men and women working as ngangkari, see disease as “forming something solid and physical”. Healing treatment involves removing the object from the body before washing the body to remove the illness. The rubbish, causing the illness, is disposed of in the traditional Indigenous way of throwing it into the wind. There are similarities between Indigenous healthcare and Western healthcare, most importantly, working as a team. Contrastingly, Ngangkari workers are opposed to the way blood is shed from the body during medical procedures. Tjilari and Peter examine how Ngangkari follow historical techniques but are not closed-minded in learning about modern medicines.

Speech Pathology Australia. (2011). Competency Based Occupations Standards (CBOS) for Speech Pathologists: Entry Level. Retrieved from: http://www.speechpathologyaustralia.org.au/library/CBOS%20Entry%20Level%202001.pdf

Speech Pathology Australia created a document titled “Competency Based Operational Standards” (CBOS) for Speech Pathologists.

The purpose of the document is to inform healthcare professionals about standards and competencies within the profession and to educate readers about professional development. The document includes information relating to planning, assessment and intervention for Speech Pathology practice.

The content within the CBOS document is very important for future professional practice, as it includes standards relating to cultural competence. The document discusses how everyone has the right to gain access to the services by Speech Pathologists, the importance of understanding the background and cultural attitudes of a client and selecting materials appropriate for intervention, taking into account an individual’s culture.

Speech Pathology Australia’s CBOS document includes both strengths and weaknesses. The core strength of CBOS is that cultural competence and awareness are addressed in all of the key areas of practice. This includes planning, assessment, intervention and evidence. A weakness of the document is that there is no individual section dedicated to cultural competence. This would have been a valued addition to the document considering the large cohort of Indigenous people in society that we may need to work with as healthcare professionals.

Concluding

Remarks:

The articles and document that have been chosen for this annotated bibliography all share the common theme of Indigenous culture. The collection of documents will be helpful in education and awareness for various societies within Australia. The information shared, teaches readers to consider other cultures than their own and conclusively, leading to a greater healthcare system.

The knowledge included in the above documents is helpful in understanding the reluctance of the local Indigenous community members when using the services available. This may be due to previous lack of cultural knowledge of healthcare professionals, media and political influence or the stubbornness to learn from others. With the help of these documents, future Speech Pathologists will practice a holistic approach, including cultural sensitivity.