Cultural competence is the ability to understand and connect with people from different cultures. Cultural competence enhances diversity among many individuals in places such as work, schools and social sites and religion (Betancourt et al., 2016), especially with the Torres Strait Islanders and the aboriginal people. The native people are considered to be the indigenous inhibitor of Australia, and up to date, they have held on to most of their culture. However, very many people were assimilated into the western culture. European settlement and colonization had significant effects on the way of life of these people, both positively and negatively. The Australian government has come up with ways to ensure that the aboriginal people are well taken care of, this includes the fact that they are given an elective post in councils for representation.
During colonization, the British established their rule among the indigenous people of Australia in the year 1788-1890. This invasion caused both social, political, historical and economic effects on the native Australians. Among the effects that the attack had was the loss of land. The people British grabbed the land under the pretense that the land belonged to no one in particular. Social effects emerged when the British assumed that the aboriginals were very few inland hence established their sovereignty only to realize that there were other aboriginal natives inland who had well found their territories inland( Reynolds, 2006). This did not stop them, those on the inland were soon assimilated into the British culture while those on the islands were left to their original ways. This caused a rift between the Islanders and those from inland hence separation and soon different cultures (Goodall, 2008). During the establishment of the colonial rule, the aboriginals put up a strong fight which eventually led to the decline in the number of the aboriginal people and the Torres Strait Islanders. Over the years, the aboriginal people are still facing challenges when it comes to educating their children the western way. They still feel that the education of the west undermines the actual forms of the aboriginal culture hence they don't prefer western education (Dennis, 2007).
Some of the significant economic effects of European settlement included the fact that many aboriginals who settled in the reserves had to come back into the city for rural land for their livestock. This also meant that they had to mingle and interact with people from the different culture to be able to sell their products and have enough means of life to survive. This also meant that they faced a lot of trouble when they fell ill, clear indication that they needed western influence to be able to survive and reduce the number of deaths among their people. Similar to their view on education, the strait islanders and the aboriginal people have opposition to the western healthcare ways and stick to their traditional healing methods for their people. They were also forced to pay social benefits which cut across the conventional kinship rules which were not there before the European settlement (Berndt, 1988).
Political effects included the car that the traditional authority and the customary laws of the aboriginal people were eventually undermined even without their knowledge. This made the traditional chiefs powerless over its people and the intruders. Up to date, the indigenous people still have their traditional rulers, but they do not possess any powers as they used to before colonization and settlement ( Jupp, 2001). This was facilitated by the material goods such as alcohol, mass media communication to the people. Not only was the traditional authority undermined, but the Europeans gave no recognition to the religion possessed by these people. In the recent years, the aboriginal people have been given enough attention and have been given slots for political representation in the modern political establishment in Australia. The western settlement also changed the way women were viewed which worked to empower and push the aboriginal women for better lives and better life choices.
Colonization and European settlement of the aboriginal people did have both negative and positive effects of the indigenous people of Australia. Other than the loss of culture, the people lost their land, and their authority was undermined (Moran, 2002). This also brought about western way of education and better healthcare system for all Australians, the aboriginals, and the strait islanders included. Historical effects still linger during the interaction, while other people accepted the western influence in their lives, others are still resistant to change and view the assimilated people as traitors who betrayed their cause. For better interaction with the indigenous people, most aboriginals are well educated and skilled and facilitate better cooperation and communication between the Islanders and the aborigines and the outside world. Australia has well incorporated these cultures in their world creating diversity and competence in the country.
References.
Betancourt, J. R., Green, A. R., Carrillo, J. E., " Owusu Ananeh-Firempong, I. I. (2016). Defining cultural competence: a practical framework for addressing racial/ethnic disparities in health and healthcare. Public health reports.
Denis, V. S. (2007). Aboriginal education and anti-racist education: Building alliances across cultural and racial identity. Canadian Journal of Education/Revue Canadienne de l'éducation, 1068-1092.
Berndt, R. M., " Berndt, C. H. (1988). The world of the first Australians: Aboriginal traditional life: Past and present. Aboriginal Studies Press.
Jupp, J. (Ed.). (2001). The Australian people: An encyclopedia of the nation, its people, and their origins. Cambridge University Press.
Reynolds, H. (2006). The other side of the frontier: Aboriginal resistance to the European invasion of Australia. UNSW Press.
Goodall, H. (2008). Invasion to the embassy: land in Aboriginal politics in New South Wales, 1770-1972. Sydney University Press.
Moran, A. (2002). As Australia decolonizes: Indigenizing settler nationalism and the challenges of settler/indigenous relations. Ethnic and racial studies, 25(6), 1013-1042.
