Mukurtu Demo released & other good news…

This is a follow-up post to “Mukurtu gearing up for Spring 2011 release” dated February 27, 2011. Update #1: Mukurtu 0.5 Demo release is now available. Update #2: Mukurtu receives $484,772 National Leadership Grant from the Institute of Museums and Library Services. The funding will make it possible to deploy, […]

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Of local interest: The 2011 Saratoga Native American Festival

I rarely if ever wax personal on this blog, but I would like to share news about an upcoming local festival here in Upstate New York called the Saratoga Native American Festival. It has nothing to do with usual Ethnos Project fare like technology and culture or ICT4D – I […]

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Aligning needs and means: On culture, ICT and knowledge in development cooperation

Abstract This paper takes an interdisciplinary view on the societal role of Information and Communication Technology (ICT). The applied research case discussed in building a global online community of practice for people working on community-based natural resource management (CBNRM). The purpose is to point to some limitations connected with culture […]

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Geoweb: Indigenous Mapping of Intergenerational Knowledge

Abstract This thesis examines the transmission of intergenerational cultural knowledge on eastern James Bay Cree lands. Geospatial technologies and the representation of Cree knowledge are explored, with emphasis on the geoweb. A geoweb with two parts, old and new, is theorized as compatible with Cree interests at a landscape level […]

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A New Visualization Approach to Re-Contextualize Indigenous Knowledge in Rural Africa

Abstract Current views of sustainable development recognize the importance of accepting the Indigenous Knowledge (IK) of rural people. However, there is an increasing technological gap between Elder IK holders and the younger generation and a persistent incompatibility between IK and the values, logics and literacies embedded, and supported by ICT. […]

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African Languages in a Digital Age: Challenges and Opportunities for Indigenous Language Computing

About the Book Offering practical approaches to finding a place for African languages in the information revolution, this overview lays the foundation for more effectively bridging the “digital divide” by finding new solutions to old problems. Conducted by the PanAfrican Localization project under the sponsorship of Canada’s International Development Research […]

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Indigenous technology design and its challenges

Christopher Hoadley, Educational Communications and Technology program at New York University … speaking at The Berkman Center Luncheon Series, a weekly series of informal luncheons and other meetings, providing students, fellows, faculty, and anyone who reserves a seat opportunities to discuss issues relevant to their work and to engage other […]

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The use of ICT for the preservation of Aboriginal culture: the Badimaya people of Western Australia

Abstract Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has been applied successfully to numerous remote Indigenous communities around the world. The greatest gains have been made when requirements have been first defined by Indigenous members of the community then pattern matched to an ICT solution. Keywords: Information and Communication Technology, Indigenous Communities, […]

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Preserving Endangered Languages using a Layered Web-based Archive

Abstract Many human languages, an essential part of culture, are in danger of extinction. UNESCO estimates that at least a half of the world’s 6500 spoken languages will disappear within the next 100 years. This problem can be addressed to some extent by computer systems that collect, archive and disseminate […]

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Indigenous education: Creating classrooms of tomorrow today

At the recent 2011 Research Conference “Indigenous Education: Pathways to success” hosted by the Australian Council for Educational Research, Professor Lester-Irabinna Rigney (Dean of Aboriginal Education, Director of the Wilto Yerlo Centre at Adelaide University) presented a talk on “Indigenous education: Creating classrooms of tomorrow today.” Here are some salient […]

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Technology, Education and Indigenous Peoples: the case of Maori

Introduction Technology was introduced, as a formal ‘subject’, into New Zealand’s compulsory education curriculum in 1993, as part of the ‘stunning’ changes which commenced at all levels in 1988. The government’s latest paper ‘Bright future: five steps ahead’ (New Zealand Government, 1999) suggests that we are about to enter, without […]

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Home Internet for Remote Indigenous Communities

Executive Summary Research to date shows that many remote Indigenous communities have little access to the internet and make little use of it. The Indigenous population living in remote and very remote parts of Australia comprises 108,143 people, or 0.54% of the total Australian population (ABS 2006a). In central Australia, […]

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Culture and technology: a study on the 1997 theme

The purpose of this study is to stimulate a reflection on the relationship between culture and technology, and the role of culture in technological development. It also seeks to raise issues pertaining to culture and technology against the background of the World Decade for Cultural Development, which was launched by […]

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