Indigenous Australians : continuity of colonialism in law and social work

When thinking about social work practice with Indigenous Australians it is particularly important to recognise how past and present laws have set the foundation for the systemic and institutionalised inequalities they currently experience. While the laws that social workers are required to implement purport to be non-discriminatory, it is clear that they frequently maintain injustices and breach the human rights of Indigenous peoples. This can create confusion and tension for those social workers who are required to operate within the confines of these legal parameters. In this chapter we argue that, in order to understand the current situation of Indigenous peoples and their relationship to the law, social workers should have some knowledge of colonisation and the ideologies that have underpinned the imposition of law and policy on Indigenous peoples since that time.