Indigenous People and Mobile Technologies

In the rich tradition of mobile communication studies and new media, this volume examines how mobile technologies are being embraced by Indigenous people all over the world. As mobile phones have revolutionised society both in developed and developing countries, so Indigenous people are using mobile devices to bring their communities into the twenty-first century.

The explosion of mobile devices and applications in Indigenous communities addresses issues of isolation and building an environment for the learning and sharing of knowledge, providing support for cultural and language revitalisation, and offering the means for social and economic renewal. This book explores how mobile technologies are overcoming disadvantage and the tyrannies of distance, allowing benefits to flow directly to Indigenous people and bringing wide-ranging changes to their lives. It begins with general issues and theoretical perspectives followed by empirical case studies that include the establishment of Indigenous mobile networks and practices, mobile technologies for social change and, finally, the ways in which mobile technology is being used to sustain Indigenous culture and language.

Laurel Evelyn Dyson is a Senior Lecturer in Information Technology at the University of Technology, Sydney, and President of anzMLearn, the Australian and New Zealand Mobile Learning Group. Dr Dyson’s research interests centre on Indigenous people’s adoption of mobile technologies, as well as the use of mobile technologies in education.

Stephen Grant is a Lecturer at the University of Technology, Sydney. Since 2002 he has taken a key position in the Indigenous Participation in IT Program, UTS. He is one of a small number of qualified Indigenous IT professionals working in Australia. He researchs mobile networks and autonomous systems.

Max Hendriks lectures in Internetworking at the University of Technology, Sydney. He has been an educator for over 40 years. His research interests are in Internetworking and how Indigenous people and their innovative use of technology. Of particular interest to him are security technologies within wireless networks.