Here’s What The Last 12 Months Have Looked Like For Indigenous People
The last 12 months have been fraught with difficulty, loss, and heartbreak for Indigenous people.
While the nation prepares for its annual commemoration of national identity — which Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have never been included in — we need to discuss what’s happened since last ‘Australia Day’.
But before I continue, it’s imperative that I follow lore — one that has been practiced across this country for millennia — and identify my tribes, who connect me to land, people, water, and spirit. Through identifying them, I’m recognising them, respecting them, and honouring them, for without my ancestors’ efforts, I would not be here today, nor would countless other Indigenous people. My father comes from a small town on the banks of the Darling River called Wilcannia, he is a Barkindji and Latji Latji man. My mother is from a place called Cherbourg Mission, she is Buri Gubi and Wakka Wakka woman. Nestled in between these bloodlines, I have grown into the woman I am today.
Reflecting on the past year is a deeply personal exercise, because for countless Indigenous people these statistics are not just numbers — they are our loved ones, Aunts, Uncles, siblings, nieces, nephews, and, for some, our children. Here’s what Indigenous people have experienced since January 26, 2021.
Indigenous Deaths In Custody Hit A Devastating Milestone
Since the Royal Commission, there has been 500 more Indigenous deaths in custody, as identified by the Australian Institute of criminology. While the 1991 report made a total of 339 recommendations for the state and federal authorities, only a small percentage of those were ever implemented.
These horrific statistics speak to the institutionalised racism and discrimination Indigenous people are exposed to, directly resulting in our premature deaths.
The very notion that this number of deaths have continued, 30 years after the Royal Commission, is an indication of the negligence, injustices, and inequalities these systems and institutions expose Indigenous bodies to year after year.
In 2021, our nation saw 11 more deaths in custody. And while these 11 Indigenous lives were lost, our government has continued to remain completely silent.
Indigenous Woman Became The Fastest Growing Prison Population
Since last Australia Day, we have seen the rapid growth of incarcerated Indigenous women, who now constitute 37 percent of the female prison population, whilst only making only 2 percent of Australia’s population.
A direct result of racial discrimination, Indigenous women are imprisoned more than 20 times the rate of non-Indigenous women — a true indicator of where this country stands in the treatment and discriminatory practices impacting the lives of countless Indigenous women, our communities, families, and children.
As an Indigenous woman and mother, I live every day with the fear of knowing that I could be arrested and later charged for a crime that my non-Indigenous counterpart would return home for.
COVID Ripped Through Unprotected Indigenous Communities
Since January 26, 2021, the impacts of COVID-19 have been felt throughout our entire nation — though it’s important to recognise the specific impacts on Indigenous communities, who are arguably some of the most vulnerable in our country.
Though it was not the only Indigenous community to bear the brunt of a mismanaged pandemic, my father’s hometown of Wilcannia — a town that has endured decades of degradation thanks to the government’s mismanagement — was devastated by COVID.
During the height of the outbreak in Wilcannia, this little town with a population of 720 had a total of 73 coronavirus cases, making it the highest transmission rate in NSW. The town was placed on an instant lockdown, which was devastating with the closest grocer to the town being a two-hour, 196.7km drive away.
As a result of the government’s failure, families were steadily running out of food and essentials, such as nappies and medicines. The town soon relied on donations provided by the Australian public, including necessities, including anti-bacterial wipes and hand sanitiser. The experience of Wilcannia again portrayed the underbelly of Australia — the reality for countless Indigenous communities who our country continues to fail.
Over the last 12 months, Indigenous people have lived with a failing government and a society that has marginalised us from the delights of what it means to be an “Australian”.
As many Australians prepare to celebrate January 26, all we can do is remind people that the last 12 months have been fraught with difficulty, loss, and heartbreak for Indigenous people. And recognise the efforts of our people and communities in continuing to persist through all the hardship, reminding this country — along with our allies — that it always was, and always will be, Aboriginal land.
Alicia Johnson is a daughter, mother, academic, and activist. She is using her voice to contribute to change within Australia, unearthing the truths this nation so steadily likes to deny. You can follow her on Instagram.
Photo Credit: Diego Fedele/Getty Images