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

Moving Forward TogetherJanet Kelly…not only the criticism and deconstruction of colonisation anddomination, but also about the reconstruction and transformation, aliberation of colonial imposition.This recognises the dynamic nature of change, action and reaction inpostcolonialism, and the potential for liberation and decolonisation. Ashcroft(2001a) similarly argues that in order to understand past, continuing and futureaspects of postcolonialism, it is necessary to understand political resistance andthe dynamic nature of cultural transformation.Post colonial resistance and transformationAshcroft (2001b) describes three specific forms of resistance andtransformation that exist within postcolonial settings. The first is politicalopposition or open resistance that involves violence and warfare. In responseto colonial invasion, local people fight back. This was seen in many areas ofAustralia as frontier violence (Eckermann et al. 2006). In a health caresituation this can be seen when Aboriginal people ‘fight the system’ byvocalising their frustrations of a system that does not meet their needs. Asecond less violent expression of resistance is passive resistance. Ghandi usedpassive resistance in India to counter the colonial British Raj (Ashcroft 2001b).In a modern health care setting this may be seen when an Aboriginal personactively chooses not to attend a specific health service. This does not includeexperiencing difficulty with getting to the appointment, conflicting priorities,or issues related to childcare or being a carer for other family members, butrather a genuine rejection of the service based on values, beliefs or politicalopposition. A third form of resistance is a refusal to become absorbed by theincoming culture and society. Colonised peoples have repeatedly takenWestern ways and influences, and transformed them into tools with which theycan use for their own purposes, culture and identity (Ashcroft 2001b). In ahealth care setting, Aboriginal people may choose to attend a communitycontrolled Aboriginal health service that is governed by the community, andprovides Aboriginal focused services, rather than attend a mainstream service.Ashcroft suggests that this last transformational aspect of resistance is used byordinary everyday people to great effect. In many ways it is more powerful99