The Bundjalung people are the original custodians of Northen coastal NSW, located approximately 500 Km north east of Sydney. The area includes the Bundjalung National park and Mount Warning and is approximately 6,000 square metres. Significant towns include Grafton, Yamba and the Gold Coast.
There are several sub-tribes of the Bundjalung people as it is a vast area.
((Wikipediaorg, 2016)
In 170 Captain Cook named prominent coastal features along the region however the Aboriginal people had already named many areas and landscape features prior to European arrivals.
There was no recognition of the importance of Aboriginal culture sites until around 1836 when Thomas Sheppard campaigned for conservation. There were however …show more content…
The remaining sites are very important as it links their culture, heritage and dreaming. The upper Clarence is rich with existing Aboriginal sites. These include large shell middens, which represent campsites associated with lakes and rivers, along with natural landforms created by dreamtime ancestors or associated with ancestors. Sites are found in some towns and are hugely important because they are proof of occupancy by the traditional owners.
The bundjalung people believe that within the mountains lie the spirits of wounded warriors. The scars on the mountains represent injuries while thunderstorms recall the sounds of the battles faced by the warriors. Much of the Bundjalung people’s culture and heritage is still celebrated. There is an annual gathering in the Bundjalung national park to celebrate as a Bundjalung people’s gathering. Tradition garments are worn and there are traditional …show more content…
The Aboriginal people as a result of this program have had access to health assessment so that they can be regularly checked. They have been educated about potential risks factors and how to reduce them in terms of diet, smoking and alcohol and general lifestyle.
As access to cardiac prevention and treatment services for indigenous Australians increased, the age standardised mortality rate for cardiac conditions for Indigenous Australians decreased by 41 % between 1998 and 2012. (Aihwgovau, 2016)
There are other organisations that assist the Indigenous Australians and Torres Straight Islander and many resources are available. With increasing access to organisations and organisations educating themselves about Aboriginal people’s culture and heritage they have been able to provide better support and care for the communities, gaining trust and respects by educating themselves about the people they are dealing with and respecting their heritage.
Today there is still a significant gap however with better education and support the Aboriginal people are living longer and getting earlier diagnosis, decreasing mortality rate and the