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

Moving Forward TogetherJanet KellyDoes that change as a friendship develops? Does something happen as afriendship develops between people? (JK)I think the friendship becomes stronger, once they find out who you are.And then they are more open to what other people are like and what theworld is like. I have friends from many different nations; everyone hasdifferent types of discrimination too.The young woman also discussed that she did not automatically slot intofriendships with Traditional Young Aboriginal women who came to Adelaidefor schooling. She said;Traditional people have been brought up to speak language and all thatstuff. And there is a certain life style that they live and the rules that theyfollow, where as we don’t really have any of that. We are kind of minglingwith the non-Aboriginal community and we follow what they do.She found it funny and bizarre that non-Aboriginal people expected her to havethings in common with all other Aboriginal people, when there were so manydifferent expressions of culture and identity in Aboriginal communities acrossAustralia. She said;I don’t assume you light skinned people are all the same. (YAW 1)This was a clear reminder of how Young Aboriginal women are ‘Othered’.HealthWhen co-researchers discussed the health and well-being needs for youngAboriginal women there were a range of responses. One said;It is important to have support to keep healthy so that they can accesscurriculum. For example we had one young woman with diabetes and weneeded to get that under control so that she could concentrate and do herschool work. If kids are not well or they are worried they cannot connectat school (HS I5)In addition to physical health she discussed the need for general sex educationand improved access to health services.Another co-researcher prioritised health issues relating to pregnancy, rape,drug and alcohol issues, caring for younger siblings (HS I4), and another278