Aboriginal activist who has assaulted police four times this year opens up about her 'brain trauma' which she claims is caused by the abuse suffered by her ancestors

  • Aboriginal activist Leilani Clarke opened up about her mental state on Instagram
  • The young woman claims she is suffering from an illness dubbed 'brain trauma'
  • She claims it is part of a wider transgenerational trauma felt by aboriginal people
  • Ms Clarke called for a nationwide conversation on the issue of childhood trauma
  • The activist, 20, has been in and out of court for assaulting police officers 

By Sophie Tanno For Daily Mail Australia

Published: 20:54 EST, 5 November 2018 | Updated: 00:17 EST, 6 November 2018

Proud aboriginal activist Leilani Clarke who has been called a 'wonderful' young person by a magistrate and has gained attention for her disdain of white police officers has opened up about her mental state.

The 20-year-old Butchulla woman claimed in an emotional Instagram post that she suffers a medical condition that she has dubbed 'brain trauma'. 

She claimed she has been battling with her 'brain trauma' which she sees as part of a wider transgenerational trauma experienced by aboriginal people in Australia. 

Leilani Clarke, 20, claimed in an emotional Instagram post that she suffers a medical condition that she has dubbed 'brain trauma'

Leilani Clarke, 20, claimed in an emotional Instagram post that she suffers a medical condition that she has dubbed 'brain trauma'

She claimed she has been battling with her 'brain trauma' which she sees as part of a wider transgenerational trauma experienced by aboriginal people in Australia

She claimed she has been battling with her 'brain trauma' which she sees as part of a wider transgenerational trauma experienced by aboriginal people in Australia

The term 'transgenerational trauma' refers to a type of trauma that is passed down from a first generation of people to further generations

The term 'transgenerational trauma' refers to a type of trauma that is passed down from a first generation of people to further generations

The term 'transgenerational trauma' refers to a type of trauma that is passed down from a first generation of people to further generations. 

It is a term often applied to second and third generations of holocaust survivors. 

Ms Clarke said of the trauma in an earlier Instagram post: 'My ancestors died with fear in their blood which writes our DNA and has now evolved to a vicious cycles within most of our communities.'

The aboriginal rights advocate described how she has been in and out of doctors rooms and has visited countless psychologists and counselors, none of whom have been able to ease her ongoing mental battle.

Ms Clarke then outlined how a TED Talk she discovered by chance on Facebook had greatly helped her to better understand her alleged 'brain trauma' condition. 

The TED Talk in question by Dr Nadine Burke Harris outlines how childhood trauma can impact a person's physical health across a lifetime. 

The doctor also details how trauma can impact a person's DNA.

Ms Clarke said of the trauma in an earlier Instagram post: 'My ancestors died with fear in their blood which writes our DNA and has now evolved to a vicious cycles within most of our communities.'

Ms Clarke said of the trauma in an earlier Instagram post: 'My ancestors died with fear in their blood which writes our DNA and has now evolved to a vicious cycles within most of our communities.'

The young activist went on to call for an open conversation in Australia about childhood trauma and accused society of pushing the issue under the rug, particularly among aboriginal communities

The young activist went on to call for an open conversation in Australia about childhood trauma and accused society of pushing the issue under the rug, particularly among aboriginal communities

Ms Clarke outlined how a TED Talk she discovered by chance on Facebook had greatly helped her to better understand her alleged 'brain trauma' condition

Ms Clarke outlined how a TED Talk she discovered by chance on Facebook had greatly helped her to better understand her alleged 'brain trauma' condition

'This fundamental information hasn’t even begun to penetrate Australia’s medical world,' Ms Clarke claimed in her Instagram post.  

The young activist went on to call for an open conversation in Australia about childhood trauma and accused society of sweeping the issue under the rug, particularly among aboriginal communities.

'We treat people who have experienced multiple levels of childhood trauma like they need to “get over it” every f**king day in this country, especially to Aboriginal people idc [I don't care] what you say challenge me on that,' Ms Clarke wrote. 

Ms Clarke attracted media attention after allegedly assaulting four police officers in less than 12 months, including spitting on them and calling them 'white dogs'.  

Police last encountered Ms Clarke when they attended reports of a domestic disturbance at Forest Lodge in the city's inner-west about 1.40am on June 28.

They found Ms Clarke outside a terrace on the footpath in an agitated state and noted she had enlarged pupils.

Ms Clarke was studying environmental science at Sunshine Coast University but now lives in Sydney

Ms Clarke was studying environmental science at Sunshine Coast University but now lives in Sydney

An ambulance arrived and when officers told Ms Clarke she would be taken to hospital involuntarily under the Mental Health Act she became more aggressive and spat on a police officer when they refused her request to speak to an Aboriginal Liaison Officer. 

Ms Clarke walked free from court following the assault, with the magistrate describing her as a 'wonderful' young person with a bright future.

Ms Clarke was studying environmental science at Sunshine Coast University but now lives in Sydney. 

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Aboriginal activist who has assaulted police four times this year opens up about childhood ‘trauma’

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