Closing The Cultural Gap

Kimi Alcott  Mother Earth

Australian Aboriginal People
28% Percentage of Aboriginal children with teenage mums
3 Times the Aboriginal male suicide rate is higher than non-Indigenous men. Most suicides happen between 25 and 34 years of age
40% Percentage Indigenous children make up of all hospital admissions in the age group 0 to 4 who are admitted for assault
75% Percentage of Aboriginal people who return to NSW jails after 11 months of being released

Closing the gap is a strategy that aims to reduce Indigenous disadvantage with respect to life expectancy, child mortality, access to early childhood education, educational achievement and employment outcomes. Endorsed by the Australian Government in March 2008, Closing the gap is a formal commitment developed in response, to the call of the Social Justice Report 2005 to achieve Indigenous health equality within 25 years.
        The Indigenous Health Summit, held in March 2008, concluded with the Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, issuing, on behalf of the Australian Government and the Indigenous peoples of Australia, a Statement of Intent ‘to work together to achieve equality in health status and life expectancy between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous Australians by the year 2030' (Indigenous Health Equality Summit Statement of Intent ).

Kimi Alcott, Enough is Enough's Cultural Coordinator, Presentor and Aboriganal artist talking about Closing The Cultural Gap and our work at EIE.

Kimi Alcott with Indiginous girls who will participate in the next Enough is Enough's Dreamtime Divas Project

In closing the cultural gap we need to focus on building an understanding of Aboriginal people to the Non-Indigenous community, as the media only presents predominantly negative stories. In addition to this, we need to give Indigenous people successful role models with indigenous backgrounds, so they can be proud of their heritage and be motivated to achieve.

Our initiative at Enough is Enough Anti Violence Movement based in Sutherland was to hold a seminar with Indigenous presenters speaking of their journey to where they are today. These speakers are doctors, teachers, and government officers, as well as a young person, a domestic violence victim and an ex-prisoner.

Within this text I believe that our colour, culture or background cannot be used as an excuse for failure, no matter who you are. We can’t change the past but we can make a better future by not making the same mistakes s made in the past.

Through their stories, attendees learn about resilience and the courage not only to survive, but also to achieve. I am now living in the Sutherland Shire south of Sydney, after coming from Central West NSW. I am still amazed about the lack of information and sometimes miss-information out there. Most Aboriginal people have been asked at some stage “Doesn’t the government give you a house and a car”., and this still happens in 2011!

I believe that to achieve peace and harmony in society we need to understand and accept our Indigenous people. Our Indigenous people need to accept and understand our Non-Indigenous people of all backgrounds who share this land today. At the end of the day we are all humans, we all bleed red blood. Understanding is the first step for all parties involved to heal and move forward to a more positive future, and we are not only Australians but part of a much bigger global society.

"The way Aboriginal people speak - it's different. Non-Aboriginal kids didn't understand why kids called me Auntie Jess - but it's a sign of respect and the idea that family and community are one. A lot of the Stolen Generation don't know their birth mother. That's why community with its aunties, uncles and cousins is equal to family". - Jessica Staines, Childhood educator.

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National Aboriginal & Islander Child Care Conference 2010

• As of 30 June 2009, there were 10,512 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in Out of Home Care across Australia that is nine times the rate of other children;
• 86% of Indigenous respondents reported speaking only English at home, which is about the same as the non-Indigenous population (83%);
• In 2006, the median weekly gross individual income for Indigenous peoples was $278, this represented 59% of the median weekly gross individual income for non-Indigenous peoples ($473).

The largest and most successful national conference on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children was held on 27-29 July 2010 in Alice Spring. Nearly 1000 delegates have participated in three days of sharing stories, wisdom and experiences. Kimi Alcott, our Indigenous Programs Coordinator represented Enough is Enough at this conference. Please read Kimi’s experience at this event.

"The Conference took place in Alice Springs in the Northern Territory from the 26th to the 29th July 2010. The attendance was expected to be 800 but grew to 1000 people from across Australia.
The first workshop I attended was ‘Real kids in an unreal world'- building resilience in children. This was presented by Maggie Dent, who is a national and international author, a parenting and resilience expert with a special interest in the early years and adolescence. She is a passionate advocate for the healthy common sense raising of children that strengthens families and communities. Maggie spoke of common sense raising of children and how the raising of children has drastically changed throughout the years and not always positively. For instance the amount of educational toys given to young children is unnecessary and very daunting for such young children especially aged from 0-6months. Children are often more happy to play with a bucket and pegs or in the saucepan cupboard these activities are often unknown to many children. The elimination of monkey bars in schools and children not able to climb trees and get dirty is impacting negatively on our children. Maggie’s presentation was very interesting and well received.

Another workshop that I found interesting was remote healing work and involved the Santa Teresa horse program. This program involves an intergenerational leadership with Men’s groups. Program participants take part in a 5 day camp on Santa Teresa Property with several members of ‘Bushmob Inc’. They also run a Drug and Alcohol rehabilitation centre for young people. They have had attendees and participants from interstate and from all sources has a very positive impact on participants.

On Tuesday evening I attended the ‘Aboriginal Healing Centre’ in the centre of Alice Springs. This centre is very relaxed and has a very welcoming atmosphere. All people are welcomed and there is no arguing or alcohol on the grounds. Here bush medicines are made from plants and are prepared and distributed to the community. These are made into creams, oils and soaps. There are also bush healers in attendance to assist the sick. This organisation is run by donations and is well respected. This organisation also takes youth out on walks to collect ingredients. I really enjoyed this visit and look forward to many good stories of healing through this method.

Throughout the conference I made many contacts with different people from all works of life and different agencies. The most gratifying moments to myself was to hear our Indigenous people speaking in their true language, how awesome that was. I really appreciate the strong culture in Alice Springs and the speaking of Indigenous language because so much of our language and culture is lost, but to see and here what’s happening in other areas with our Indigenous people is inspiring."

References:

http://www.hreoc.gov.au/social_justice/statistics/index.html

http://www.snaicc.asn.au/

http://www.yipsuwa.org.au/

To keep up to date with our news, new articles and current events connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, and our E-Newsletter.
For information about Enough is Enough Anti Violence Movement visit: www.enoughisenough.org.au

Cultural Issues in Society

New Initiates at Enough Is Enough

At Enough Is Enough our Indigenous Programs Coordinator works in the areas of positive behavior change. Our Cultural Co-coordinator has developed two new programs and other initiatives to bring a greater understanding to local communities.

The program ‘Promise Keeper’ was developed in relation to domestic violence. Through our Indigenous Programs Coordinator’s experience and observations this program works with both victims and perpetrators using a holistic approach to domestic and family violence and focuses on taking responsibility and positive attitudes. This program is designed for couples, with a minimum of 5 couples per presentation and is also available for individuals who are wanting to change their behavioral attitudes by finding their own personal solutions and building an understanding and acceptance of other’s views and attitudes.

The ‘Silent Anger’ program is offered to Adult Correctional facilities, Juvenile Justice Centres and Community groups. This presentation is personalised to engage participants with our presenter’s personal and dramatic story of resilience and hope.

With all the talk of late in the media regarding racism, a new initiative is being set up. A planned seminar named ‘What it’s like to be an aboriginal in Australia today’ will focus on bringing indigenous speakers together from different walks of life – for example, a school principal, a sportsperson, company director, a teenager, amongst others. The day will be offered to high school students in particular those studying aboriginal studies. A day will also be offered to business people, teachers, politicians and other interested parties.

If you would like further information about these programs please call Kimi at Enough Is Enough on 9542 4029 or email:culturalcoordinator@enoughisenough.org.au

Website: www.enoughisenough.org.au

To keep up to date with our news, new articles and current events connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, and our E-Newsletter.
For information about Enough is Enough Anti Violence Movement visit: www.enoughisenough.org.au

Aboriginal Women's Corroboree 2010

On Friday the 23rd of June I spoke at the "Women's Corroboree 2010", I spoke of my journey and my experiences with domestic violence both as a child and an adult. On my journey I took many paths that weren't always the best choice, I was a teenage mum and dabbled in drugs for a while. Any way the point of my story is I got through at all and speak now, not for sympathy, but to show others there is always light at the end of the tunnel and you can pick yourself up and move on.

The day was well organised by Waringa Baiya and Enough is Enough was very pleased to participate. This day gave us an opportunity to network not only with Indigenous Services but also to network with the Indigenous community. The day was also special for me as I had my 16 year old daughter in the audience who was alongside me throughout my journey.

- by Kimi Alcott, EIE Cultural Coordinator, Presenter & Aboriginal Artist

To keep up to date with our news, new articles and current events connect with us on Twitter, Facebook, and our E-Newsletter.
For information about Enough is Enough Anti Violence Movement visit: www.enoughisenough.org.au

Kimi Alcott – Aboriginal Artist and Presenter at Enough is Enough

Kimi like so many Australian Indigenous woman found herself in violent relationships which saw her close to giving up on life itself. This is when Kimi discovered her talent for painting. Her emotions are shown through her artwork.

Kimi was born in a small country town as a Wiradjuri woman in a home where alcohol was very dominant in the family with her father being physically abusive as well.
After several abusive relationships, Kimi moved with her children to the east coast of NSW where she knew no-one and started a new life. She obtained work and welcomed the chance to partake in any education or training available to her. Although being a single mother her children never went without and she was always there for them.

“What always got me through was knowing there is always someone worse off than yourself, so appreciate what you have”. - Kimi Alcott


We invite you now to take a short journey through Kimi’s paintings and discover for yourself her world of the thoughts and feelings through art, belonging to one of the most oldest cultures in the world - Aboriginal Australia. 

To find out more about domestic violence programs, presenting by Kimi Alcott at Enough is Enough, please click here.

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Indigenous Community : Hope for the Future

Australian Aboriginal People

2.5%     Indigenous population in Australia in 2006
28%      Percentage of Aboriginal children with teenage mums
3           Times the Aboriginal male suicide rate is higher than non-Indigenous men. Most suicides happen between 25 and 34 years of age

It is not easy to define Aboriginal identity. People who identify themselves as 'Aboriginal' range from dark-skinned, broad-nosed to blonde-haired, blue-eyed people, very much to the surprise of non-Indigenous people. Aboriginal people define Aboriginality not by skin colour but by relationships.
55%     Percentage of mixed partnerships in 1996 where the woman was of Indigenous identity

Domestic & Family Violence
If you are an Indigenous woman living in rural and remote areas, you are 45 times more likely to experience domestic violence than a white woman. Violence patterns are passed on from parents to their children. It takes police up to two years to respond to cases of domestic violence and take victims seriously. Domestic violence in indigenous community extends to one-on-one fighting, abuse of Indigenous community workers and self-harm, injury or suicide.
4         Times an Aboriginal youth is more likely to be a victim of domestic violence than their white peer
40%    Percentage Indigenous children make up of all hospital admissions in the age group 0 to 4 who are admitted for assault

In 2008 Aboriginal men gathered to discuss how they could prevent domestic violence and why Aboriginal men were violent. They also tried to explain the background of male domestic violence :
Patrick Dodson said that "there has been a process of undermining the role and status of Aboriginal men within our society since the early days of Australia's colonisation and continuing in recent commentary around the Northern Territory intervention."

Chairman of the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress John Liddle adds that "when you add to this the rapid changes in the role of males within that colonising society and the consequent dislocation of non-Aboriginal males and their struggle to define new self-images, it is no wonder that Aboriginal males may struggle to make sense of the contemporary world."

"And if those critical views of us as Aboriginal males are expressed with no effort to understand our cultural values, or the pressures caused by the colonial relationships and contemporary social transformations, then we become alienated from this society."

"This alienation is at the core of the struggle for male health and well-being, as it acts to debase men, stripping away their dignity and the meaning in their lives. We therefore need to confront these social relationships that shape our health."

In our next post Indigenous Community: Hope for the Future ,we'll tell you about Kimi Alcott , Aboriginal Artist and Enough is Enough'  Coordinator and Presenter for Indigenous Programs "Promise Keeper" and "Silent Anger".
We'll tell her story in the hope she may help others learn that there is hope and you can move on and stay strong and proud of who YOU are.

 
References:http://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/people/domestic-violence.html