Remote connections

Remote connections is a project that explores the idea of both being remote and being connected.

The primary focus of this project is the evolution of a collaboration between people in remote Indigenous communities  and myself to co-create locative and flexible web-based tools for cultural and creative purposes.

Young people remotely connected - image credit Andrew Taylor

Young people remotely connected – image credit Andrew Taylor

The secondary focus is more poetic and philosophical – starting with a semantic unraveling of the meanings of what determines remoteness and being connected. These ideas also feed into my interests in mapping, story telling and cultural implications of site.

So far I have made some great contacts and have started a blog  at remotexmedia.wordpress.com, a Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/RemoteConnections, written a paper and a presentation for ISEA2011. We will see what happens from there!

As a mean to start building relationships with communities, I am currently developing a website for Billabong Aboriginal Development Corporation as part of my volunteer role with Indigenous Community Volunteers.

I also recently undertook Webex training as part of the Remote Indigenous Public Internet Access program managed through the Northern Territory Library. Now I have been trained to use this software I will be able to train other people to use Webex.

To further develop my knowledge of language and culture I have enrolled in Ninti Ngapartji – the Ngapartji Ngapartji online language course, which looks really interesting. this course is delivered online for free and I think it is an excellent initiative.

Resources

  1. Central Australian Youth Link Up Service (CAYLUS)
  2. Centre for Appropriate Technology
  3. Community Engagement in Lockhart River
  4. Indigenous Remote Communications Association
  5. National Indigenous Times 
  6. Ngapartji Ngapartji – Learn Pitjantjatjara Online
  7. Ninti Ngapartji – the Ngapartji Ngapartji online language course
  8. PAW Media (Walpiri Media)
  9. Remote Indigenous Public Internet Access

Other relevant resources

References

  1. Aboriginal Art Online http://www.aboriginalartonline.com/culture/language.php (accessed 4 August 2010)
  2. Altman, J., Homeland communities destroyed to save a bit of cash http://theconversation.edu.au/homeland-communities-destroyed-to-save-a-bit-of-cash-3730 (accessed 12 August 2011)
  3. Australian Bureau of Statistics Internet Activity, Australia, June 2010 (accessed 30 August 2010)
  4. Brady, F., and Dyson, L., 2009, Report to Wujal Wujal Aboriginal Shire Council on Mobile Technology in the
    Bloomfield River Valley
  5. Central Land Council (accessed 4 August 2011)
  6. Closing the Gap – the Prime Ministers Report 2011  (accessed 21 July 2011)
  7. Closing the Gap – Building Momentum  (accessed 4 August 2011)
  8. Cuneo, C., 2009,The new stolen generation: Kevin Rudd offered an apology and a pledge he couldn’t keep
    The Daily Telegraph (accessed 4 August 2011)
  9. Fan backlash lead Facebook to reverse ban on Aboriginal rapper Colin Darcy’s ‘How Would You Like To Be
    Me    ‘ (accessed 4 August 2011)
  10. Hinkson, M., A “National Emergency” in Australia: The Howard Government’s Intervention in Northern Territory
    Aboriginal Affairs Indigenous Affairs 04/07
  11. Hinkson, M., 2002, ‘New Media Projects at Yuendumu: inter-cultural engagement and self determination in an
    era of accelerated globalization’, Continuum: Journal of Media and Cultural Studies, vol. 16, no. 2, pp. 201-220.
  12. Home Internet for Remote Indigenous Communities, ARC Centre of Excellence for Creative Industries, the Centre for Appropriate Technologies and the Central Land Council.
  13. National Archives of AustraliaFact sheet 150 – The 1967 Referendum . (Accessed 29 November 2010)
  14. New worlds of opportunity for remote communities http :// www . theaustralian . com . au / higher – education / new -worlds – of – opportunity – for – remote – communities / story – e 6 frgcjx -1225897722920 (accessed 30 August 2010)
  15. NSW bill recognises Aboriginal people  (accessed 5 August 2011)
  16. Paw Media History http://www.pawmedia.com.au/about-us/history (accessed 4 August 2011)
  17. PAW Media (Pintubi, Anmatjere, Walpiri) http://www.pawmedia.com.au/about-us/what-we-do (accessed 4
    August 2011)
  18. Rudd, K., Apology to Australia’s Indigenous Peoples (accessed 2 March 2011)
  19. Stolen Generations timeline  (accessed 1 August 2011)
  20. http://www.abc.net.au/news/video/2010/05/14/2900122.htm?site=farnorth (accessed 4 August 2011)
  21. Zorba the Greek Yolngu style

Acknowledgements
Thanks to Martin Drury, Bronwyn Pollock, Andrew Taylor, Nicholas Kirlew, Jim Best, Metta Young, Susan Schuller, , Aaron Corn, Catherine Wohlan, Clare Maclean, Inge Kral, Fiona Sivyer, Jackie Calderwood, Sonja van Kerkoff and Liam Campbell for your time, energy and support.