WARNING
Please be advised that the following document may contain mentions of deceased persons. (NITV Staff Writer, 2017)
‘Acknowledgement to Country (Boodja)
Curtin University would like to pay our respect to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members of our community by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which the Bentley Campus is located, the Wadjuk people of the Nyungar Nation; and on our Kalgoorlie Campus, the Wongutha people of the North-Eastern Goldfields.’ (Centre for Aboriginal Studies, https://karda.curtin.edu.au/)
Abstract
This paper will argue that the internet is an invaluable addition to Aboriginal communities, given the appropriate introduction, while also considering awareness, access and inclusion of all. Indigenous people of Australia use the internet, specifically the participatory nature of Web 2.0, to build and evolve their culture and thus their communities. The focus will be on the advent of social media usage and identity, both personal and community-based. These examples will highlight that the use of the Internet will further the interests of all Aboriginals in their own culture and strengthen confidence in their identity on and off-line.
Introduction
Defining the concept that encapsulates all the ideas of ‘community’ is a complex matter, as Katz, Rice, Acord, Dasgupta & David (2004), discuss. Therefore, the proposed definition of community for the purposes of this paper is that which gathers a group of like-minded individuals together via the Internet and/or in person to discuss a shared topic (Katz et al., 2004, p. 327-329). They must also have a sense of trust in sharing their thoughts on the topic at hand, and so this trust will produce a level of sociability (Froldova, 2017). This sociability will then lead to ongoing participation within the group by all members for the group to be classed as a true ‘community’ of people (Rheingold, 2000).
The internet, specifically the changes allowed by the advent of Web 2.0, has therefore provided options for Aboriginal communities to connect, socialise, create and communicate their passions and knowledge to better themselves and their communities, both locally and Australia-wide. Web 2.0, as defined by Petray (2011, p. 924), which provides a more elastic and participatory experience for its users, is crucial for both young and old Indigenous community participants in spreading the word regarding their culture, language and all other significant interests specific to the local Indigenous Aboriginal peoples. For the purposes of this paper, Indigenous peoples are those that regularly inhabited the lands of Australia pre-colonisation, which is in alignment with the research studied to complete this paper (Carlson & Frazer, 2018, Townsend, 2015 & Petray, 2011 & 2015).
This paper will argue that the internet is an invaluable addition to Aboriginal communities, given the appropriate introduction, while also considering awareness, access and inclusion of all. Indigenous people of Australia use the internet, specifically the participatory nature of Web 2.0, to build and evolve their culture and thus their communities. The focus will be on the advent of social media usage and identity, both personal and community-based. These examples will highlight that
the use of the Internet will further the interests of all Aboriginals in their own culture and strengthen confidence in their identity on and off-line.
Web 2.0 and Social Media platforms
The Indigenous youth of Australia are active online. Like most youth today, indigenous children are no different when it comes to their fascination with technology; this obsession is often utilised to promote and discuss good health (Weston, 2011), or education, such as promoting the local language (Dickson, 2016). Access and availability of the internet has improved in more recent years; the launch of satellites providing access to remote locations and more funding to ICT (Internet Communication technology) centres in local towns and schools has begun to close the gap on the education of indigenous youths in computer technologies (Reading et al., 2006, “Western Australia” & Townsend, 2015, p. 3)
The internet also allows for the culturally accepted teaching methods, described by Weston (2011, p. 9) as ‘communities of practice’ (CoP). This way of working and teaching is traditional to the indigenous people of Australia and thus more effective and empowering. Communities of people learn better together because they connect regularly with each other and share the learnt skills around, thus learning the task required more effectively than other methods. Using this method to introduce the internet as a communications device and, once online, to use the method to teach and learn specific subjects such as languages, has proved effective (Weston, 2011). Connecting those who are interested in learning the local languages, and keeping them alive, is just one part of maintaining Indigenous culture and will assist those of a younger generation in preserving pride in their heritage and social background.
With the advent of social media platforms such as Facebook and YouTube, the younger generation now have ways of connecting more regularly with their local community and the world using this CoP method. They choose to represent and share their culture and language in ways that were not possible prior to the arrival of the internet (Petray, 2011). For example, Kral (2011, p. 11) discusses a platform like YouTube, called IndigiTUBE, which has been created especially for and by Indigenous artists to share and create music. However, many artists also choose to share their works on YouTube in order to communicate their identity and what their culture means to them.
As Chris and Nathan, cited by Kral (2011, p.10) said, ‘we have responsibility for, like, … message and all that, singing and letting people know and like, getting the message out there.’’ The IndigiTUBE website also links to all the different indigenous radio stations available around Australia; once again potentially connecting listeners to their own and other communities with similar interests. In listening to the local station Noongar radio 100.9FM via IndigiTUBE (https://www.indigitube.com.au/), it was noted that in between music sets health advice was given courtesy of the Australian Government. Perusing the website further also showed links to news articles specifically relating to Indigenous matters around Australia; for example, a report regarding studies on bush medicine (Wangki radio, 2018). Youths are now able to connect with each other and others outside of their communities with more confidence because of these platforms (Singleton, Rola-Rubzen, Muir, Muir & McGregor, 2009);
‘the power and control is in the hands of the Indigenous young people, rather than the expert’ (Rice et al. 2016).
This shift of power into the younger peoples’ hands is crucial, as they are the generation that is defining current cultural and social understandings of Indigenous people at large. It is imperative that Indigenous people are in full control of their culture, on and offline, as it is theirs and so any future misunderstandings and mis-educations can be avoided or corrected efficiently.
The social media platform Facebook is also a strong example of how important control of identity and freedom of expression can be online. For instance, friends are often chosen on Facebook depending on their identity being able to support your own. Lumby (2010, p. 71) describes this as a ‘sanctioning of indigenous cultural identity by ‘friends”.
While this sanctioning of identity via online friends can be a concerning issue, it can be managed by those willing to ‘call-out’ others online partaking in possible identity theft or racist remarks. The ‘panopticon’ approach to governing the internet, and therefore social media, is often effective in this way (Lumby, 2010, 72).
These examples, supported by the statistics provided by Rice et al. (2016) and Hogan (2016), show that Indigenous people believe that the use of the internet is important in growing and defining indigenous culture into the future. The growing accessibility of the internet, and thus social media platforms and forums, allows for Indigenous youth to share their identity and experiences with each other and others outside their immediate physical communities.
Identity
Sharing or exposing identity as an Indigenous person is a difficult and sensitive task both online and offline, often due to racism and lack of knowledge from different participants when communicating. In Carlson and Frazer’s report (2018, p. 1), it was noted that all the contributors to the research mentioned ‘unpleasant, painful and disruptive experiences on social media’. In maintaining an online identity, some choose to acknowledge their Indigenous heritage, while others are more discreet (Mountain, 2018) to preserve their anonymity.
With these concerns as a focus, identifying as an Indigenous person online can be broken into several parts; identity within a community (on and offline), identity in terms of copyright (what can and cannot be shared in public), and control of the identity (who owns the website and controls the people using it).
Communities have identities that are created from people that are involved in the community in question. Huffaker (2004), for example, discusses the trend of instant messaging (most prevalent in the 1990s) regarding the concept of community. While instant messaging has now shifted to more portable devices, such as mobile phones, the sense of identity and belonging that comes with being in a group message is undeniable. A sense of community is created through these chats and connects those who may not be as physically close on a more regular basis.
Sociability, as Ridings and Gefen (2006) found, is important in maintaining and building any type of community. A level of anonymity is still attainable while maintaining some sociability (Froldova, 2017), for those who wish to participate with no perceived repercussions as applications such as Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp allow for user control via various privacy settings.
In terms of sharing community identity online with the wider world, there is always concerns with the ‘victim gaze’ as Zamorano, cited by Dyson (2011, p. 254) explains:
‘views from outside tend to show indigenous peoples as victims, the gaze is attracted to the sandals, the hungry people, the dirty child. . . .When Native people represent themselves they show more dignity’.
The gaze often used by the media in viewing Indigenous people is the ‘victim gaze’, rather than the original ‘female gaze’ concept as Reinhardt (n.d.) discusses. The viewer is set up to see one side of the narrative only. For this reason, control over online identity for individuals and communities is essential in moving forward with reconciliation.
A specific example of ongoing control and management of Indigenous identity online is visible on the Wangka Maya Pilbara Aboriginal Language Centre website. This site allows users to access local Indigenous information, along with selling specific language books and resources that the local communities have deemed appropriate (Injie & Haintz, 2004, as cited by Dyson, 2011, p. 258). Control is therefore key to keeping Indigenous people empowered and in charge online. As the centre requires direct contact with customers when selling resources, control is kept with Wangka Maya as the customer will need to vet themselves to the group. The possibilities of identity theft and cultural misunderstandings therefore become a low risk.
Indigenous identity is also defined by who can access and share their stories and information shared online. As mentioned above, the Wangka Maya centre has permission from itself, due to controlling its own interests in local community culture. However, in other cases control, and therefore access, is often shared by indigenous and non-indigenous parties. For example, the Indigenous health website mentioned by Weston (2011) is backed by ECU; this is assumed from the website address ending in ‘ecu.edu.au’. It is a collaborative website between two different parties; however it is dominated by those that have the knowledge to share and thus control over their identity and information shared. Weston (2011, p.10) states that
‘currently there are 358 yarning place members. Over 70% are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Workers.’.
This example is therefore of a community sharing information both internally and externally of their immediate community, or as Fuchs (2010, p. 767) writes: ‘from communication processes shared or jointly produced resources [and co-operation] can emerge’. This co-operation cannot occur on what could be a large scale if the internet had not evolved into the Web 2.0 it is today. Co-operation should therefore produce better understandings between two or more parties, in this case it is argued that forums such as the one Weston (2011) refers to could be a small part of the move towards reconciliation in Australia.
Activism
Reconciliation in Australia is assisted by the advent of Web 2.0 as more Indigenous people take to the internet to express their opinions and share their culture (Carlson & Frazer, 2018, p. 17). Twitter and Facebook are examples of popular Web 2.0 platforms that provide users with simple ways to contact others around Australia and the rest of the globe and hopefully raise awareness for various issues affecting Indigenous people. Carlson and Frazer (2018, p. 18) discussed multiple, socially successful activist movements online in their report, however as Petray (2011, p. 935) points out ‘strong feelings of collective identity do not always translate into a strong movement.’ For instance, the hashtag #SOSBlakAustralia represented those with opinions about remote communities in Western Australia being closed.
This social media-led form of activism had a strong following online (Carlson & Frazer, 2018, p. 18), however despite its social popularity in raising awareness of the issue online it appears that little progress has occurred in terms of policies changed at a government level (Perpitch, 2018), and has been debated many times over (Cabrera, Matias & Montoya, 2017, para. 1). This lack of apparent action as a result of online activism, among other reasons, has led to the coining of the term ‘slacktivism’, which can be defined as
‘instances of lackluster support hidden under the guise of simple “shares,” “likes,” and “favorites.”’
(Cabrera et al., 2017, para. 1), and which is now possible in part due to the rise of social media platforms.
While the success of activism online in terms of resolving issues is in question still, Petray (2011, p. 933) highlights the importance of regular participation online if activism is to be socially successful; ‘communities must have ongoing conversations and updates of their pages, otherwise it just doesn’t work as a community.’ The introduction of a participatory Web 2.0 also allows those who have a cause to promote do so far easier than before. For example, Petray (2011, p. 929) gives evidence in her report that the introduction of the internet, specifically email and online communities, have made activism and awareness of activist activities easier to access and thus people can act in a timelier fashion than in the pre-internet world. Financially there are benefits too, as email and the cost of internet access is generally better priced than printing and mailing flyers out (Petray, 2011, p. 929).
Another consideration for Indigenous people to consider when conducting activist-like behaviour online is, as previously mentioned, the issues surrounding identity. As Carlson and Frazer (2018, p. 18) state:
‘simply being Indigenous online is a political act.’.
It is difficult to balance personal or community identity along with supporting a cause or actively pursuing change via social media when the person in question can be judged by others based upon their appearance or written profile (Carlson & Frazer, 2018, p. 18-19). However, it appears that some Indigenous people online, as surveyed by Carlson & Frazer (2018, p. 19), felt this was a risk worth taking; ‘79% of Indigenous social media users have supported a political cause on social network sites’.
The internet now provides space for Indigenous people to involve themselves in different levels of activism, whether it is to further awareness of an issue, or just to show support for others in the community. Indigenous people online are better able to communicate with themselves and others outside their immediate communities.
The internet, in its current evolution of Web 2.0, allows the Indigenous people of Australia to connect, create and involve themselves in communities both inside and outside of their physically inhabited space. Identity is a large concern for Indigenous people, both on and off-online, and this is highlighted in the ways in which Indigenous people recognise and identify with themselves and others online. Community identity is also important, as how an Indigenous person represents themselves online can also reflect upon the community that they are connected to and so can empower all those involved (Singleton et al., 2009, “Conclusion,” para. 1-2). While representing themselves online can present issues at times, such as lack of internet access or other access concerns (Hogan, 2016, p. 25), or cases of online bullying and racism, Carlson and Frazer (2018) made it clear that those surveyed around Australia do not all feel the need to hold themselves back from experimenting online with identity and communications.
The internet is proving to be a key factor in yarning with the mob and the rest of the world regarding Indigenous issues and in sharing learning and culture.
New ways to yarn: expanding Aboriginal communities and communications beyond the physical by Ineke is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Based on a work at https://networkconference.netstudies.org/2019Open/ .
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Excellent review of the move to digital in Aboriginal communities and well explained. I used to work in places such as Brewarrina and Alice Springs where there was only a public phone in the community but now the Internet technologies are expanding to these areas and a lot of the communities have created their own website which is used to keep the community connected even when it members are physically apart. In your research did you get an idea of how many communities are connected and use social media?
You have more experience than I do, Graeme. I’m a terrible long distance driver so I’ve not been further north than Steep Point!
My mother painted a picture of life up north in the seventies though, and it sounded very desolate. I agree, we cannot deny the fact that the Internet is going to connect a lot of people (for better or worse) up that way.
” In your research did you get an idea of how many communities are
connected and use social media?”
Unfortunately not. Perhaps I did not find the right keywords to search, but I also did not have time to do the research I would have liked to do. I have assumed then that due to the number of articles and even specific journals in current publication that online yarning occurs more than I could find. (Aust. Aboriginal Studies, for example – https://search-informit-com-au.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/fullText;dn=245205197181798;res=IELAPA)
Loved reading your paper Ineke.
One of my friends is a Wiradjuri man from Central West of NSW. He has established many connections not just with his own mob but with mob in other parts of Australia thanks to Web 2.0 technologies. The tyranny of distance has been well and truely conquered for so many people. When I looked at #Wiradjuri, as an example, it was great to see a community showing pride in their Aboriginality and language. I think the potential for revival of Aboriginal languages thanks to these communities and technologies is really exciting.
Thanks for commenting David. Your Wiradjuri friend – is he a younger or older man? I am curious, as many articles I have referenced/found focused on the younger set using Facebook and Youtube, and not so much on older people utilising the Web for communication.
Pride in your heritage and family is important. However, do you feel that languages should be taught to all, or just those that are interested or Indigenous?
(@Simon Dorante-Day – I would appreciate your thoughts on the question above also if you see this and have time. Thanks!)
My friend is in his mid forties if that helps. He is also a gay Aboriginal man and is very much an early adopter of technology and uses a variety of social media channels to communicate.
In terms of the language debate – what a fascinating subject! I am a firm believer in children learning other languages. I am European and in my school we were taught French, Spanish and German – I went on to study Spanish for 9 years. In the last 12 months I have starting learning Polish through Duolingo which I am thoroughly enjoying.
From a personal perspective, I believe if you live in a country you should make the effort to try and learn some words in that language. When I lived in Cowra, NSW I learned some simple Wiradjuri words which I was able to mix in with general conversation with indigenous people. My role working in Local Government meant that I was meeting with people representing Aboriginal Land Councils. I found that if I used Wiradjuri words in sentences they felt much more comfortable and at ease – and that I was someone they could trust because i was showing respect to their culture.
There are a number of schools in central NSW teaching Wirdajuri (Parkes and Young High Schools being examples) to all children – including non indigenous. I think it is a fantastic initiative. Not just from a cultural understanding point of view but also from the fact that if you learn another language, it helps you understand the nature of your own language more.
Hi Ineke
This is a really interesting paper and I enjoyed your discussion concerning online Indigenous identity.
I agree with your contention “control over online identity for individuals and communities is essential in moving forward with reconciliation”. I think a great example of this is the @IndigenousX Twitter account which was launched in 2012 with the aim of providing a virtual meeting place for sharing Indigenous voices and ideas. It is unique in that it is mediated by a different Indigenous host each week, allowing for a variety of Indigenous voices and perspectives to be heard and it now enjoys a considerable following. (@IndigenousX website)
Unfortunately, it continues to emerge that Indigenous voices are not being heard outside these online communities by mainstream media and policy makers. In a survey conducted by @IndigenousX in response to the Recognise campaign – a government initiative designed to support a conversation about Indigenous recognition in Australia’s constitution – it was found only 25% of Indigenous Australians supported the Recognise grassroots alliance, an outcome which evidently contrasts with the Recognise claim that “nine out of ten blackfellas support their campaign” (McCallum, Waller & Dreher, 2016, p.32) This appears to suggest that Indigenous voices in opposition to the Recognise campaign’s propositions were scarcely heard by certain powerful Indigenous representatives or mainstream media. (McCallum, Waller & Dreher, 2016, p.34)
So while online communities such as @IndigenousX are vital for supporting and maintaining Indigenous identity and culture, it seems evident messages concerning reconciliation experience difficulty attracting mainstream attention beyond specific community spaces.
J
McCallum, K., Waller, L., & Dreher, T. (2016). Mediatisation, marginalisation and disruption in australian indigenous affairs. Media and Communication, 4(4) doi:http://dx.doi.org.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/10.17645/mac.v4i4.695
Oh, I’m definitely going to agree with you here Jennifer! We always have to consider those who are excluded from debates, especially due to lack of coverage in mainstream media.
I hope though that with the ongoing push from minority groups online (and I am speaking now from a wider perspective, not just Indigenous groups) that eventually they will become the norm, and not the mainstream media ideas and ways of thinking. Idealistic hope, but still hope!
I did get the feeling in my research that all of this online activity is the beginning; minor and minimal. Hopefully, more within the community will get onboard in some way and support those who do believe the Internet is a useful tool for them.
Hello Ineke
Your paper on indigenous people use of the Internet has interested me greatly. I know very little about the first people, in fact as a child I was quite frightened by them in the 1950’s. This is no so now, and their culture is fascination and I very please to read about the use of the Internet, especially as you have included comments to “Indigitube,” their radio station 100.9 and will be exploring these two avenues for more information. I really enjoyed your paper.
Robin Barnes
Thanks Robin, and I’d love to know more about your experiences in the ’50s, if you don’t mind. See my comment to Luki in regards to image/identity.
The one thing I enjoyed when writing this paper was the community connections that Noongar radio and Indigitube, along with other sites I found, promoted. Fascinating reading. It is very uncomfortable for me seeing anyone homeless or drunk/high, regardless of race though. Perhaps I should see if the Noongar Patrol in the city takes volunteers, and I could learn more this way.
Hi Ineke,
This was an insightful paper!
I think the internet and Web 2.0 is an important tool for Aboriginal communities to communicate and share their stories. It’s also a fantastic way for the older generation to connect with the younger ones – who may be more interested in their devices rather than sitting and listening to stories.
I think the internet also allows for the greater Indigenous community to communicate and collaborate. Where previously certain tribes may not have been able to communicate due to distance, the internet effectively breaks down these barriers.
I agree with your comment about the future of Indigenous power – that it is in the hands of it’s youth. The internet will be a wonderful tool which they can utilise to correctly tell their story and share their culture.
I find it sad that some Indigenous people feel like they have to hide their cultural heritage and identity. I suppose this is an issue for many nationalities depending on where they live.
Your discussion about ‘victim gaze’ was particularly eye opening, unfortunately this happens to all sorts of races and genders who are stereotyped into negative narratives. It’s great that the internet and Web 2.0 can provide the Aboriginal community with the tools to change this portrayal into a positive one. Do you think this has the potential to persuade people to accept the Indigenous population as equals within Australia?
Regards,
Andrea
Thanks for your comments, Andrea.
” Do you think this has the potential to persuade people to accept the Indigenous population as equals within Australia?”
I think the Internet will be one of the helpful tools due to the enabling of synchronous communication, as it has done so for many other cultures already. The other helpful tool will be education. Slowly but surely.
I was wary of suggesting too much in my paper, as reconciliation has been on the table of discussion since before I was born (and I’m a mature age student!). Glad you caught the hint of suggestion though.
Yes education is key isn’t it!
Not to worry – I’m a fellow mature age student! The notion of Reconciliation has been on the table for so long, but it’s amazing how little has actually been achieved or changed.
Hi Andrea,
On your comment, “I find it sad that some Indigenous people feel like they have to hide their cultural heritage and identity. I suppose this is an issue for many nationalities depending on where they live”. It is quite confronting and shameful that indigenous, and I would assume immigrant minority, people feel this way. Only a few years ago I worked with a woman who was visibly very stressed when she was telling me she was indigenous. I did not press or discuss it with her as I did not want to stress her even further. I can only imagine the fear of “coming out” was either taught to her from others or as a result of bad experiences.
Hi Meryl,
What a sad story! I can understand her distress. I come from a mixed race background and my dark skin was always a visual indicator of my otherness – particularly in white Australia. I would say when my family first migrated to Australia, 40 years ago, we were the only Asian’s in our community. To stand out and feel ashamed because you are different is quite confronting. To be made to feel like that in your own country would be even worse!
Andrea
Hi Ineke,
Great paper. I enjoyed reading it. I think there is a lot of work to do before the aboriginal community really understands the power of the social media voice. The only time I have come across activism through social media platforms has been through my current studies the past pear. There is not enough awareness of indigenous issues in Australia in my opinion. Maybe it’s just me and my lack of focus on it. I think it’s great that communities are able to connect and form online communities through Facebook and the like.
I was trying to find some communities online that may be using platforms to voice a collaborative stance online. I wasn’t able to find too much at all, to be honest. A perfect opportunity may be to bring awareness to the Australia Day debate. Where a small voice bubbling to change the significance of the day when the white man landed in Australia.
Do you think by using social media, that being aboriginal now is accepting that they need to be part of the wider mainstream society? Do they need to?
Any further thoughts on the subject? What made you write on the topic?
Cheers,
Luki
Hi Luki and thanks for commenting!
It is hard to find things online, I think it depends more on who and what you know. As I am a white European, with no Indigenous connections it is understandably hard to find examples of communities online other than through academic research papers. After all, as I pointed out, a lot of Indigenous people prefer not to directly indicate their status online.
“Do you think by using social media, that being aboriginal now is accepting that they need to be part of the wider mainstream society?
Do they need to?
Any further thoughts on the subject? What made you write on the topic?”
Excellent questions, thank you. Is it really about them accepting social media, or just simply using it more to gain awareness? I think the levels of acceptance are no more or less than the rest of us. Young people will be more interested than perhaps the older set, just like any society is. Do they need to be part of our mainstream society? They are, whether they like it or not. We don’t need to make anybody like it, but from both sides we need understanding and acceptance that some things just aren’t going to fit. For example, cyberbullying is cyberbullying. The concept in itself is not racist, it can affect everybody regardless.
I wrote on the topic because I’m curious about Indigenous people being depicted so poorly in mainsstream media, to the point where my brain seems to think that only the drunk/high or thieving ones are the only ones. This is not true, but this is how I feel I ought to think. So I am toying with the idea of a second major in Aboriginal Studies.
Does all the above make sense? If you feel I have avoided your questions Luki, please respond as such!
Thanks again.
Hi Luki
Not that I am trying to promote my own paper (well I am a bit😊) but I researched a number of Indigenous campaigns for my essay if you are interested in having a look at the way social media tools have been employed by Indigenous and non-Indigenous activists to form communities of protest. Most have enjoyed moderate success however it appears protest movements gain the most traction when they move into the offline space as well.
The twitter account @IndigenousX https://twitter.com/IndigenousX and Facebook page Blackfulla Revolution https://www.facebook.com/ourcountryourchoice/ are another couple of sites of Indigenous activism worth looking at.
J
Hi,
Thanks for the reply and the links. I think social media exposure is important, but it still needs a driver to take it to the next level. Whether it is mainstream media or a well-known identity to push the cause, the next level needs to be epic. This can be done on social media of course, but it would take a concerted effort. It will be interesting to see if anyone takes the cause further to see what can be done. Maybe the issues a relatively out of sight out of mind at the moment also. Imagine if someone was able to get the whole of the AFL supporting a cause like that of the MND fight!
Hi Ineke,
Great paper! I find it interesting how your paper and many others in this conference highlight how the use of a technology or platform always evolves to the wants and needs of its users.
On the topic of identity, it is great that Web 2.0 and social media has enabled the indigenous community to adopt an, ideally, egalitarian platform which enables building and promoting a rich identity, for individuals and community alike, which is based on their culture and not solely upon the colour of skin or antiquated propaganda.
I wholeheartedly agree with the promotion of indigenous languages as the learning of a second language not only promotes cognitive abilities but also promotes greater understanding and perspective regarding other cultures and our own communities.
Glad you saw a connection between many of our papers, Meryl. I’ve found that too – it is the people that maketh the technology, far more so than the other way round. I believe that in the end, reasonable heads rather than extremist ones, will prevail.
Hi Ineke,
Thanks for such an interesting paper! I hadn’t explored this specific topic before, so I found your paper really informative!
“The growing accessibility of the internet, and thus social media platforms and forums, allows for Indigenous youth to share their identity and experiences with each other and others outside their immediate physical communities.” This is such a great benefit of Web 2.0 technologies for communities trying to educate others about their identity, culture, etc. If it weren’t for these technologies, most of what we would continue to hear about these communities and cultures would be what we hear/read/see about them through the mass media. And I guess we all know that isn’t always 100% reliable or reflective of truth/reality!
I was really interested in this point you made:
“Control is therefore key to keeping Indigenous people empowered and in charge online. The possibilities of identity theft and cultural misunderstandings therefore become a low risk.” I completely agree that there needs to be an element of control within the online space if communities are to accurately share with global audiences their stories, language, culture and how they wish to be perceived. You mentioned an example of how Indigenous people control their identity online with the Wangka Maya Pilbara Aboriginal Language Centre website. Do you know how they manage control in the social media space? I imagine it must be very difficult to control a medium that supports such mass-scale user-generated content-sharing, especially when the content moderation on these platforms is limited and typically only looks for content like graphic violence, hate speech, etc. to filter out (rather than content that could inaccurately portray a community, for example).
I was also curious about your usage of the term: ‘female gaze’ in the context of the original concept of Indigenous people. Could you please elaborate?
Thanks!
Lana
Hi Lana,
With the Wangka Maya Pilbara group, I was referring to their community as via a website only, not SNS. So yes, website and therefore sales/identity control is better than via an SNS.
The ‘female gaze’ was the initial phrase used to note how mainstream media, specifically advertising, looked at women. If you change it to victim gaze, we refer to how mainstream media depicts certain persons they want us to pity and see as 2nd class citizens. http://thecircular.org/female-gaze-for-dummies/
This is a better explanation, although I swear I had it the right way round before! Oops.
Hi Ineke,
Thanks for your reply. I know you were referring to the Wangka Maya Pilbara group’s website presence rather than SNS presence when you highlighted your example of how Indigenous communities control their identities online. What I meant was do you happen to know any examples of how Indigenous communities control their identities online in the SNS space?
Regarding the female gaze, I was interested specifically in what you meant when you said: “The gaze often used by the media in viewing Indigenous people is the ‘victim gaze’, rather than the original ‘female gaze’ concept as Reinhardt (n.d.) discusses”. Do you mean that the media originally used the female gaze concept when viewing Indigenous people? Or have I misunderstood?
Hi Ineke
A great read, Ineke!
Your passion for the Indigenous people is evident in your writing and your response to comments.
One of the comments that you have made which really resonated with me was “Connecting those who are interested in learning the local languages, and keeping them alive, is just one part of maintaining Indigenous culture and will assist those of a younger generation in preserving pride in their heritage and social background”.
Language is one of the defining features of every culture. It is very much a part of our who we are, our cultural identity and heritage, and I can, therefore, understand how critical this is to preserve language for posterity.
I’m fourth-generation South African born of predominantly Indian ancestry. Of the two languages that I speak quite fluently (English and Afrikaans), I am deeply remorseful that I do not understand, nor speak my mother tongue(s). Whilst I understand very little Hindi, which is the language spoken by my paternal grandmother and my father, the mother tongue of my paternal grandfather is Telugu, a South-Indian language that is lost to me despite my father speaking it effortlessly. Neither do I understand my mother’s language, Tamil, which she still speaks fluently with her surviving siblings. As children, we were never taught our mother tongue by our parents, and even though I had questioned that decision I could ever quite understand why they chose not to do so, and I believe that my children are now the poorer for it. Because of its distinct intonations, I can still identify Tamil, even though I may not speak it.
Tamil is one of the oldest extant languages that is still widely spoken in contemporary society, and when I moved to Perth, I suddenly felt like I found my kin when I heard a few local Aboriginals speak their language! It still gives me chills when I watch NITV on occasion. Whilst studies on the link between Australian Aboriginals and Indians from South Asia have been conducted and geneticists have yielded some positive genetic markers, further research is yet to be undertaken to firmly establish this link since other evidence exists that could point to alternate theories (https://theconversation.com/an-ancient-australian-connection-to-india-55935).
I agree that we need to maintain our cultural identity through our cultural practices, values, and through the preservation of our language. Therefore, it was humbling to read in your paper that Indigenous youth are utilising social media and private communities on the internet for reconnecting with their ‘sleeping’ language; reviving it for future generations, inspite of online racism, and, perhaps in defiance of colonisation as well.
I located these incredibly interesting articles and hope that they will be of some help to you in the future as you are keen in pursuing Aboriginal studies , Ineke.
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/commentisfree/2016/aug/31/if-language-tells-us-who-we-are-then-who-am-i
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2016/sep/04/miriwoong-waniwoogeng-language-is-the-only-way-to-understand-our-ancient-culture
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/ng-interactive/2016/sep/30/the-survival-of-australias-endangered-languages-an-audio-photo-essay
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/commentisfree/2016/sep/05/ngaya-ngyamitjimitang-this-is-all-i-can-say-in-my-own-language-and-it-is-painful-for-me
https://www.sbs.com.au/topics/science/humans/feature/dna-country
Wow. What a ‘comment’! I will need to look at those links at a later date, but I’m glad that the language part of my paper resonated so strongly with you.
My Dad also never learnt much of his native language, but I believe this is born from a desire to fit in as quickly as possible in a new country post WW2. Perhaps your parents were in a similar situation?
Thanks for those links, as I am finishing up our assignments now I will put them on my to read list for the weekend. And I will look into those Tamil/Indigenous Aussie links too, that is amazing. Shouldn’t be surprising though if I really think about it.
Thanks again!
Hi Ineke
Loved your paper. Thank you for posting the link for IndigiTUBE. I have never heard of that site, so I had a quick look and it looks really interesting. I have bookmarked it so that I can go back there again.
I love the way internet access has opened up the world and has enabled people to learn so much about other cultures. Okay, so bigots will always be bigots no matter how much cultural information is out there for them, but there are so many wonderful learning experiences for those of us who are interested in learning more. The internet is a wonderfully useful tool for Indigenous people to share their culture with others.
Technology can help so many people in isolated communities to stay in touch with friends and family in other communities, as well as making contact with people from many other countries via social media platforms. A sense of belonging in a community is very important as it can reduce feelings of isolation and increase personal happiness. Online communities enable people to create a virtual space in which to discuss common interests and issues, communicate socially, and can help to keep cultures alive by providing educational platforms for others to access.