21. Culture: What's happening now?

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"The only way to stop suicide is to fulfill our cultural obligation to teach our young people because that's what we have been brought up with, strength of character through strength of culture, not by white man's cultural obligation, we need to educate our young ones culturally. The Government doesn't see that we need to build something culturally strong for our people to be healthy and survive."

George Gaymarrangi Pascoe, Maningrida N.T.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

​

 

On 15 April 2014, ABC News published a news story headed "Aboriginal elders lament loss of culture as Indigenous youth suicides rise". The report stated that Aboriginal Elders in northern Australia saw the loss of Cultural identity is one of the main reasons for rising Aboriginal youth suicide rates.

This view is also detailed in a new publication by Elders called "Preventing Indigenous Self-harm and Youth Suicide". The report contains interviews with 31 Elders and Community representatives.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"The suicide rate of young Indigenous people in the north of Australia has been rising for the past 20 years and is now claimed to be the highest in the world. Statistics show young Aboriginal men in Australia are four times more likely to suicide than their non-Indigenous counterparts. For young Aboriginal women, the rate is claimed to be five times higher."

Read more

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

The report states that in some remote Communities in the Kimberley of Western Australia, suicide rates had reached 100 times the national rate.

The report goes on to say:

• despite good intentions, government programs have failed to stop the problem,
• alcohol and drugs are the main issues that are pushing young people over the edge,
• loss of cultural identity and and cross-cultural confusion is prevalent among young Aboriginals, and

• common among the Elders' comments was a desire to find a mix of traditional and modern ways.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"Suicide occurs when young people find themselves in no-man's land," said Bernard Tipiloura of the Tiwi Islands. "If our young people today join their Aboriginal culture with the Western style, they will be okay."

Read more

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

In November of 2014 a groundbreaking documentary series was aired on SBS Television. The series 'First Contact' took a group of six non-Aboriginal Australians, from different walks of life and with strong and varied opinions, and immersed them in Aboriginal Australia for their first time.

Season 1, Episode 3, aired on November 20, 2014, and contains footage from the Kimberley region. It contains valuable insights into both the problems being experienced in this region, and the inspirational solutions that have been instigated by the local Aboriginal community in what is a fiercely determined effort to resolve their Community's suffering.

Click here to view the 'First Contact' series on SBS (optional).