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Ecohealth and Aboriginal Testimony of the Nexus Between Human Health and Place

journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-16, 21:04 authored by Fay JohnstonFay Johnston, Jacups, SP, Vickery, AJ, David BowmanDavid Bowman
The spread of industrial civilizations has been particularly traumatic for the last remaining hunter-gatherer societies. Manifestations of this include expatriation from ancestral lands, sickness, poverty, and environmental degradation. Northern Australia has been no exception despite remaining a stronghold of Aboriginal cultures and still containing vast areas of relatively intact landscapes. Most Aboriginal people reside in remote settlements where they remain on the negative extreme of basic indicators such as life expectancy and educational attainment. In addition, biodiversity declines are being documented from loss of Aboriginal fire management and invasion by feral species. There has been little consideration of potential health, social, economic, or environmental benefits of routinely hunting, gathering or being on their land. This reflects a Western philosophical position that segregates land management and health policy, a view at odds with Aboriginal peoples' testimony of the indivisibility of people and land. Here we report perspectives from Arnhemland gathered through observation and unstructured and semistructured interviews. Themes that emerged included the high level of detailed, complex knowledge of their traditionally owned lands, the perceived urgency about passing this on to younger people, and the need that both land and people have for each other for the well-being of both. Primary motivations for returning to traditional lands were gathering food, escaping from stresses, and educating young people. The many barriers included no transport, family problems, frequent funerals, and other cultural or family obligations. This work forms part of a larger transdisciplinary research program that aims to inform policy about sustainable futures in northern Australia. © 2007 Ecohealth Journal Consortium.

History

Publication title

Ecohealth

Volume

4

Issue

4

Pagination

489-499

ISSN

1612-9202

Department/School

Menzies Institute for Medical Research

Publisher

Springer New York LLC

Place of publication

New York

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Socio-economic Objectives

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health system performance

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