Disparities in outcomes for Indigenous children

Abstract

First Nations people have thrived and survived on the continent now called Australia for more than 60 000 years. Before colonisation, First Nations people had diverse language and cultural groups; complex kinship systems; sophisticated ways of managing land, sea, and waterways and matching ways of living and connecting to country that were designed to protect the spiritual, social, and emotional wellbeing of future generations.<br/ >The disruption of these systems was swift, brutal, and devastating for many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.<br/ >Consequently, many First Nations children living in Australia today experience the legacy and ongoing impact of the loss of land and connection to country; decimation of culture, language, and community; and frequent racism and discrimination