First Peoples
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Friday essay: voices from the bush – how lockdown affects remote Indigenous communities differently
Aboriginal people have talked about feeling safe out bush, about following the rules of lockdown. They are fully aware of the threat COVID-19 poses to their old people and those who are sick. Humans are vulnerable to disease for many reasons including age, gender, society, environment and ancestry. COVID-19 risks are magnified for Aboriginal people in remote communities.
This is due to higher rates of other health issues, limited access to health care, greater reliance on outreach services and movement between communities.
The COVID-19 crisis adds to existing pressures on remote communities. Families already live with regular loss of life, frequent funerals and an overhanging grief that contributes to intergenerational trauma. Yet among these hardships communities also display incredible resilience. While COVID-19 poses a threat, this needs to be understood in relation to the hardships and the strengths of remote community life.
Read the full article at The Conversation.
