IAD annual report

The Institute for Aboriginal Development Incorporated (IAD) was established by the Uniting Church in 1969 to assist community development for Aboriginal people and provide cross-cultural education between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal society. It is now an independent Aboriginal community-controlled language resource centre and adult education centre serving the Aboriginal community of Central Australia. General IAD activities include: * education programs which range from literacy and numeracy to vocational and higher education level courses; * an Aboriginal language and culture centre specialising in language cross-culture and cultural maintenance programs, as well as providing interpreter services and language research * a publishing arm, IAD Press, which produces material on the Aboriginal people, language and culture of Central Australia

The Astronomy of the Kamilaroi People and their Neighbours

The Kamilaroi people and their neighbours, the Euahlayi, Ngemba, and Murrawarri, are an Aboriginal cultural grouping located in the northwest and north central of New South Wales. They have a rich history, but have been missed in much of the literature concerned with sky knowledge in culture. This study collected stories, some of which have not previously been reported in an academic format, from Aboriginal people practicing their culture, augmented with stories from the literature, and analysed the data to create a database of sky knowledge that will be added to the larger body of Aboriginal cultural knowledge in Australia. We found that there is a strong sky culture reflected in the stories, and we also explored the stories for evidence of an ethnoscientific approach to knowledge of the sky.Comment: 28 pages, 9 figure

The Authentic Aboriginal Voice in Rolf de Heer's 'Ten Canoes' (2006)

By privileging Aboriginal language, Aboriginal-accented narration and the Aboriginal style of story-telling ("cascading repetition narration") in "Ten Canoes", writer, co-director and co-producer Rolf de Heer has made a film promoting indigenous Australian pride. He portrays the 'magpie goose people' of Arnhem Land as empowered and in control of their language, their culture and their lives, rather than conforming with the frequent media presentation of Aboriginals as passive victims of colonial maltreatment and disrespect. An era of idyllic well-being preceding white settlement of Australia can be imagined, and de Heer convincingly takes the viewer back to that black and white time of a thousand years ago – and suggests an even earlier more rapturous and colourful Dreamtime. In doing so, unlike other 'Aboriginal' films, he tells an authentic Aboriginal story in an authentic Aboriginal manner

Differences between values of Australian Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students

[Abstract]: In this study, the Values Questionnaire developed by Schwartz and Bilsky (1987, 1990) was used to examine differences in the values held by a group of Aboriginal university students (N=112) and a group of non-Aboriginal students (N=106) studying at an Australian university. Results indicated that the Aboriginal group placed greater emphasis on values associated with Tradition, Conformity and Security and significantly less emphasis on values associated with Achievement, Self-direction, Stimulation, Hedonism and Benevolence. These data, in conjunction with a separate analysis of the ten highest ranked values for each group, support the view that the main differences between the groups lie in values serving collective (Aboriginal) as opposed to individual (non-Aboriginal) interests. These findings are consistent with previous research (eg. Christie, 1987) on the world view of traditional Aboriginal people and suggest that even among younger, more 'Westernised', representatives of this culture, collective values are likely to be strong determinants of behaviour

Assimilation and Economic Success in an Aboriginal Population: Evidence from Canada

Like immigrants, aboriginal populations are endowed with skills and cultural traits which are not necessarily optimal for economic success in the “majority” culture where they reside. As for immigrants, Aboriginal economic success may thus be enhanced by the acquistion of such skills and traits via greater contact with the majority culture. Using 1991 Canadian Census data, we document three stylized facts that support this assimilation hypothesis: Aboriginal labour market success is greater for Aboriginals whose ancestors intermarried with the non-Aboriginal population, for those who live off Indian reserves, and for those who live outside the Yukon and Northwest Territories. While each of these results, individually, could also be explained by other processes, such as differential discrimination, physical remoteness, and selection, we argue that none of these other processes can provide a convincing explanation of all three.

land home place belong - Pamela Croft

In Pamela Croft’s art works within her solo exhibition I hear, see, feel and sense the importance of tradition, recognition of ancestors, respect for uniqueness in spiritual expression, facilitation of an understanding within the contexts of history and culture, a sense of place, connections to family and community, commitment to educational and social transformation that recognizes and empowers the inherent strength of Aboriginal peoples and cultures and the challenges to non-Aboriginal people to truly listen and absorb in order to move to a place of understanding of the Aboriginal world… The ideal purpose of education is to attain knowledge, seek truth, wisdom, completeness and life as seen by self and others. Story is one of the unique ways of Aboriginal education in both teaching and learning. It is in the story that there is made a place for honouring of self, family, community, place, nature and spirituality. In this exhibition Pamela Croft has revealed many things about her own story, her own journeying and the journey of many other Aboriginal peoples. She has then set each idea, concept and event in contexts that are based on history, place, environment and process which intertwine within one larger story of this country and humanity. Aboriginal learning is generally tied to a place environmentally, socially and spiritually. Indigenous teaching and learning are intertwined with the daily lives of the teacher and the learner. Pamela is both her own teacher and her own learner, she learns from the environment, other people, her community and her culture. She has defined history and place in terms to create a place for learning and for the individuals who participate in this solo exhibition of her work. Thus her words as you enter, “Listen, listen with your ears, listen with your eyes, listen with your body, listen with your spirit, listen”

Archaeologists and Aborigines

Aboriginal consultation and co-operation should be sought for exhibitions and the like - after all it is their people and their culture - otherwise we display a regrettable superior attitude and bad manners

Enhancing the implementation of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle: policy and practice considerations

Overview The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle ("the Principle") was developed in recognition of the devastating effects of forced separation of Indigenous children from families, communities and culture. The Principle exists in legislation and policy in all Australian jurisdictions, and while its importance is recognised in many boards of inquiry and reviews into child protection and justice systems, there are significant concerns about the implementation of the Principle. Recent estimates suggest the Principle has been fully applied in as few as 13% of child protection cases involving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. The purpose of this paper is to explore the contemporary understanding of the Principle, and review the multiple and complex barriers at the policy and practice levels which are impeding its implementation. Promising approaches that might address these barriers are also examined. Key messages The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Child Placement Principle was developed in response to the trauma experienced by individuals, families and communities from government policies that involved the widespread removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. „ The fundamental goal of the Principle is to enhance and preserve Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children’s connection to family and community, and sense of identity and culture. „ The Principle is often conceptualised as the “placement hierarchy”, in which placement choices for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children start with family and kin networks, then Indigenous non-related carers in the child’s community, then carers in another Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander community. If no other suitable placement with Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander carers can be sought, children are placed with non-Indigenous carers as a last resort, provided they are able to maintain the child’s connections to their family, community and cultural identity

Strengths of Australian Aboriginal cultural practices in family life and child rearing

This paper explores some of the characteristics of traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural practices that contribute to effective family functioning, and how these practices can have positive effects on children and communities. The approach is to gather the views of Aboriginal families and compare these perspectives with supporting evidence drawn from the literature. The findings suggest that, provided the necessary social conditions are in place, culture can be a protective force for children, families and communities. Key Messages Aboriginal kinship relations reflect a complex and dynamic system that is not captured by existing non- Indigenous definitions of family. Emerging evidence supports some of the strengths of traditional Aboriginal culture in family functioning and raising children, yet conventional academic wisdom can be incompatible with traditional Aboriginal knowledge systems. The strengths of Aboriginal cultural traditions, as they apply to family life and raising children, revolve around four interrelated themes, including: –    Theme 1: A collective community focus on child rearing helps children—The values of interdependence, group cohesion and community loyalty are key features of Aboriginal family and community life, where raising children is considered to be a shared responsibility of all community members. –    Theme 2: Children need the freedom to explore and experience the world—Aboriginal communities offer their children every opportunity to explore the world around them, to help them develop the necessary skills to successfully negotiate their pathways to adulthood. –    Theme 3: Elderly family members are important to family functioning—The elderly are highly respected for their contributions to family life in Aboriginal communities, particularly in helping children to understand the practical aspects of life and society. –    Theme 4: Spirituality helps families cope with challenges—Families and communities who engage in spiritual practices benefit from a greater sense of identity, and individuals are more likely to connect with, support and help protect one another