The nurses’ code of conduct underlines the importance of understanding historical factors like colonization for the care of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ health (Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia 2022). This essay investigates the depth of consequences colonization brings to Indigenous communities’ social and emotional wellness (SEWB). SEWB, as described by Gee et al. (2014), is multifaceted and incorporates dimensions in various domains beyond mental health, such as Land/Country, culture, spirituality, ancestry, family, and community. The essay will explore how colonization has affected three cultural connections essential to SEWB: Land/Country, culture, and spiritual linking. In addition, it will cover how these ideas need to guide the job of Registered Nurses (RNs) in providing culturally sensitive care.
Impact of Colonisation on SEWB Connections
Connection to Land/Country
Indigenous peoples’ relationship with Land/Country is not merely geographical; it goes beyond and encompasses a spiritual, cultural,, and ancestral component central to their identity and well-being. Before colonization, the lives of Indigenous peoples were connected to the land. The land was the basis of their social, economic, and spiritual life. The spiritual inline was the most affected by colonization through a complex displacement process, environmental degradation, and dispossession (Gee et al., 2014). The land of the indigenous people was taken away from them by the colonial settlers, who used force as their way of eviction, and the indigenous people were also forced to move from their traditional lands to unfriendly places. Breaking ties with the land/country accompanied the loss of livelihoods and autonomy. Also, it broke the spiritual and cultural connections grounded in the land.
The effects of colonization on the environment, which included deforestation, great pollution, and extraction of resources, have destroyed furthermore the Indigenous links to Land/Country. Sacred sites have been defiled, waterways polluted, and ecosystems destroyed; thus, a culture could no longer have a spiritual base or find resources to enrich it. Violation of Land/Country represented not only the loss of means of subsistence for Indigenous people but also caused sorrow and trauma as they saw the environmental degradation of the lands, which had been populated by amazing stories written by their ancestors and sacred to the culture of the Indigenous people. The implications of separating Indigenous people from their Land/Country are broad as it touches on virtually every aspect, including their health, well-being, and general life (Molloy et al., 2021). Many Indigenous people feel absolute depression, loss, and feelings of displacement when they get separated from the lands they were born on and cannot recover their ancient cultural heritage. Disconnection to Land/Country is causing indigenous communities more sickness, sadness, and confusion about their lives, which also makes the problem of mental health and wellness worse.
Connection to Culture
The colonization aimed to uproot Indigenous cultures, languages, and traditions to demonstrate them as impediments to the project of civilizing Indigenous people by Western standards and values. By imposing Western education, religion, and legal system, an attempt was made to obliterate the Indigenous cultural practices and replace them with Eurocentric ideologies and beliefs. The intergenerational trauma caused by the removal of Indigenous children from their familial and communal tribes is one of the most devastating impacts of colonialism. It is sometimes called the Stolen Generations. This genocidal policy was a result of government-controlled missions and residential schools, which enforced the assimilation of children into the Australian-European society by making them forget their traditional and familial relations (Milligan et al., 2021). The native languages of kids were prohibited completely, the cultural customs were not practiced at all, and the Indigenous identity was minimized to zero. The result was extreme trauma and the loss of cultural continuity.
Additionally, the removal of Indigenous cultural expressions and ways of knowing helped wipe out cultural identity and stability. Indigenous ceremonies, rituals, and storytelling, which form the most crucial medium of transmission of cultural knowledge and values from one generation to another, have been banned and labeled as a primitive form of superstition. Indigenous tribal people came under pressure to don Western apparel, adopt English as their language, and follow Western customs, which entailed a loss of their cultural heritage. The erosion of Indigenous culture leads to a huge gap in the life of Indigenous peoples that makes them feel culturally disconnected and “cry for their identity.” It teaches them to a state of dissatisfaction with life. Indigenous individuals often face a status of inferiority and self-hatred due to colonially developed narratives that denounce Indigenous cultures and lifestyles (Smallwood, 2020). The loss of cultural identity is not only detrimental to individuals’ psychological satisfaction but also erodes the unity of Indigenous communities, which could lead to the erosion of social synthesis and community resilience.
Connection to Spirituality
It is a spirituality that plays a vital part in the culture of the Indigenous people. This helps them show a correct relationship with nature, ancestors, and community. Indigenous spirituality is a holistic worldview that embraces the unity of all living things and sees the land, spirits, and cosmos as one entity. Balance and harmony with all of them is considered essential. The arrival of Europeans represented a significant threat to Indigenous spirituality; therefore, they attempted suppression of Indigenous beliefs and practices, as well as baptism of local people and imposition of Christianity. The missionaries and the government authorities classified Indigenous spiritual traditions as devilish, superstitious, and incompatible with Christian civilization, and the main aim of their efforts was to eradicate or assimilate those traditions (Dudgeon et al., 2021). The prohibition of Indigenous ceremonies, rituals, and cultural symbols was also introduced together with Christian imposition. The Christian doctrine considered these as incompatible. Forced confinement or persecution of indigenous spiritual leaders, as well as their conversion to Christianity, brought down the influence and integrity of the indigenous spiritual tradition even more.
The spiritual suppression effects were more profound; they led to the loss of cultural identity, spiritual disconnection, and despair in the realm of existence among Indigenous communities. Numerous Native individuals found themselves going through deep feelings of grief, longing, and loss because they were prevented from enacting their spiritual traditions and deprived of the right to pursue their spirituality. Indigenous spirituality survived despite all the persecutions in the form of a strong and versatile force inside Indigenous communities. Indigenous people followed the clandestine ceremonies, oral tradition, and many acts of resistance undisturbed. Indigenous peoples have maintained reclaiming and revitalizing their spiritual traditions, as they assert the right to practice their spirituality on their own and with a view to the significance of the Indigenous ways of knowing and being (Brodie, 2023). Expressing that the purpose of spirituality is more than the physical health of Indigenous people is the main aim of providing culturally appropriate and holistic healthcare. Registered Nurses working with the Indigenous people should acknowledge and respect the Indigenous spiritual beliefs and practices while creating an environment suitable for spiritual expression both for healing and reconciliation purposes in the healthcare setting.
Role of the Registered Nurse
Food to know how colonization impacted SEWB RNs is compulsory for them to be able to work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Nurses are prominent in providing culturally secure and adequate care that considers Indigenous paradigms, experiences, and healing practices.
Cultural Competence and Sensitivity
Cultural competency that is appears fundamental to providing efficient healthcare to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Indigenous cultural competency training is an integral component of the professional development study for the Nurses. This training aims to equip the nurses with an understanding of the historical and sociocultural aspects that determine the health and welfare of Indigenous individuals (Ward & Wilson, 2022). Among these, a significant focus is to acknowledge the effect of colonization on SEWB and how it affects people’s health-seeking behaviors, attitudes towards healthcare, and will to receive healthcare from healthcare providers.
More profound cultural competency training should continue beyond just the knowledge of Indigenous cultures; it includes cultural humility and sensitivity approach. RNs must ensure they are involved in continuous reflections and learning as a way to challenge their prejudices and misconceptions about Indigenous people and cultures. Researching healthcare-related matters requires interacting with Indigenous wise older men, local leaders, and cultural guides whose approaches will help increase the knowledge about Indigenous views, healing practices, and healthcare needs. The RNs should gain strengths in intimate collaboration with Indigenous communities and organizations to develop culturally sensitive and responsive healthcare services (Javanmard et al., 2020). This requires the participation of Indigenous people in designing, implementing, and assessing community health care programs to make sure they fit the distinctive needs and choices of Indigenous communities.
Trauma-Informed Care
A trauma-informed perspective should be the standard way in which RNs approach care by recognizing the pervasive impact of intergenerational trauma as a result of colonization. This requires the understanding that the historical trauma and the present-day health disparities are complexly intertwined and building a secure environment for the patients to express their experiences, validate their emotions, and get support without re-traumatizing them.
Trauma-informed care necessitates RNs’ adherence to a strengths-based approach, which emphasizes resilience building and healing enhancement in Indigenous communities. This would be achieved by acknowledging and respecting Indigenous people’s ability to cope, their strengths, and their cultural assets with the understanding that they are not victims of trauma. It is also crucial that RNs work together with Indigenous communities and organizations to design health services that will be based on a trauma-informed care approach aiming at resolving the underlying causes of trauma and promoting whole-person healing (Gatwiri et al., 2021). Such approaches may entail incorporating practices that include bush medicine, storytelling, and ceremonies into mainstream healthcare facilities to help supplement Western medical intervention.
Advocacy and Leadership
RNs are responsible for championing the rights and interests of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in healthcare settings and beyond. Such things involve lobbying for culture-respectful and responsive healthcare policies and programs and working on the social determinants of health that uphold health disparities among the Indigenous communities. RNs are tasked with leadership roles within healthcare organizations to facilitate system-level alteration and cultural safety and equity. Moreover, this may include campaigning for the recruitment and retention of Indigenous healthcare professionals, creating cultural competency training for all staff, and designing appropriate ways for Indigenous people to participate in healthcare decision-making (Smallwood et al., 2021). It is expected that RNs, by their active participation in ongoing professional development and research, develop knowledge and understanding of Indigenous health issues, which contributes to evidence-based practice. This can be achieved through joint research with indigenous communities and promoting the inclusion of indigenous perspectives in healthcare curricula, healthcare providers, and education systems.
Conclusion
To sum up, evidence of the prevailing effects of colonization on the social and emotional well-being (SEWB) of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples highlights the vital role of culturally competent nursing. Cuts to cultural connection to Land/ Country, culture, and spirituality have resulted in significant problems within Indigenous communities, including identity loss, intergenerational trauma, and health disparities, among other things. Registered nurses (RNs) have the most critical function of managing the battles above through cultural sensitivity, competence, and trauma-informed care. By recognizing the impacts of the recurrent historical and sociocultural factors on Indigenous health, RNs can create a therapeutic environment of trust, respect, and collaboration toward Aboriginal patients and their families. On the other hand, via regular self-reflection and learning, RNs can combat stereotypes and misconceptions, which leads to more accepting and inclusive healthcare services. Finally, RNs become able to contribute to the development of healthcare services that are culturally safe and responsive through which Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples receive medical care that is respectable and supportive of their varied needs and experiences and that also holds the capacity to heal, resilience, and well-being for the communities.
References
Brodie, T. (2023). Knowledge to Action: Addressing the social determinants of health to promote Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social and Emotional Well-being (Doctoral dissertation).
Dudgeon, P., Alexi, J., Derry, K., Brideson, T., Calma, T., Darwin, L., … & Sutherland, S. (2021). Mental health and well-being of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia during COVID‐19. Australian Journal of Social Issues, 56(4), 485–502.
Gatwiri, K., Rotumah, D., & Rix, E. (2021). BlackLivesMatter in healthcare: racism and implications for health inequity among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18(9), 4399.
Gee, G., Dudgeon, P., Schultz, C., Hart, A., & Kelly, K. (2014). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander social and emotional well-being. Working together: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mental health and well-being principles and practice, pp. 2, 55–68.
Javanmard, M., Steen, M., Vernon, R., & Cooper, M. (2020). Transition experiences of internationally qualified midwives practicing midwifery in Australia. Women and Birth, 33(3), e234-e244.
Milligan, E., West, R., Saunders, V., Bialocerkowski, A., Creedy, D., Minniss, F. R., … & Vervoort, S. (2021). Achieving cultural safety for Australia’s First Peoples: a review of the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency-registered health practitioners’ Codes of Conduct and Codes of Ethics. Australian Health Review, 45(4), 398–406.
Molloy, L., Guha, M. D., Scott, M. P., Beckett, P., Merrick, T. T., & Patton, D. (2021). Mental health nursing practice and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people: an integrative review. Contemporary Nurse, 57(1-2), pp. 140–156.
Smallwood, R. L. (2020). Referenced reflections to my wurrumay (son): awareness of the impact of colonisation. AlterNative: An International Journal of Indigenous Peoples, 16(4), 309–314.
Smallwood, R., Woods, C., Power, T., & Usher, K. (2021). Understanding the impact of historical trauma due to colonization on the health and well-being of indigenous young peoples: a systematic scoping review. Journal of Transcultural Nursing, 32(1), 59–68.
Ward, K. D., & Wilson, R. L. (2022). The social and emotional well-being of First Nations Australians. Mental Health 3ed: A Person-centred Approach, p. 61.
write