Miromaa Aboriginal Language & Technology Centre

What is Miromaa? From the Miromaa website: Miromaa is a program which we [Arwarbukarl Cultural Resource Association, Inc. (ACRA)] have developed to aid in language preservation, reclamation and dissemination work, it is a easy to use, user friendly database to help you gather, organise, analyse and produce outcomes for your […]

 •   •   •   •   • 

Recovering and Celebrating Inuit Knowledge through Design: The Making of a Virtual Storytelling Space

Dr. Scott Heyes (Assistant Professor at the University of Canberra) presented this paper at the Indigenous Knowledge and Technology Conference (IKTC 2011) in Namibia on 2-4 November. Dr. Heyes is a Cultural Geographer and Landscape Architect who has worked on some very interesting projects. Abstract Inuit storytelling in the Ungava […]

 •   •   •   •   • 

The Power of Mobile Technology for the Exchange of Indigenous Knowledge

The Number in My Pocket: The Power of Mobile Technology for the Exchange of Indigenous Knowledge Betsie Greyling (with Ulwazi) and Niall McNulty presented a poster by this name at the The Third International m-libraries Conference (11-13 May 2011) in Brisbane, Australia. The poster outlines the Ulwazi Programme’s plans for […]

 •   •   •   •   • 

Human-Computer Interaction for Development: The Past, Present, and Future

Abstract Recent years have seen a burgeoning interest in research into the use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the context of developing regions, particularly into how such ICTs might be appropriately designed to meet the unique user and infrastructural requirements that we encounter in these cross-cultural environments. This […]

 •   •   •   •   • 

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, […]

 •   •   •   •   • 

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 […]

 •   •   •   •   • 

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, […]

 •   •   •   •   •   • 

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 […]

 •   •   •   •   • 

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 […]

 •   •   •   • 

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, […]

 •   •   •   •   •   •   • 

Māori Maps: Gateway to Māori world of Marae

“Māori Maps is a gateway to the Māori world of marae. It aims to take visitors to the gateway of marae around Aotearoa/New Zealand; beyond that point, visitors can make their own interactions with the marae community. Māori Maps assembles information about all the traditional, tribal marae. It does not include […]

 •   •   •   •   •   •   • 

Trust and Technology: building an archival system for Indigenous oral memory

An excerpt from the Final Report of the Trust & Technology Project (2004-2006) Project Outline: The Trust & Technology (T&T) Project is an ARC Linkage project, with a partnership between Caulfield School of Information Technology, Monash University, Centre for Australian Indigenous Studies, Monash University, the Public Record Office of Victoria, […]

 •   •   •   •   •   •   •   •   •   • 

The Impact of Digital Technology on Indigenous Peoples

An excerpt from Ecoliterate Law: Globalization & the Transformation of Cultures & Humanity If indigenously founded Internet resources and technologies are any indication of Indigenous peoples’ willingness to embrace the technological era, the answer is that many Indigenous communities see telecommunication and computer technologies as a way to improve, rather than […]

 •   •   •   •   •   •   • 

Organization Highlight: International Institute for Communication and Development (IICD)

A new Ethnos Project feature… highlighting organizations of interest. From the IICD website: “At IICD, people are at the heart of what we do. We believe people need access to information to improve their lives. Particularly in developing countries. Farmers earn more from their produce if they know the current […]

 •   •   •   • 

Taking Ownership: Strengthening Indigenous Cultures and Languages Through the Use of ICTs

Indigenous peoples make up 5% of the world’s population, occupy over 20% of the earth’s landmass, and pursue self – determination and sovereignty in all 73 countries in which they dwell. [3] Technology is a tool, not just a reward, for growth and development. [4] When ICTs are introduced in […]

 •   •   •   •   •   •   • 

Postcolonial Computing: A Lens on Design and Development

Abstract: As our technologies travel to new cultural contexts and our designs and methods engage new constituencies, both our design and analytical practices face significant challenges. We offer postcolonial computing as an analytical orientation to better understand these challenges. This analytic orientation inspires four key shifts in our approach to […]

 •   •   •   •   • 

Technology Snapshot: Indigenous Language & Cultural Preservation

How is the web impacting aboriginal communities? Phillip Djwa’s work focuses on the key components of social responsibility through technology. He’s worked for a wide variety of technology companies in senior positions for many years. Now, through Agentic Communications, which is a web development company that works with progressive organizations […]

 •   •   •   •   •   •   •   •   •   • 

ICTs and the Backstretch: an Ethnography

ICTs and the Backstretch: an Ethnography of the Backstretch Employees of the Saratoga Race Track and their use of the Backstretch Global Communications Center As Ellen McHale points out in An Ethnography of the Saratoga Racetrack, “the backstretch of the thoroughbred racetrack at Saratoga Springs, New York, is an ‘intentional’ […]

 •   •   •   •   •   •   •