The Stolen Generation and Their Impact on Healthcare

This essay will be in relation to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and the impact on their healthcare. The issues that will be discussed continuously throughout this essay are the stolen generation and how much of a major impact this event had on their indigenous culture, their health and their lifestyle.
From the years 1910 right up to the 1970’s 100,000 aboriginal children were taken away against their will from their families by the police or the welfare officers. Majority of the children that were taken away were under five years old and there was very rarely any court process that took place as just to be an aboriginal was more than enough. This is how it has become to be known as the stolen generation_. _(ENIAR, 2009).
These children were taken away from their families because it was the policy of the Federal and State Government that the aboriginal children particularly the children that had a mix of Aboriginal and European ancestry in them were removed from their parents. This policy that was put in place ruined very significant cultural, spiritual and family connections which crippled not only the individuals, but complete families and even entire communities. The percentage of aboriginal children that were removed from their homes and families was between 10 and 30% and these policies did continue into the 1970’s in a number of places. (ENIAR, 2009).
  In conclusion to this essay it has shown that the stolen generation has proven to have a major impact on the indigenous culture, health and lifestyle. By having these Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children taken away from their families and homes at such a young age it is clear to see that this has affected not only their generation but many generations after this initially happened.
   
References
http://reconciliaction.org.au/nsw/education-kit/health/