Moving Forward Together in Aboriginal Women's Health: - Theses ...

Moving Forward TogetherJanet Kellyand they back off because of that too. We know that you just have to keepon working, even though it happens to you. I do know of non-Aboriginalpeople who get turned off completely (AH Mg Int. 2).She highlighted the need to move beyond an awareness or sensitivity tocultural needs, to thinking about;With this knowledge that I just got taught, how will that change mybehaviour, what will I do differently? And if my assumption is that aboutAboriginal people, what does that mean? (AH Mg Int. 2)One of the non-Aboriginal co-researchers from the campus discussed thecomplexities that she has grappled with as a white employee working in thearea of Aboriginal health by saying;Aboriginal people sometimes say that white people don’t know what theyare doing because they are not Aboriginal, but I have seen Aboriginalpeople do and say some really strange things to each other. I don’t thinkyou can say someone is, or is not capable of anything based on race orcolour alone. It is more complicated than that. Other things come in toplay. You come to realise that there are layers and you understandpolitics, power and discrimination more, you see your place in the worlddifferently. You realise there are many things that people share incommon like class, homelessness, struggles, violence, neglect, regardlessof race (AH Hp Int.1).This viewpoint resonates with concepts within postcolonial feminism; thatthere are differences and similarities beyond culture and colonisation; gender,socioeconomics, employment status, race and personal attitudes also play arole.Recognising the impact of discrimination, colonisation & exclusionDiscrimination, colonisation and exclusion were repeatedly raised ascomplicating factors affecting Aboriginal people’s (clients and staff member’s)health and well-being. One co-researcher explained the significant effect ofcolonisation and associated practices by saying;229