Frank wrote on Sep 18^th, 2023 at 5:39pm:



Intergenerational trauma due to colonialism is bollocks.



Over the past decade, sections of our media have taken up and publicised a serious medical disorder affecting the Australian community. Those of indigenous descent are said to be suffering a traumatic condition caused by British colonisation.
The passage of time, generational succession and racial intermarriage do not alleviate this affliction, because the medical condition is passed down through families. This syndrome is responsible for many Aborigines suffering diminished mental health and thereby becoming wedged in social disadvantage. It is the root cause for chronic depression, alcoholism, drug dependency, eating disorders, poor educational achievement, family dysfunction, domestic violence, sexual abuse and suicide. The worst thing about this debilitating disorder is that it was caused by events involving forebears, sometimes whose names are unknown, many years ago.

The Healing Foundation is a government-funded body set up in 2009 to support initiatives which redress the historical removal of indigenous children from their families. The focus is on developing trauma-focused welfare services in Aboriginal communities. Fiona Cornford, the Foundation’s CEO, has a background in welfare administration, while her organisation’s board members include professionals from social work and public administration, plus Aboriginal activists and an academic. All identify as indigenous.

No medical specialist in Aboriginal health sits on the board or is listed in senior management of the Healing Foundation, which is incorporated as an unlisted public company. There is not even a token GP. It is unclear if any medical professional or clinical psychologist expert in the diagnosis and treatment of trauma has input into the Healing Foundation’s $632 million programs funded by the Australian government.

Stating it uses “Aboriginal healing” to achieve positive wellbeing outcomes, the Foundation’s website is vague on medical practicalities. It explains that Foundation workers visit indigenous communities, meeting with local people “to define healing, understand the impacts of colonisation in their local context, discuss their healing needs, share information about healing work in their communities and develop healing strategies”. The words doctor, diagnosis, treatment and medication are conspicuously absent from this patter. Instead, “healing” is explained as “a holistic process, which addresses mental, physical, emotional and spiritual needs, and involves connections to culture, family and land”. Trauma victims are cured through special “healing centres” which “incorporate traditional and western practices, [and] operate with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander spirituality and culture at their core”.

These are bureaucratic weasel words which suggest much while not stating whether each person gets a medical examination, or what treatment options are available. One would think diagnosing who is traumatised, and how severely, were essential first steps in tackling the incidence of trauma in indigenous communities. But the orientation is upon hazy “Aboriginal healing”, not on delivering tangible medical results in improved mental health.
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“Whenever people claim to have trauma,” he said, “just ask two questions. First, who diagnosed it? Second, what treatment has been prescribed? If you can’t get straight answers, we’re not talking about genuine medical cases.”