Remote Australia Online

An Art/Ethnography binary informs a range of discursive engagements with Australian Aboriginal art. Ethnography is usually associated with colonialism, primitivism and regarded as circumscribing the art, while Art is posited as unequivocally progressive and good. This article will discuss the activities of various Indigenous and non-Indigenous actors in the Aboriginal art world, and explore the way the Art/Ethnography binary’s reiteration by these actors instantiates the way this field is shaped by the tensions that arise from Australia’s condition as a settler state with a marginalized Indigenous population. It will show that the trope of Art versus Ethnography has a multifaceted operative power that reflects remote and urban Aboriginal artists’ differential participation within the field, and the complex relationship between two objectives that politicize it: the desire for recognition on the part of Indigenous actors, and the desire for post-colonial redemption on the part of non-Indigenous actors.

This Topical Issue is based upon a submission to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs Inquiry into language learning in Indigenous communities, and has a specific focus on lessons the authors have learnt from working with Indigenous peoples in remote regions as both educators and researchers. The focus is on the role of Indigenous languages in emergent development activity in remote Australia and the out-of-school language and literacy needs of Indigenous adolescents and young adults, with a focus on the digital economy.

Dollar Dreaming explores how the Aboriginal art movement, born of isolation and deprivation in one of the remotest and harshest places on earth, has in little more than thirty years become a newly minted coin in the international art market, with paintings being exhibited and collected in Paris, Los Angeles and New York. In pursuit of the story, the author travels to visit and interview those individuals who are living through this extraordinary period of evolution - artists, dealers, curators, collectors, fakers and auction house staff - to convey through their words and experiences how the art form, and the international market for Aboriginal art, came alive. Dollar Dreaming is an authoritative, engaging and sometimes funny account of Aboriginal art today from one of Australia's most respected art critics.

One of a series of papers presented in the context of a workshop on 'Traditional knowledge, traditional cultural expressions and intellectual property law in the Asia-Pacific region' at the Centre for Comparative Law and Development Studies in Asia and the Pacific (CLDSAP) at the University of Wollongong in December 2006.

This innovative book is the first comprehensive synthesis of economic, political, and cultural theories of value. David Graeber reexamines a century of anthropological thought about value and exchange, in large measure to find a way out of quandaries in current social theory that have become critical at a time of ideological collapse in the face of Neoliberalism. Rooted in an engaged, dynamic realism, Graeber argues that projects of cultural comparison are necessarily revolutionary projects: He attempts to synthesize the best insights of Karl Marx and Marcel Mauss, who represent two extreme, but ultimately complementary, possibilities in the shape such a project might take. Graeber breathes new life into the classic anthropological texts on exchange, value, and economy. He rethinks the cases of Iroquois wampum, Pacific kula exchanges, and the Kwakiutl potlatch within the flow of world historical process, and recasts value as a model of human meaning-making that far exceeds rationalist/reductive economist paradigms. Contents A Few Words by Way of Introduction Ch. 1. Three Ways of Talking about Value Ch. 2. Current Directions in Exchange Theory Ch. 3. Value as the Importance of Actions Ch. 4. Action and Reflection, or Notes toward a Theory of Wealth and Power Ch. 5. Wampum and Social Creativity among the Iroquois Ch. 6. Marcel Mauss Revisited Ch. 7. The False Coin of our own Dreams, or the Problem of the Fetish

Since the 1940's when the first art centre was established at Ernabella art centres have continued to proliferate throughout remote area Australia and urban areas. In remote areas these centres provide a focus for creative activity and a means of marketing the art in the fine art market predominately located in major cities. These centres have developed under the guidance of indigenous councils and management committees. These management committees have employed arts advisors usually from outside the community with skills in art production or marketing to run these centres. Despite many alternative ways of participating in the market place such as through private dealers many communities continue to support art centres as their primary tool for marketing their art because they are able to maintain control over where and how their art is marketed. I will compare the case studies of Warlayirti Artists, Balgo and Warmun Art Centre, Turkey Creek, both in Western Australia. Warlayirti Artists was established in the 1980's and Warmun Art centre in 1998. I will examine the marketing strategies of each of these centres and their significance in the success of these two centres. In addition, I will explore the artists’ perceptions of the market place and how they view their art in the market place.

This book focuses on the renewal (or rekindling) of cultural identity, especially in populations previously considered 'extinct'. At the same time, Hendry sets out to explain the importance of ensuring the survival of these cultures. By drawing a fine and textured picture of these cultures, Hendry illuminates extraordinary diversity that was, at one point, seriously endangered, and explains why it should matter in today's world. Contents: Museums are Transformed Aboriginal Tourism and that Elusive Authenticity Indigenous of Alternative Forms of Cultural Display Language and Formal Cultural Education Arts, Architecture, and Native Creativity Land Claims, Archaeology, and New Communities International Links, Cultural Exchange and Personal Identity Conclusions: What Can We Learn?

Indigenous people are far more likely to be discouraged from looking for work than other Australians. Understanding the determinants of what discourages particular workers has important implications for overcoming the labour force disadvantage faced by indigenous Australians. Despite the importance of this issue the most recent analysis of Indigenous discouraged workers is based upon data from the 1994 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Survey. This paper uses data from the 2008 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey to estimate the determinants of being a discouraged worker and how they differ to those for the non-Indigenous population (estimated using data from the Multi-Purpose Household Survey).

Much recent discussion surrounding valuation of the arts and culture, particularly in the policy arena, has been dominated by a concern to identify an economic and financial basis for valuation of artworks, arts activities, and more general ways in which we express our culture. Whereas a great deal can be gained from a fuller understanding of the economic value of art, there is a real danger that financial considerations will tend to crowd out all other aspects of value. This book moves beyond the limitations implicit in a narrow economic approach, bringing different disciplinary viewpoints together, opening up a dialogue between scholars about the processes of valuation that they use, and exploring differences and identifying common ground between the various viewpoints. The book’s common theme – the tension between economic and cultural modes of evaluation – unites the chapters, making it a coherent and unified volume that provides a new and unique perspective on how we value art.

The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) published a collection of practical case studies on the use of the intellectual property system by Indigenous communities in Australia written by Terri Janke. The publication, entitled Minding Culture: Case Studies on Intellectual Property and Traditional Cultural Expressions, gives actual examples of how industrial designs, copyright and trademarks have been used by Indigenous Australian communities to protect and promote their artworks, cultures and identities, as well as their economic interests. The case studies point out where Indigenous people found existing systems useful and where they were found inadequate. The studies also suggest policy and practical measures that could improve the protection of traditional cultural expressions by intellectual property, and other laws. The publication is a popular reference document used in the ongoing discussions of the WIPO Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore.

It's a Power: An Interpretation of the Aboriginal Memorial in its Ethnographic, Museological, Art Historical and Political Contexts

The examines the case of the DPP v O’Loughlin in which the question of whether paintings attributed to the high profile and celebrated Indigenous artist, Clifford Possum Tjapaltjarri, were passed off as being original work. The paper is structured as five sections: Section One outlines the rise of the Aboriginal art market, in particular Western Desert ‘dot’ paintings, and the conflict inherent in Indigenous and non-Indigenous notions of authorship. Section Two summarises O’Loughlin, identifying the key issues and proceedings, with brief consideration of the outcome. This leads to Section Three, which develops the observations of the preceding chapter, analysing the question ‘when is a forgery not a forgery?’ through a discussion of the difficulties and reasoning in the prosecution of O’Loughlin. This discussion concludes that law reform is necessary to address the anomaly in the law of fraud that is highlighted by O’Loughlin. Section Four considers the cross-cultural issues evident in O’Loughlin, illustrating the need for specific reform to acknowledge the complexities of Indigenous communication, and for the development of guidelines that require awareness by the judiciary and practitioners of the socio-cultural context of communication between Indigenous people. In Section Five, suggestions are made as to what reform is necessary and the issues that need to be considered in enacting such change

Copyrites: Aboriginal art in the age of reproductive technologies

Astronomical auction results first drew the world's attention to the phenomenon of the early Papunya boards: the thousand small painted panels on scrap wood, linoleum and packing cases that emerged from the remote Northern Territory Aboriginal settlement of Papunya in 1971 to 1972. What led up to this explosion of creativity? Why did the paintings remain hidden for decades? Why were sacred symbols revealing secret men's business depicted? What roles did artistic revolutionary Kaapa Tjampitjinpa and school teacher Geoffrey Bardon play? In this compelling and personal book, Western Desert art expert Vivien Johnson traces the controversies that surround these extraordinary paintings at the time of their creation - and what they mean now to the artists' descendants. Contents • Introduction • 1. The School of Kaapa • 2. 'So Beautiful' • 3. The Pintupi Factor • 4. The Problem of Secrecy • 5. The Midas Touch • 6. The Object of Protection • 7. Give Those Men a Real Voice • 8. The Icons Precedent • Epilogue.

This paper revisits the debate concerning the legal provisions of the artist’s resale right with the aim of providing some new perspectives. Using recently released empirical studies, the paper argues that while resale right payments may be concentrated on established artists in value terms, small amounts will be paid to a large number of relatively unknown artists, particularly in the European market where lower value transactions are large in number. By drawing on the non-economic literature on pricing art in the primary art market, the paper suggests the rationales of the resale right, often seen as invalid in the past, may actually be valid. Art dealers will be faced with complex economic impacts as the resale right is legislated.

This report is a mapping survey of Indigenous Creative Industries in the Brisbane region. The principal aims of the project were: – To identify and map creative industries activity by Indigenous persons in Brisbane. – To identify the capacity of the Indigenous community to engage in the creative industries in Brisbane. – To identify Indigenous success stories in the creative industries. – To recommend opportunities for economic development that respect Traditional practices. The scope of the project is defined by the term ‘creative industries.’ These industries cover a diverse range of cultural, media, recreational and service enterprises. Their output is: – Design – visual and graphic arts, fashion, interactive software, computer and product design; – Production – media and screen production as well as theatrical and ‘ceremony’; – Performance – dance, drama, music; virtual and live; – Writing – including journalism, publishing, hypertext, creative writing and professional communication.

Participation in the Indigenous visual arts sector provides one of few market opportunities for Indigenous Australians resident on remote Aboriginal lands. In this article we examine the economic factors that influence this market engagement as they relate to woodcarving in the Maningrida region of Arnhem Land. In particular, we look at the factors that affect participation, production and monetary returns using scan and focal sampling, resource accounting and sales data from the regional art centre. Artists were engaged in a range of activities of which art production was the prominent means of productive cash income generation. An artist's residence and also their language community were found to influence the amount of sculpture production undertaken, with artists residing on ?country? in the hinterland being more engaged in sculpture production than those living in the township of Maningrida. The annual income earned by an artist for carving was highly variable and a large proportion of woodcarvers also earned income from producing artwork in other media. Capital costs were relatively minor, with travel costs and labour the main input into carving production. Based on the average return for a single woodcarving, $160, we estimate the average hourly return to artists as between $12 and $14. Whilst this figure is relatively low and comparable to the Australian award wage for unskilled labour, the income earned from arts production makes an important contribution to people's livelihoods.

Purpose – The purpose of this Editorial is to introduce the reader to the changing environment of arts marketing, which poses challenges to researchers and necessitates creative methods of inquiry. Design/methodology/approach – The Editorial introduces the papers in this special issue. Findings – It was found that creative inquiry in arts marketing includes the use of both established and innovative interpretive methods. Originality/value – The Editorial explains how the application of creative methods of inquiry can aid our understanding of the relationship between art and the market.

Mary Ellen Jordan left her Melbourne city life to spend fourteen months in Maningrida, a coastal community in Arnhem Land. A place that would challenge her perceptions of race, culture, political correctness, art, language, and whiteness.

Aboriginal lawyer, activist and social commentator Noel Pearson has recently argued that the current mode of delivery of welfare services to Aboriginal people is deeply antithetical to their interests and wellbeing. Central to his scheme for policy change and improved welfare outcomes are two core propositions. The first is that the 'passive welfare' policies instituted in Aboriginal communities over the past three decades, with no demands for reciprocity and responsibility on the part of welfare recipients, have promoted detrimental relations of passivity and dependence which are now deeply embedded within Aboriginal societies. Pearson's second key proposition is that addressing the dysfunctional consequences of the welfare system for Aboriginal people will require structural change. In particular, new institutions for Aboriginal governance, both formal and informal, will need to be developed. It is through reform of the existing institutional arrangements between government and Aboriginal communities, and through these formal and informal Aboriginal institutions, Pearson argues, that the principles of reciprocity and individual responsibility necessary to leach the 'poison' from welfare resources can be instituted and implemented. Pearson's arguments should be seen as a welcome and politically innovative contribution to a policy debate of fundamental importance. The status quo in welfare policy, at least for remote Aboriginal Australia, is not sustainable. However, on the basis of ethnographic evidence from Cape York and other north Queensland Aboriginal communities—the region on which Pearson's policy proposals are centred—this Discussion Paper suggests that certain of Pearson's underlying assumptions need careful re-examination and further development, and that the evidence poses certain difficulties for the practical implementation of his proposals. In particular, the ethnography from Cape York and elsewhere suggests that certain widespread Aboriginal values and practices may be inimical to the kinds of social and attitudinal changes which Pearson is advocating and, further, that these values and practices have not simply arisen as the consequence of the experience of colonialism or the introduction of welfare. This then raises the question of the sources of the moral suasion and authority necessary to demand and implement social change in Aboriginal societies. Pearson proposes that these lie variously within 'families' and other local groups and 'communities'. This view is challenged here, with the argument that such contemporary groupings do not have the requisite moral and political authority over individuals. If this is the case, it creates a dilemma for Pearson's scheme, for if social and attitudinal changes are necessary, whence can they be driven? The answer may lie in the new forms of Indigenous governance and leadership which Pearson proposes. However, these would involve significant changes within the Indigenous polity, which may be beyond the capacity of Indigenous groups themselves to institute. Facilitation and support from external sources, including government, may be required. However, the involvement of government in social change would carry its own risks, since despite rhetorical support for Indigenous self-determination, government is inherently incapable of moving beyond its own dominating rationale.

This chapter focuses on an issue to which Nicolas Peterson has directed our attention for nearly two decades (for example, Peterson 1991, 1998, 2005; Peterson and Taylor 2003): that many Aboriginal people, particularly but not only those living in remote regions, bring distinctive repertoires of values, world views and practices to their engagement with the general Australian society that have profound implications for the nature of that engagement. Critical social analysis of the situations of Aboriginal people must never ignore, for example, the historical role of the state; but neither must it avoid the central role of Aboriginal agency. My own research with Wik people living in Aurukun, western Cape York Peninsula (Martin 1993),1 showed how sorcery—or at least, accusations of it—is deeply implicated in the endemic disputation and violence that have become such a dominant feature of contemporary Aurukun life. I argued that Wik retaliation or ‘payback’, whether conducted openly through violence or secretly through sorcery, provides a particular instance of more general principles—those of reciprocity and equivalence—in the transactions of material and symbolic items through which autonomy and relatedness are realised. Like the flows of material goods, the exchanges of retribution serve to structure and reproduce the relationships not only between individuals but between collectivities (such as families). Sorcery is, thus, part of a repertoire of actions, some of them magico-ritual, by which Wik people attempt to impact on individual behaviour and on the ordering of social relations.

A lavishly illustrated survey of Aboriginal art and the regions it is produced around Australia including Central and Western Deserts; The Kimberley and West; Top End and Arnhem Land; Queensland; Torres Strait Islands; Tasmania and southern states.

Sustainable development is becoming institutionalised across culture and geography as a framework in which to address ecological and social crises that are increasingly apparent and manifesting in diverse ways across local spaces. It is however, dominated by binary thought which is uncomfortable with ambivalence and seperates self from nature and 'the other' of Indigenous people. Indigenous people are beginning to use the discourse of sustainable development but approach this from relational and holistic perspectives. The negotiation of representational structures and responsibility for implementating strategies towards sustainable development must account for these cultural differences and will require dialogue. This thesis explores how institutional practice and discourse frames Indigenous representation and responsibility and how this either enables or disenables dialogue with Indigenous people. A case study approach informed the research, and included two consultancy participatory projects in 2001-2004. The case study was located in the Western Desert of Western Australia and involved the Martu people in addition to people working within institutional structures. The first project required extending community development strategies and strengthening Martu representation to take responsibility for a housing development. The second project, titled Dialogue with the Pilbara: Newman Tommorrow, involved encouraging Martu representation in a process based upon deliberative democracy. Reflections from the fieldwork form a considerable part of the analysis. The research also included analysis of a number of interviews with local institutional actors in Newman. Two major themes are outlined: power and representation; and culture. The research is reflexive and involves the use of an autoethnographic story technique which enables a better understanding of the researcher's implicit and changing perspectives. The lessons that emerged from the reflections from the case study are insightful for sustainable development. The thesis involves two layers (and is structured accordingly): the first relates to a case study and the second to the theory and practice of sustainable development. The concluding section combines these two layers and emphasises the need for greater attention to Indigenous participation and autonomy in order to achieve Indigenous sustainable development. This thesis argues that diverse and hybrid Indigenous voices require considerable amplification within the discourse of sustainable development in order to provide relational and holistic perspectives. Particular focus is required upon the negotiation of representative structures to allow for Indigenous voices to be heard, and thus permit for the negotiation of responsibility across culture (an important consideration of sustainable development). This requires ongoing dialogue, creativity and reflexivity in context.

For 30 years the dominant approach to Aboriginal affairs in Australia has been to support cultural recovery and accommodate cultural difference in the expectation that this will enhance Aborigines’ and Torres Strait Islanders’ equality as citizens. This approach has been driven by a dialectic of progressivist desire to ameliorate the effects of earlier colonialist policy and Aboriginalist discourse that assumes isolable cultures, unitary identities and uni-directional causes of marginalisation. That discursive formation, once counter to dominant colonialist discourse, has now itself become normative, internally repressive, counter-productive and resistant to change. This is the national misadventure with Aboriginalism. This paper argues that this unexpected development is a product of the national governing attempt to gain control through public policy that is inadequate to Aborigines’ contemporary lived reality of inter-culturality, post-ethnicity and political agency. It uses an indicative case study and an analysis of the national misadventure to propose a deliberative intercultural approach to public policy in respect of Aborigines.

We primarily see the archive as a storehouse of memory and fact, as the place from whence history issues forth. However, the archive is much more than this; it is a site of memory and a place of trauma and pain. It is a place of sorrow and loss for many, where unpacified ghosts with unfinished business await, yielding stories and letters different from expectation, a site where loss is localized and realized. It is also a space of confrontation, where expectations are denounced as lies, and where the truth assumes a different colour. This article examines the role of the archive in the lives of Australia's Stolen Generations (Aboriginal Australians who were removed from their families and institutionalized from 1910 until the mid-1970s), and argues that returning to the archive is both an attempt to confront and negotiate past traumas and one's relationship to unknown worlds. Through the use of an ethnographic case study, I will detail the important links between returning to the archive and ideas of healing, and moving forward.