There are still numerous barriers – social and economic – that hinder Aboriginal people accessing quality primary and secondary health care in mainstream settings. Many Aboriginal women lack confidence in mainstream health care and are less willing to access care due to previous experiences of cultural insensitivity and feelings of cultural insecurity. There remain women who still choose not to access mainstream maternity services for fear of having their children taken from them.
The Dreamtime is the Aboriginal understanding of the world, of its creation, and its great stories. The Dreamtime is the beginning of knowledge, from which came the laws of existence. Aborginal people keep alive their traditions and beliefs though story telling.
‘Bunjil’ is a creature of Aboriginal mythology. Bunjil is the wedge-tail eagle who is regarded as the spirit creator of the Kulin nation. The Wurundjeri people, who are part of the Kulin people of Central Victoria, believe Bunjil keeps a watchful eye over people and offers guidance to those who choose to listen.
Recently, the National Gallery of Victoria loaned ‘Bunjil’s Nest’ to the Victorian Government Department of Health for a conference on Aboriginal Health. Mirroring the size of a real eagle’s nest, Bunjil’s Nest is a two-metre-wide work which holds 600 individual messages written on single eucalypt sticks. Wurundjeri elder Aunty Joy Murphy Wandin and environmentalist Dr David Suzuki wrote foundation messages for the nest.
Bunjil’s Nest was located in the foyer of my office building during this conference, and department employees were invited to write their own message for inclusion in the nest. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to contribute my own message to Bunjil’s Nest.
My message for Bunjil’s nest was, “understand and respect cultural diversity.” My individual message may be small, but I see this individual recognition as pertinent to increasing the understanding and mutual respect for cultural practices by both Aboriginal Australians and the wider community.
Through increased cultural awareness of every person, there is hope to remove harmful barriers, improve health outcomes for Aboriginal people, and prevent the harm continuing to affect future generations.
