The Croakey Blog by Melissa Sweet @croakeyblog
Declaring a Twitter day of action – and listening – for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health
Declaring a Twitter day of action – and listening – for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health
A full program of Indigenous health discussions coming
your way for #IHMayDay
#IHMayDay: 1 day of Twitter action, 15+ hours on
Indigenous health issues, 26m impressions, trending No 1 nationally
8pm-10pm AEST:
Positive male perspectives
Social work student Dameyon Bonson, from Broome, WA @db_1974 Talking about the portrayal of Indigenous men in health/human service provision promotional materials, and the lack of positive/empowering imagery. Also, how “behavioural change” programs contribute to negative stereotype and assumptions, and how promoting programs as “behavioural enhancement” is more strengths based. He will also talk about the limited number of academics teaching social work and the Indigenous LGBQTI community.
Social work student Dameyon Bonson, from Broome, WA @db_1974 Talking about the portrayal of Indigenous men in health/human service provision promotional materials, and the lack of positive/empowering imagery. Also, how “behavioural change” programs contribute to negative stereotype and assumptions, and how promoting programs as “behavioural enhancement” is more strengths based. He will also talk about the limited number of academics teaching social work and the Indigenous LGBQTI community.
*** Social work tweets were informed from Indigenous Social Workers nationally.
#IHMayday G’day I’m Dameyon Bonson. I’d begin by
acknowledging all traditional owners across the many nations.
#IHMayday & pay my respects to all elders &
ancestors. Shout out to @croakeyblog @LynoreGeia @IndigenousX
#IHMayday I am of the Mangarai people and those of the
Western Islands of the Torres Strait. I am also of Caucasian heritage. I am
proud.
#IHMayday First up I’ll be tweeting about Indigenous
Social Work, followed by Indigenous males and then often forgotten (cont’d)
#IHMayday Indigenous LGBQTI Sistergirl and Brotherboy
community. RT’s are encouraged. Muting is a last resort :)
#IHMayday All Indigenous people born prior to 1967
were classed under the plant and animal act (flora and fauna)
#IHMayday The 1967 referendum Indigenous peoples were
voted to be included as citizens of Australia, not plants or animals.
#IHMayday
By the early 1970s there were only 18 Aborigines known to be undertaking
tertiary studies throughout the country (Bin-Sallik 2003)
#IHMayday Uni’s are “White colonial environments
that was devoid of any sort of cultural safety provisions for Indigenous
Australians”(Bin-Sallik 2003)
#IHMayday Williams (1999, p. 213) defines cultural
safety as an environment that is spiritually, socially and emotionally safe, as
well as (cont’d)
#IHMayday physically safe for people; where there is
no assault challenge or denial of their identity, of who they are &
(cont’d)
#IHMayday what they need. It is about shared respect,
shared meaning, shared knowledge and experience of learning together.
#IHMayday
"The training of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health
professionals - doctors,nurses,psychologist,social workers (cont’d)
#IHMayday
has landed in the hands of universities who are still mainly governed &
taught by non-Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people.
#IHMayday It makes it difficult for our people to go
through this environment to get qualified to work with our people
appropriately.
#IHMayday We need more Aboriginal and Torres Strait
Islander people in governance leadership, senior staff and lecturers within
(cont’d)
#IHMayday universities who will operate in ways
cultural appropriate to make it culturally safe for our people to go through
(cont’d)
#IHMayday university to be qualified to work in
health.
#IHMayday
The sad reality is that despite all the rhetoric & fancy rec plans etc, we
are still excluded from employment in universities.
#IHMayday The latest figures show that the number of
Indigenous academics employed in universities is falling and (cont’d)
#IHMayday most of the jobs are short term contracts
or low ranking jobs that do not make use of our qualifications.
#IHMayday We are told that “education is the answer”,
but that is a bit of spin, when there are no jobs.
#IHMayday Its as though it is impossible for them to consider
that we are capable of more than being liaison staff.
#IHMayday In terms of tertiary institutions providing
specific Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health concepts within their
(cont’d)
#IHMayday course structures, it is not believed they
are providing students of any degree enough learning, information, concepts or
(cont’d)
#IHMayday paradigms that showcase culturally specific
models of health engagement.
#IHMayday
need more of our mob in higher positions however; there is also a definite need
4 those people to push our agenda through (cont’d)
#IHMayday that level and that system; and not be
demeaned or dissuaded in the pursuant of a completely embedded (cont’d)
#IHMayday Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
paradigm, within all course structures. We continue to reside in an
environment (cont’d)
#IHMayday that is deeply embedded within a mainstream
perspective of engagement.
#IHMayday The likelihood of Aboriginal and Torres
Strait Islander paradigms within the tertiary sector (cont’d)
#IHMayday is piecemeal at best and is added as
electives and not integrated into the overall course structures of individual
tertiary institutions.
#IHMayday Until us as indentured Aboriginal &
Torres Strait Islander people have the ongoing will, strength and conviction to
walk the talk,
#IHMayday stand alongside our countrymen and battle
for the inclusion of our ways of engagement, we will be continuing to (cont'd)
#IHMayday support a tokenistic methodology of
engagement. Unless we are strong within ourselves and staunch to the
(cont’d)
#IHMayday Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
cultures, traditions and law, the likelihood of any change is negligible.
#IHMayday It is believed we are up against an industry
that will pull out all the weapons they have to halt our ways of engagement
(cont’d)
#IHMayday into tertiary education, unless of course it
is a specific Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander subject.
#IHMayday there has been movement to integrate our
ways into social work, medical, psych, nursing etc but it’s not near enough
(cont’d)
#IHMayday The reason we are where we are at this point
is because of the fight and the work that many of our older mob have done.
#IHMayday We wouldn’t be where we are without the
fight and strength of these people and our forebears.
#IHMayday We need to implement the same and now. A lot
of us who have completed social work degrees have (cont’d)
#IHMayday looked at employment position that contributed
to making a difference (cont’d)
#IHMayday in our place of work and communities
we become involve with not much thought given to pursuing academic careers
(cont’d)
#IHMayday we are also not encouraged to pursue this
career pathway. What is needed is for us is to get into positions or on
(cont’d)
#IHMayday committees where we can have input into
curriculum development and course structure, I think in some instances students
(cont’d)
#IHMayday are in prime position to generate
changes; speaking engagements provides a platform to be constructive and
(cont’d)
#IHMayday having a voice to insight possible changes.
As Indigenous social workers we need to get into the academic sphere, but
(cont’d)
#IHMayday there is fear there are systemic biases that
are (cont’d) active in keeping Indigenous social work academics (cont’d)
#IHMayday any Indigenous Australian academics - out of
academia, with part time, (cont’d)
#IHMayday lower ranked positions being the norm for
those trying to gain full time tenured positions. (cont’d)
#IHMayday At the moment there is far too much tokenism
and too few opportunities. (cont’d)
#IHMayday Fancy words and statements are bandied
around, but that does not transfer into anything meaningful. (cont’d)
#IHMayday For example, how many Aboriginal or Torres
Strait Islanders are employed in full time tenured positions in Australia's
(cont’d)
#IHMayday 26 schools of social work? Are any taking
affirmative action? (cont’d)
#IHMayday If the very places that educate our
countries' professionals can't be inclusive, there leaves little hope for
various other employers.
#IHMayday Often ignored is that when an Indigenous
Australian gains a degree or post grad qualification, these are in (cont’d)
#IHMayday mainstream education. That is, they are as
qualified as any other graduate, but because of the cultural knowledge (cont’d)
#IHMayday our graduates have much more qualifications.
This is not being recognised, instead, too often, Indigenous graduates (cont’d)
#IHMayday are being relegated to support roles and are
often assumed by colleagues and employers as having less qualifications.
(cont’d)
#IHMayday Employment and valueing our knowledge are
serious issues that we need to address as a national group.
#IHMayday It is believed that there is sometimes a
lack of support for Aboriginal staff who ask to study their Phd even (cont’d)
#IHMayday if it is an area relevant to their
employment by some government agencies. This means that is Aboriginal
people (cont’d)
#IHMayday would like to complete further studies they
need to do it completely in their own time even people who complete (cont’d)
#IHMayday other degrees are able to have up to six
hours a fortnight paid study leave.
#IHMayday Government agencies should be encourage to
be supportive of Aboriginal staff who are completing research (cont’d)
#IHMayday into a relevant area as it is highly likely
that this would increase the pool of Aboriginal staff capable of taking on
(cont’d)
#IHMayday leadership positions within Universities.
Uni's have to be more proactive to recruit Indigenous staff and to value our
(cont’d)
#IHMayday qualifications, experiences and cultural
knowledge. Unless we are included in governance and
lecturing as Social Workers (cont’d)
#IHMayday at universities
we are leaving the cultural safety of our students to the mercy of people who
have limited or (con’t)
#IHMayday no understanding
of our people and cultural ways. We have experienced this lack of cultural
safety both as staff members (con’t)
#IHMayday and students at
university, especially when you mention any cultural awareness training of
staff to be culturally competent (cont’d)
#IHMayday or that
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people should be involved in governance
meetings. (cont’d)
#IHMayday It is believed
there are limited to no Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Social Worker
lecturers employed at any of the universities. (cont’d)
#IHMayday Even though
there is discussion about Indigenous curriculum being included in all health
courses many people think (cont’d)
#IHMayday they can just
deliver this without including Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people
as lecturers in each of the (cont’d)
#IHMayday
specialised professional areas.The discussion of training up Aboriginal
&Torres Strait Islander (cont’d)
#IHMayday health
professionals workforce at universities goes back to the NAHS 1989 Report. This
is an ongoing issue for many (cont’d)
#IHMayday trying
assist any of our people through any Social Work or other health related
courses. Sometimes it is very isolating
#IHMayday when
you are the only black fellow there amongst all white people telling them what
they should do to help your mob. (cont’d)
#IHMayday They give
you that look.
#IHMayday Dr. Tom Calma
was appointed Chancellor of Uni of Canberra in January, the first male
Indigenous Chancellor in 164 years and (cont’d)
#IHMayday the second
after Dr Pat O'Shane at UNE a decade ago. Dr Calma strongly advocates cultural
competence, proactively (cont’d)
#IHMayday engaging
our mob on Uni governance councils, initiatives like the HWA & Getting it
right SW framework & signing (cont’d)
#IHMayday on to the
Recognise Campaign & Reconciliation Action Plans.
#IHMayday
*Indigenous SW reflection - I look back on my experience when undertaking
studies for my degree in 1992 (cont’d)
#IHMayday I noted
there were no Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people teaching in the SW or
community welfare courses (cont’d)
#IHMayday to teach
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander students or help to prepare potential
non-Aboriginal social work graduates (cont’d)
#IHMayday to work
with Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander people. Also I questioned if, in
some places, Aboriginal & (cont’d)
#IHMayday Torres
Strait Islander people are going to be a high percentage of clients through
poverty, housing, racism, etc (cont’d)
#IHMayday then why
weren't there a core course on Aboriginal affairs and why are their were not
Aboriginal or (cont’d)
#IHMayday Torres
Strait Islander people available or involved in the teaching of such a course.
It seems not much as changed? (cont’d)
#IHMayday I
acknowledge that some of us are associated with and teaching at universities.
Nevertheless the point of the discussion is that (cont’d)
#IHMayday there
needs to be more Aboriginal and Torres Strait social workers teaching social
work theory and practice (cont’d)
#IHMayday methods or
employed in a senior position within the university. We have the concerns and
experience as students (cont’d)
#IHMayday of being
isolated, having no leadership or mentors, having to understand and make sense
of unfamiliar (cont’d)
#IHMayday theories
and method of practices. What we need are solutions. We are starting to get
high profile and experience people (cont’d)
#IHMayday at Pro Vice
Chancellor, Head of School etc in universities around the country and hopefully
there to insight changes. (cont’d)
#IHMayday I think we
need to begin to ask the reason why (cont’d)
#IHMayday Why don't we
have Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander people employed as senior lectures in
social work. (cont’d)
#IHMayday What steps
or thoughts if any are being processed to employ or engage Aboriginal or
(cont’d)
#IHMayday Torres
Strait Islander people; in this instance social work graduates? *End.
#IHMayday From the
Getting It Right Project. 5 social work programs said they had 1 Aboriginal or
Torres Strait Islander staff member (cont’d)
#IHMayday and 1
program said they had 2. However, the survey did not ask if these staff members
were social workers or not. (cont’d)
#IHMayday 23 programs
responded to the survey. There are currently 26 social work programs in
the country. (cont’d)
#IHMayday Many
programs have attempted to employ Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social
workers, but generally it is in Academic A (cont’d)
#IHMayday positions
and requires the person to have already completed their PhD and have
publications and have been successful in (cont’d)
#IHMayday obtaining
research grants. They then wonder why they can not get anyone to take up
the position.
#IHMayday Sometimes
they drop the requirements of PhDs, publications and research runs, but the
salary at academic A is lower (cont’d)
#IHMayday than what
you can get in the public sector. As well the requirements upon the
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander academic (cont’d)
#IHMayday is not the
same as an non)Indigenous person at the same level. Further to this the lack of
support makes it very difficult to stay in (cont’d)
#IHMayday the
position if someone is willing to go into it in the first place. We can get
lucky & I have a fairly supportive workplace. (cont’d)
#IHMayday However, it
does have quite a lot of limitations and many that the many do not even
recognise, let alone acknowledge. (cont’d)
#IHMayday
When you are the only Indigenous academic in the faculty we have had to fight
to not have everything Indigenous dropped (cont’d)
#IHMayday on us and
it can take a long time for people to start to back off with the demands for guest
lectures, being on advisory panels (cont’d)
#IHMayday for their
research and in general just being the token blackfella for everything.
Many have I learn to say no and being (cont’d)
#IHMayday extremely
assertive (or some might say aggressive) about it.
#IHMayday The lack
of Indigenous SW academics is a very real issue as unless we have a place
within the academy, we are unlikely to be (cont’d)
#IHMayday able to
successfully rid the workplace of racism and tokenism. Even in so called
'respectable' organisations the issue of racism, (cont’d)
#IHMayday tokenism
and patronisation are still the norm.
#IHMayday Essential
#IndigenousX Social Work Readings “A Theory for Indigenous Australian Health
and Human Service Work” Lorraine Muller
#IHMayday Essential
#IndigenousX Social Work Readings “Indigenous Perspectives: Enriching
Scholarship and Practice” Steve Larkin
#IHMayday Essential
#IndigenousX Social Work Readings “Anti Racist Practice in Indigenous
Education” Stephen Corporal
#IHMayday Essential
#IndigenousX Social Work Readings (cont’d)
#IHMayday “Our
voices: Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander social work” Bindi Bennett
Stephanie Gilbert and Dawn Bessarab
*****
#IHMayday Thanks a
bunch now the portrayal of Indigenous men in health/human service provision
promotional materials, (cont’d)
#IHMayday and the
impact of lack of the lack of positive/empowering imagery. (cont’d)
#IHMayday Also, how
“behavioural change” programs contribute to negative stereotype and
assumptions, (cont’d)
#IHMayday and how
promoting programs as “behavioural enhancement” is more strengths based.
#IHMayday Most
programs for Indigenous males are about changing their “negative” behaviours
and advertised as such.
#IHMayday Programs
that correct violent behaviours, or aim to sober them up from alcohol and other
drugs.
#IHMayday When these
programs are publicly advertised there is no balance for the men but also for
the general population to see.
#IHMayday This
contributes to the ongoing demonization of Indigenous males and further
excludes as positive contributors in society.
#IHMayday How many
Perinatal programs are targeted to new Indigenous Dads?
#IHMayday How many
programs enhance the inherent strengths of Indigenous males?
#IHMayday When was
the last time you sat in a waiting room and saw positive image of Indigenous
males?
#IHMayday When was
the last time you saw an Indigenous male being congratulated on buying
their first home?
#IHMayday When was
the last time you saw an Indigenous male being enticed into university?
#IHMayday When was
the last time you saw an Indigenous male being positively portrayed on
an Australian soap opera?
#IHMayday People
wonder why so many Indigenous male youths are disengaged, well, society
reflects that they are not part of it.
#IHMayday If you
Indigenous males are not engaging in your services or programs then you’re not
doing it right.
****
#IHMayday
Black Rainbow supports Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander LGBQTI
sistergirl & brotherboy & queer mob www.facebook.com/BlackRainbowAustralia
#IHMayday The voices
of the Indigenous LGBQTI peoples are largely absent from both Indigenous &
LGBQTI suicide prevention strategies & activities.
#IHMayday Challenges
of providing Indigenous LGBQTI content in a suicide prevention strategy has
been identified (Holland, Dudgeon, Milroy 2013).
#IHMayday Furthermore it has been indicated that more
research needs to be conducted (National LGBQTI Health Alliance 2012).
#IHMayday However,
exclusions of Indigenous LGBQTI people in suicide prevention activities are not
believed to be a consequence of homophobia (con’td)
#IHMayday or racism
but of structural heterosexism and eurocentric privilege. At the upcoming
"Power Through Action" Human Rights Forum (cont’d)
#IHMayday in Darwin
the voices of Indigenous LGBQTI peoples will be workshopped via an Indigenous
methodology called "Yarning Circles" (Bessarab & Ng’andu 2010).
