Many less-known religious practices are being largely ignored by the majority, including locals who are not accustomed to other cultures. Gomeroi native people who are residing in New South Wales, Australia, experience this phenomenon nowadays. The origin of the incident that occurred only a few days ago, on the 9th of November, stems from this issue. Stanley Russell was killed by police under undisclosed circumstances, which caused the Gomeroi community to renew its efforts to be recognized and adequately represented (Allam, 2021).
The article by Allam describes how life in modern society causes grief and suffering to Gomeroi people due to the ignorance from governmental organizations towards small religious aboriginal communities. The involvement of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander legal service (NATSILS) is critical in these times. In this paper, the paper “NSW police pressured to provide ‘transparent’ answers over shooting death of Aboriginal man” by Lorena Allam will be analyzed for its depiction of the local indigenous population.
The article presents a view on a dire situation in which the parents of a dead man find themselves but also reveals a global tendency. Russels, who are members of an indigenous tribe known as Gomeroi, have suffered at the hands of local law enforcement several times (Allam, 2021). The death of Stanley Russell, along with many other similar incidents, reveals a disturbing pattern in the relationship between Gomeroi and locals (Allam, 2021). NATSILS’ comments are becoming a call for action for these people.
New South Wales is the native land for Gomeroi, yet modern society presents many challenges for their integration. This local culture and religion appear to be in a vulnerable state that is caused by long-term neglect and ignorance of the majority, which is being reflected in the actions of the police. Allam (2021) also reveals that “11 Aboriginal people have died in custody or in a police operation in NSW alone” in 2021. A number this high for a population that represents less than 0.5% of the population of New South Wales shows that there is a particular bias in place that makes these people more vulnerable. Sadly, the high occurrence of such incidents indicates that Gomeroi people are being unjustly mistreated over their cultural and religious views.
Although the article reveals little about the religion of these people, it becomes clear that there are glaring issues with its representation among governmental positions that can counteract the apparent discrimination. The reaction of the First Nations people shows a growing distrust towards the Australian government, which is a troublesome yet understandable tendency that grows from the constant demeaning and ignorance (Allam, 2021).
Nonetheless, Gomeroi people remain in a situation where the lack of transparency in interactions with their members leaves them shaken and fearing for their lives. These indigenous people believe in close ties with nature, which is being destroyed by the civilization that they are forced to live in. It is only natural for them to experience emotions that cause conflicts with law enforcement, yet no actions towards understanding the nature of such conflicts appear to have been taken. NATSILS attempts to represent the will of Gomeroi and other small native communities in New South Wales, yet its actions did not lead to sufficient changes yet.
The continuous stream of news about aboriginal people being killed indicates the complete disregard towards their way of living. Perhaps, the lack of integration is partially caused by the differences in religious beliefs between the Gomeroi people and the local community. However, there is clearly a strong need to take emergency action for the protection of the Gomeroi community and its unique culture. The article also reveals that the distrust runs deep within New South Wales and has caused such grief for decades (Allam, 2021). As such tendency becomes closer to persecution, it is vital for Australia to immediately consider reconciling with the natives of its land since they hold a critical role in the preservation of this vast heritage.
In conclusion, the article reveals the unfair treatment of a small tribe whose religious practices are less traditional than the commonly accepted ones. Their culture depends on a close relationship with nature, which is currently being disturbed by the society that they were forced to live in. Understandably, conflicts such as the one from the article are bound to happen, yet they signify the need to develop an intricate approach to cultures that differ from conventional norms and religions. The death of Stanley Russell is one of many that could have been prevented through meticulous analyses of smaller co-existing cultures.
Related articles show a pattern to such incidents, in which the native people suffer greatly due to their treatment over their beliefs that make them live in separation from the rest of their local communities. There is enough evidence in Allam’s article alone to usher the government to adhere to the recommendations by NATSILS and increase the inclusivity of underrepresented cultures and religions in Australia.
Reference
Allam, L. (2021). NSW police pressured to provide ‘transparent’ answers over shooting death of Aboriginal man. The Guardian. Web.