CELEBRATECULTUREANDCALLOUTRACISMTOPREVENT
ABORIGINALANDTORRESSTRAITISLANDERYOUTHSUICIDE
BelindaDuarte,CEO,CultureisLife
March21,2017
Imagineif–justbyvaluingandcelebratingtheinspiringachievementsandpracticesofthe
world’soldestlivingculturesandcallingoutracismwheneveritoccurs–wecouldliterallysave
lives.
Soundfar-fetched?It’snot.
Agrowingevidencebaseinrecentyearsconfirmsthecrucialroleofculture,Aboriginal
communityledprogrammingandtheneedforinitiativesthataddressracismtopreventsuicide
amongAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderpeople.
That’swhytoday,tomarktheInternationalDayfortheEliminationofRacialDiscriminationand
NationalHarmonyday,anewcampaignthatinviteseveryAustraliantorejectracismanddeepen
theirconnectionswiththelongandimpressivestoryofthefirstAustralians.
Andwhataninspiringopportunitythatoffersusall.
AchancetoconnectwithculturesolderthanthePyramidsandtheBible.Culturesthatsurvived
thelasticeageontheplanetwithskillandingenuityandsophisticatedknowledgesystems.
Culturesthatdrawonexpertiseinagriculture,astronomy,science,environmentalmanagement
–andtheoldestarttraditionsofhumankind–toconnectusalltothelandscapeandsonglinesof
thiscountry.
Andachancetosaythatracismandsuicideisneverokay.
IfmanymoreAustraliansfoundwaystovalueandrespectfullyshowtheirownprideinour
country’sfirstculturesandtospeakoutagainstracismwheneveritoccurs,itwouldhelpto
combattherecordlevelsofsuicidebyyoungAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderpeople.
AboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderchildrenandyoungpeoplecomprise30percentofallyouth
suicides–despitebeing3-4percentofthatagegroup.Ourkidsarefivetimesmorelikelyto
commitsuicideastheirnon-Aboriginalpeers.Forchildrenundertheageof14,theyarealmost
ninetimesmoreatrisk.
Andthenumbersaregrowing.Aboriginal&TorresStraitIslanderAustraliansnowhasthe12th
highestsuiciderateintheworld.Andyet,suicidewasalmostnon-existentincommunities50
yearsago.
Forsomeofourpeople,thedisparitycontinuesforthelivedexperiencescoupledwithhigh
incidentsofracism,naturallytakesitstoll.Theaftershocksoftraumabecauseoftheimpactof
pastpoliciestogetherwithenvironmentsthatlacktheaffirmationandcelebrationofculture
deeplyeffecttheemotionalandspiritualwellbeingofpeople.
Sowhatcananyofusdototurnthataround?
Twogroundbreakingnationalreportshavegivenussomeoftheanswerstothatquestion.
In2014,interviewswithseniorEldersfromallacrossthecountryconfirmedthecrucialroleof
cultureinbringingyoungpeoplebackfromthebrink.
Andthen,lastNovember,amajorreporttotheFederalGovernmentfoundsomethingsimilar.To
preventAboriginal&TorresStraitIslandersuicide,weneedtoensureconnectionstocultureand
combattheracismthaterodespeople’ssocialandemotionalwellbeing,theiroptimismand
senseofbelonging.
Wecanaffirmyoungpeople–wecangivethemhope–byfindingourowndeeperconnectionto
theimpressivestoryofourcountry’sfirstcultures.Bydrawingonourancestralstories.Forthe
storiesofthiscountry–oftheoldestlivingculturesanywhereontheplanet–canbeasourceof
strengthandanopportunitytoexploreourcollectiveidentityforusallasAustralians.
Inforgingthatdeeperconnection,byfindingyourownprideinthelongstoryofAustraliaforall
thatitis,Iknowyou’llfindyourselfinspiredtoshareyourownprideinthesecultures.
AndbybuildingstrongerrecognitionofAustralia’sinspiringandinheritfirstculturesintoour
lives,ourworkplaces,ourfamilies,ourfaithgroupsandourcommunities,wecanshifttheway
thatyoungAboriginal&TorresStraitIslanderpeopleatriskofsuicidefeelabouthowwider
Australiaseesandvaluesthem.
Thischoiceinbehaviour–inmomentssmallandlarge–helpstotellouryoungpeople:youare
valued,yourcultureisvalued,andthatvastlineofancestorswhosebloodflowsinyourveinsare
valued.
Weknowthathope,opportunityandconnectionstoculturearehugelyimportanttoprevent
suicideamongyoungAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderpeopletogether.
ThatconclusionwasdrawntimeandagainintheAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderSuicide
PreventionEvaluationProject,ATSIPEP.
Ledbyanarrayofsuicidepreventionexperts,itdrewonthebestavailableevidencetocollect
themosteffectiveresponsesandprotectivefactorsagainstAboriginalandTorresStraitIslander
suicide.
ItparticularlyreaffirmedthattheconceptofhealthtoAboriginalandTorresStraitIslander
peopleisamuchbroaderonethanfornon-Indigenouscommunities.
Forus,healthisconnectedtothehealthofourfamily,kin,community,andourconnectionsto
country,culture,spiritualityandancestry.Culturalidentityandculturalcontinuityareimportant
protectivefactorsagainstsuicidealongwithothercriticalelements.
SotodayIaskyoutothinkabouthowyoucanfindyourowndeeperconnectiontoAboriginal
andTorresStraitIslanderpeoplesandcultures.
Andhowdoyouplantocelebratethattoweringachievementofculturesthathaveendured
longerthananyotherstilllivinginhumanhistory?
Whenmoreofusdemonstrateprideinourcountry’sinspiringfirstcultures,itwillhelptorestore
hopetoyoungAboriginalandTorresStraitIslanderpeopleatriskofsuicideanddemonstratea
deeperawarenessofthefullstoryofthiscountry.
BelindaDuarteistheCEOofCultureisLifeandadescendantoftheWotjobalukpeopleofthe
Wimmeradistrictinnorth-westernVictoria.
Jointhecampaignatwww.cultureislife.org@cultureislife#cultureislife#whatsmissing
Ifyouneedhelporsupport,youcancallLifelineon131114(24hours-a-day)orcontactyour
localAboriginalCommunityControlledOrganisation.IfyouhavequestionsfortheAustralian
HumanRightsCommissioncontacttheNationalInformationlineon1300656419or029284
9888.