She was also taken by welfare and no-one in the family has a clue where she is. Subsequent to the protection era, the Government activated a number of strategies that were not as explicit, but were just as imposing in pursuit of dislocating Aboriginal society. The persistence in this direction has seen Aboriginal women attempt to maintain aspects of their own socio-cultural beliefs and practices. Much of this has occurred within aspects of social organisation which, in some regions, has centred around women, partly because of the high incarceration rates of Aboriginal men. From material trot before me, this has sometimes meant that Aboriginal women have had to compensate and compromise many of their own needs.
Domestic violence is an example of where women have suffered greatly.
Aboriginal women can he placed in a precarious position when one considers the role attributed to them, sometimes by members of a partner's family, if the partner is taken into custody. They can be blamed and become the victims of retaliation. The likelihood of death or injury in custody has cultural and social repercussions, which are more likely to dissuade Aboriginal women from seeking police intervention in a situation of domestic violence, even if that violence is directed at someone else in the relationship structure. The unrelenting imposition of non-Aboriginal societal values and attitudes requires an extreme level of resilience on the part of Aboriginal women. Despite such impositions many persevere, fearing that they have more to lose than to gain if they weaken.