Digital Commons Network^™

Tourists' Perceptions Of Aboriginal Heritage Souvenirs, Janet Chang, Geoffrey Wall, Jul-Cheng (Richard) Hung

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Heritage souvenirs are an indispensable part of indigenous tourism and the authenticity of indigenous heritage is a vital aspect of such tourism. This study adopts a mixed methods approach to explore the perceived authenticity of glass bead souvenirs of the Paiwan Tribe in Pintung County, Taiwan. The study explores differences in the evaluations of authenticity among stakeholders and the factors that influence perceptions of authen- ticity. An understanding of tourists’ perceptions of indigenous heritage offers valuable information for the creation of indigenous souvenirs and for reviving the promotion of indigenous culture.

How To Make Climate Change Research Relevant For Indigenous Communities In Torres Strait, Australia, Claire O'Neill, Donna Green, Willie Lui

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Several Torres Strait communities have significant infrastructure and sacred sites located only a few metres above sea level. As a consequence, these areas are vulnerable to erosion due to the projected increase in storm surge intensity caused by climate change. Common sense suggests that Islanders would welcome new scientific research about how climate change might affect them, in order to understand the significance of these impacts and the timeframes involved. However, one leader has taken a seemingly counterintuitive stance, and has refused to let new climate research occur. We explore why this position was taken, and the implications of this …

Poverty, Work And Social Networks: The Role Of Social Capital For Aboriginal People In Urban Australian Locales, Julie Lahn

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

In this article, I present the key findings from a project entitled “The Social Context of Indigenous Poverty”. The research involved a series of interviews with Aboriginal people in urban SE Australia on issues of poverty, social capital and social exclusion. In the article I draw together Aboriginal perspectives on the meaning of poverty to reflect on the relevance of social capital concepts for understanding Aboriginal economic disadvantage and hence, the merits of policy framed in these terms.

Indigenous MéTissage: A Decolonizing Research Sensibility, Dwayne Donald

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

This paper is a report on the theoretical origins of a decolonizing research sensibility called Indigenous Métissage. This research praxis emerged parallel to personal and ongoing inquiries into historic and current relations connecting Aboriginal peoples and Canadians in the place now called Canada. I frame the colonial frontier origins of these relations – and the logics that tend to inform them – as conceptual problems that require rethinking on more ethically relational terms. Although a postcolonial cultural theory called métissage offers helpful insights towards this challenge, I argue that the postcolonial emphasis on hybridity fails to acknowledge Indigenous subjectivity in …

Suicide In Young Men, Alexandra Pitman, Karolina Krysinska, Michael King

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

No abstract provided.

Justice, Culture And The Political Determinants Of Indigenous Australian Health, Dominic O'Sullivan

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Indigenous Australian health is distinguished by a median age of death in the order of 20 years less than that of the non-indigenous population (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2009). This makes Australia unique among comparable post-colonial societies in failing to make substantive reductions to the indigenous/non-indigenous health differential. Relatively poor indigenous housing, educational attainment, labour market participation and access to traditional resources for economic purposes contribute to the differen- tial. These contributing variables have an inherently political character which is integral to examining the just distribution of public authority, the purpose of political activity, equal political participation and cultural responsiveness …

Aborigines, Sport And Suicide, Colin Tatz

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

It is surprising that a nation so dedicated to sport has ignored its role in trying to alleviate youth suicide. Involvement in sport has shown to deflect, even deter, juvenile delinquency. Similarly, there is evidence (and reason) enough to show a strong connection between sport and suicide among the young. Sport is a major element in contemporary Aboriginal life: it provides meaning, a sense of purpose and belonging; it is inclusive and embracing in a world where most Aboriginal youth feel alienated, disempowered, rejected and excluded.

An Aboriginal Parenting Crisis, Lynn Barnett

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

No abstract provided.

Australian Approaches For Managing ‘Country’ Using Indigenous And Non-Indigenous Knowledge, Emilie J. Ens, Max Finlayson, Karissa Preuss, Sue Jackson, Sarah Holcombe

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

This paper synthesises the lessons learnt and challenges encountered when applying Indigenous and non-Indigenous knowledge and methods in natural and cultural resource management (NCRM) in northern and central Australia. We primarily draw on the papers within this special issue of Ecological Management & Restoration, which originated largely from the Indigenous land management symposium at the 2010 Ecological Society of Australia conference. Many of the papers and therefore this article discuss practical experiences that offer insight for enhanced on-ground cross-cultural NCRM and can inform broader thinking and theoretical critiques. A wider literature is also drawn upon to substantiate the points and …

Decolonizing Indigenous Disability In Australia, David Hollinsworth

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Cultural diversity and social inequality are often ignored or downplayed in disability services. Where they are recognized, racial and cultural differences are often essentialized, ignoring diversity within minority groups and intersectionality with other forms of oppression. This is often an issue for Indigenous Australians living with disability. This paper argues that understanding Indigenous disability in Australia requires a critical examination of the history of racism that has systematically disabled most Indigenous people across generations and continues to cause disproportionate rates of impairment. Approaches that focus on the cultural ‘otherness’ of Indigenous people and fail to address taken-for-granted normative ‘whiteness’ and …

Have The Health Gaps Between Indigenous And Non-Indigenous Australian Children Changed Over Time? Results From An Australian National Representative Longitudinal Study, Lixin Ou, Jack Chen, Kem Hillman

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the changes of health gaps between Indigenous and non- Indigenous children over time and to explore critical factors that contribute to the changes. We employed data consisting of two cohorts of Australian children: infant (0/1 year) and children (4/5 years) that are part of the Longitudinal Study of Australian Children. Health outcomes were measured by physical outcome index (POI) and parent-rated health during 2004, 2006 and 2008. We used first-order autoregressive modelling to examine the longitudinal relationship between the changes in health outcomes and possible contributing risk factors. The results showed that …

Do Indigenous Australians Age Prematurely? The Implications Of Life Expectancy And Health Conditions Of Older Indigenous People For Health And Aged Care Policy, Philippa R. Cotter, John R. Condon, Tony Barnes, Ian P.S. Anderson, Leonard R. Smith, Teresa Cunningham

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Objective. To assess whether Indigenous Australians age prematurely compared with other Australians, as implied by Australian Government aged care policy, which uses age 50 years and over for population-based planning for Indigenous people compared with 70 years for non-indigenous people.

Methods. Cross-sectional analysis of aged care assessment, hospital and health survey data comparing Indigenous and non-indigenous age-specific prevalence of health conditions. Analysis of life tables for Indigenous and non-indigenous populations comparing life expectancy at different ages.

Results. At age 63 for women and age 65 for men, Indigenous people had the same life expectancy as non-indigenous people at age 70. …

Management Of Type 2 Diabetes, Susan Harch, David Reeve, Carole Reeve

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Objective: This article describes the evaluation of a new model of partnership care using an audit cycle.

Results: Statistically significant improvements in foot examination, body mass index, urine albumin creatinine ratio, total cholesterol, triglycerides and visual acuity measurements were observed. Significant increases in the proportion of patients achieving cholesterol and triglycerides therapeutic targets occurred. Most other outcome indicators demonstrated a nonsignificant improvement, which may be due to the short time interval in the audit for potential change.

Conclusion: A dedicated chronic disease team and a clinical information system to coordinate culturally appropriate, multidisciplinary chronic disease care enables effective management of …

Using First Nations Children's Perceptions Of Food And Activity To Inform An Obesity Prevention Strategy, Ashlee-Ann E. Pigford, Noreen D. Willows, Nicholas L. Holt, Amanda S. Newton, Geoff D.C. Ball

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

No abstract provided.

Transcending Sovereignty: Locating Indigenous Peoples In Transboundary Water Law, Jennifer Lynne Archer

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

All people rely upon water for life. Indigenous peoples are especially vulnerable to water conflicts and yet lack recognition in international water law. This thesis adopts Critical Race Theory to examine the intersection between transboundary water law, the doctrine of sovereignty and the international law of Indigenous peoples. The methodology adopted in this thesis includes: (i) a deconstruction of the UN Watercourse Convention and the doctrine of sovereignty; (ii) a review of Indigenous perspectives on sovereignty; and (iii) a proposal for the reconstruction of transboundary water law in a manner that recognizes the internationally affirmed rights of Indigenous peoples.

A …

Indigenous Free Prior Informed Consent: A Case For Self Determination In World Heritage Nomination Processes, Robert James Hales, John Rynne, Cathy Howlett, Jay Devine, Vivian Hauser

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Free prior informed consent is a critical concept in enacting the rights of Indige- nous People according to the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indig- enous Peoples. This paper outlines a case for the inclusion of free prior informed consent in World Heritage nomination processes and examines issues that are problematic when enacting free prior informed consent. Case research was used to analyse current issues in the potential nomination of certain areas of Cape York Peninsula, Australia. The authors’ reflexive engagement within this case offers insights into the praxis of developing a World Heritage nomina- tion consent process. …

This Is Not A Guide To Indigenous Research Partnerships, Karen Adams, Shannon Faulkhead

Aboriginal Policy Research Consortium International (APRCi)

Development of research partnerships can cause confusion, as there is not and cannot be a step-by-step guidebook to community partnerships. Each one is different because each partnership is unique. The aim of this article is to unpack some of the workings of Indigenous research partnerships. In this article we use a mini-literature review of Australian research, and methods of self-reflection and ‘Yarning’ to draw on our research partnership experiences of having been community partners to researchers, as researchers ourselves partnering with community, and Indigenous knowledge shared with us through collaborative research, and community relationships. The literature review is a tool …