Aboriginal Studies
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Social Justice & Human Rights Issues:
A Comparative Investigation
Housing
Sample questions & marking criteria
Students will need to study their local community, another Indigenous community within Australia and an overseas indigenous community.
The impact of invasion and colonisation and subsequent events, while the same in general terms throughout Indigenous communities, differs in its specifics. The differences occur because of geographical and historical factors, particularly when the group was invaded and colonised. An important factor in housing is the Eurocentric view of housing. It lead to the removal of children from what the British saw as sub-standard housing - housing which had been perfectly adequate for thousands of years.
Students need to examine how Aboriginal housing changed with the loss of land, the housing on reserves and missions, and the housing of the fringedwellers. Students must know in specific details information for both their local area and the Australian Indigenous study.
The overseas indigenous community may be quite different so that historical and geographic conditions need to be understood.
The statistics about Aboriginal peoples and communities housing standards show a wide variety across Australia. It is important to have accurate data, and information that is as current as is available, for each community. For the overseas indigenous community it is important that the statistics relate directly to that the community, not the overall community in that country. For example, collect specific statistics for Maori people in Christchurch, New Zealand, not statistics that apply to Maori people across New Zealand.
It is important to know the names of particular government housing programmes and strategies to address Aboriginal housing issues. Particularly those which are culturally appropriate. It is particularly important to know how these programs and strategies are being implemented in their local and other Australian community. For example, The Koori Mail, Wednesday March 8, 2000, reports the building of a home at Cabbage Tree Island through the Bunjum Cooperative and CHIP (Community Housing Infrastructure Program), an ATSIC program. Examples need to be found of the implementation of similar government housing programmes and strategies for the overseas indigenous community.
A number of programmes are designed and run by local Aboriginal communities to their specific needs, taking into account climate and lifestyle factors. If these exist in your community, or in your other Australian study, make sure you know the details of these programs.
Housing impacts on the lifestyle of Aboriginal people. In general terms, housing is linked to education, health and employment. Employment often depends on education. Housing depends on employment and health is linked to housing.
Housing circumstances vary from community to community.
Students need to be aware in all three areas of their studies, how the "housing-education-employment-health interconnection is working, and be able to come up for specific examples for each.Students should have an understanding of the importance of regaining land in addressing the housing situation for Aboriginal peoples. This importance depends very much on where the communities studied are living, and how the land regained will be used. Students will need to know specific examples of the impact of the regaining of land for each of the three communities studied. Even if the regaining of land has not been completed, students need to know of plans for the future.
There have been a number of Aboriginal initiatives to improve housing , including community based programs. Students need to know the very specific details of these programs where they exist in each of the three communities.
Students need to know the social and political changes. Aboriginal and Indigenous leaders are proposing to improve Aboriginal and Indigenous housing. They also need to know what governments are planning and how their decisions will impact on these communities. Importantly, students to hypothesise about the future of Aboriginal housing, by close examination of their selected communities, seeing what has worked in the past, what the current situation is and make suggestions as to what future directions the communities may face.
Students should compare (show similarities and differences) the three communities studied. The most effective way to do this is in a summarising table. As all the information has already been covered students can write generalisations across the page where necessary and give specific examples under appropriate columns.
Three comparative communities Local Aboriginal Community National Australian Indigenous Community International Indigenous Community Example Casino - Bundjalung Dubbo - Wiradjuri Cree Impact of
invasion and
colonisationHousing
standardsHousing
programs/
strategiesImpact on
lifestylesImportance of
regaining landAboriginal
initiativesNecessary
social/political
changes
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission Indigenous
Australia today: an overview ATSIC, Canberra, 1996.Healey, J. (ed) Aboriginal health Spinney Press, Balmain, NSW 1998.
Healey, J. (ed) Aboriginal health and welfare Spinney Press, Balmain, NSW, 2000.
Looking after Yaimini 45 min. Environment Audio Visuals, Vic.,
(Video)McLeod., I. Shade and shelter: the story of Aboriginal family resettlement (ill. Billy Reid) Jacaranda Press, Milton, Qld. 1982.
Poad, West & Miller Contact: an Australian history (2nd ed) Heinemann Educational, Port Melbourne,1990.
1991 census dictionary: census of population and housing
Australian Bureau of Statistics, Canberra, 1991.
Sample questions & marking criteria
Outcomes assessed: H1.2, 2.2, 2.3, 3.1, 3.2, 3.3, 4.5
In the answers to the sample questions the criteria by which the questions will be marked have been provided rather than a definitive written answer. There is no one correct answer!
"Inadequate housing, water and sewerage have worsened community health in recent years. Trachoma in school children had fallen from 30% in 1992 to 20% in 1993 but has risen again to 68% in 1994. There is also a scabies epidemic and hookworm."
Community Nurse, Oombulgari Community, Western Australia.
"The overcrowding contributes to domestic violence."
Port Kennedy, Torres Strait, Queensland.
"The problems about health mean that we probably need better roads, communications, long term environmental health and personal health programs in communities controlled by themselves."
Ngallagunda Community via Derby, Western Australia.
"More account should be taken of the family sizes and directions of the weather influences (involves appropriate positioning, use of verandas, extra bathrooms)."
Binall Billa Regional council, Wagga Wagga, New South Wales.
Using the source above and your own knowledge, answer the following:
A.
Identify FOUR problems which result from inadequate housing. (4 marks)
Criteria Marks Identifies four problems (not necessarily from the source). 4 Identifies three problems. 3 Identifies two problems. 2 Identifies one problem. 1
B.
Explain how housing can impact on Aboriginal lifestyle. (4 marks)
Criteria Marks Provides a thorough description of the effects and links between housing and Aboriginal lifestyle. 4 Provides a general description of how housing can impact on Aboriginal lifestyle. 2-3 Response is general and only uses the source. 1
C.
Using your National Indigenous and Local Aboriginal Community case studies, discuss the importance of regaining land in addressing the housing issues for Aboriginal people.(12 marks)
Criteria Marks Clearly identifies two communities and balances the response in regard to each community.
Shows a clear understanding of the relationship between housing issues and regaining land.10-12 Clearly identifies two communities and compares at least regaining land or housing issues in detail, or both generally. 7-9 Identifies two communities and describes at least one issue (land or housing) generally. 4-6 Identifies one community.
Provides some relevant information on land or housing.1-3
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