Suchergebnisse

Karen Jennings (1993) and Peter Krausz (2003) in their works, written ten years apart, note the changing ways in which the academic world and the media have dealt with representations of Indigenous identity. It was hoped that the latter work would have been discussing the way in which things have already changed. The fact that it does not, initiates the questions addressed in this thesis: whether Australian cinema explores Indigenous issues in sufficient depth and with cultural resonance. Can a study of cinematic representations lead to a better understanding of Aboriginal identity? In representing Aboriginality on screen does the cinema present a representational complex for Indigenous Australia, which is constructed on their behalf by the cinema itself? In this thesis these questions are theoretically framed within a semiotic methodology, which is applied to the examination of the complexities of representation. This is done through an analysis of the connotations and stereotyping of Indigenous identity in filmic narratives; and the operation of narrative closure and myth making systems through historical time periods; and dualisms in the filmic narratives such as primitive/civilised, us/them, self/other; and the presence of Aboriginality as an absent signifier. The four films chosen for comparative analysis are Jedda, Night Cries, Walkabout and Rabbit Proof Fence. These films span a period of fifty years, which allows for an explication of the changes that have occurred over the passing of time in their visual representations of Aboriginal identity. Hence social and cultural filmic identity representations are juxtaposed with the historical and political discourses prevalent at the time of their production. Through such a detailed analysis of the four film texts, the dominant social discourses of Australia are analysed in relation to their operation as representational frameworks for Indigenous Australians.

This article reports on the findings of a research project that mapped the patterns of internet access and use in remote Indigenous communities in Australia. Remote Indigenous communities comprise some of Australia's most disadvantaged users of internet services. Taking a case-study approach, the article raises challenging theoretical questions for those seeking to understand the extent and nature of the digital divide in relation to indigeneity and remoteness. It suggests approaches for more sustainable introduction of internet facilities to remote Indigenous communities in Australia and improved practices for better delivery of training to users. It reinforces the need for research and collaboration at the community level so that the introduction of facilities is conducted in a culturally and technically appropriate manner.

List of figures -- List of tables -- Contributors -- Acknowledgements -- Preface -- From welfare to work, or work to welfare? -- Kirrily Jordan and Jon Altman -- Reframed as welfare: CDEP's fall from favour -- Will Sanders -- Some statistical context for analysis of CDEP -- Boyd Hunter -- Just a jobs program? CDEP employment and community development on the NSW far south coast -- Kirrily Jordan -- Looking for 'real jobs' on the APY Lands: Intermittent and steady employment in CDEP and other paid work -- Kirrily Jordan

[Extract] The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) presents an overwhelming opportunity to revolutionise the care and support given to Indigenous people. But the equity of the scheme is already at risk, with treasurer Joe Hockey yesterday warning the scheme will have to be made more efficient. Our research for the NDIS this year revealed that people living in the remote communities face a complex web of system failures spanning health care, disability services, housing and infrastructure. Without political will and bi-partisan commitment from all tiers of government to address the chronic gaps in infrastructure and health-care delivery, the NDIS scheme can't deliver on its promises in very remote Indigenous communities.

Intro -- Foreword - Jon Altman -- Introduction - Ian Keen and Christopher Lloyd -- 1. Settler Economies and Indigenous Encounters: The dialectics of conquest, hybridisation and production regimes - Christopher Lloyd -- Indigenous People and Settlers -- 2. Before the Mission Station:From first encounters to the incorporation of settlers into Indigenous relations of obligation - John M. White -- 3. Tracking Wurnan: Transformations in the trade and exchange of resources in the northern Kimberley - Anthony Redmond -- 4. Camels and the Transformation of Indigenous Economic Landscapes - Petronella Vaarzon-Morel -- 5. 'Always Anangu-always enterprising' - Alan O'Connor -- Labour History and Stolen Wages -- 6. 'The Art of Cutting Stone': Aboriginal convict labour in nineteenth-century New South Wales and Van Diemen's Land - Kristyn Harman -- 7. Indigenous Workers on Methodist Missions in Arnhem Land: A skilled labour force lost - Gwenda Baker -- 8. Low Wages, Low Rents, and Pension Cheques: The introduction of equal wages in the Kimberley, 1968-1969 - Fiona Skyring -- 9. Aboriginal Workers, Aboriginal Poverty - Ros Kidd -- 10. Indigenous Peoples and Stolen Wages in Victoria, 1869-1957 - Andrew Gunstone -- Indigenous Enterprises and Employment Schemes -- 11. Between Locals: Interpersonal histories and the 1970s Papunya art movement - Peter Thorley and Andy Greenslade -- 12. An Economy of Shells: A brief history of La Perouse Aboriginal women's shell-work and its markets, 1880-2010 - Maria Nugent -- 13. Policy Mismatch and Indigenous Art Centres: The tension between economic independence and community development - Gretchen Marie Stolte -- 14. On Generating Culturally Sustainable Enterprises and Demand-Responsive Services in Remote Aboriginal Settings: A case study from north-west Queensland - Paul Memmott.

BACKGROUND: Burden of disease (BoD) studies have been conducted in numerous international settings since the early 1990's. Two national BoD studies have been undertaken in Australia, in 1998 and 2003, although neither study estimated the BoD specifically for Indigenous Australians. In 2005 the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing Office for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health formally commissioned the University of Queensland to undertake, in parallel with the second national BoD study, the "Burden of Disease and Injury in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples" study, drawing on available data up to 2003. This paper aims to explore the policy context and narrative in the lead up to commissioning the Indigenous BoD (IBoD) study, focusing on relevant contextual factors and insights regarding the perspectives of key stakeholders and their anticipated value of the study. It is part of a broader project that examines the uptake of evidence to policy, using the IBoD study as a case study. METHODS: A systematic review of the literature was undertaken in late 2013 and early 2014, and the findings triangulated with 38 key informant interviews with Indigenous and non-Indigenous academics, researchers, statisticians, policy advisors, and policymakers, conducted between 2011 and 2013. FINDINGS: Contextual features which led to commissioning the IBoD study included widespread recognition of longstanding Indigenous disadvantage, lower life expectancy than non-Indigenous Australians, and the lack of an adequate evidence base upon which to determine priorities for interventions. Several anticipated benefits and expectations of key stakeholders were identified. Most informants held at least one of the following expectations of the study: that it would inform the evidence base, contribute to priority setting, and/or inform policy. There were differing or entirely contrasting views to this however, with some sharing concerns about the study being undertaken at all. CONCLUSIONS: The IBoD study, in concept, offered the potential to generate much desired 'answers', in the form of a quantified ranking of health risks and disease burden, and it was hoped by many that the results of the study would feed into determining priorities and informing Indigenous health policy.