Baby sharks in the desert: Lotta’ little lights everywhere

ABSTRACT

The use of digital technology by young remote First Nations Australians remains under-investigated. This research followed the everyday lives of 30 birth-to-aged 6-year-old children from three distinct and diverse remote communities in the Ngaanyatjarra and Pintupi region of the Western Desert. This article explores the intertwined nature of new cultural variations, such as digital technology in daily life, and the acquisition and transmission of cultural practices and processes. Whilst digital technology is in proliferation, argument is made that, regardless of the influx of digital devices and access, “traditional” (First Nations systems) childhood socialisation values and practices remain relatively unchanged. Despite exposure to Western digital technologies, findings indicate Ngaanyatjarra and Pintupi practices, values, morals and dispositions are not being replaced by “modern” culture. Further, exploring youngsters’ digital technology use may shed light on cultural variations to First Nations socialisation practices and core societal values.

KEYWORDS:

• Digital technology
• First Nations
• childhood
• cultural variation

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by the Australian Government Research Training Programme [RTP] Stipend Scholarship and the Fee Offset Programme managed by the Australian National University [ANU], College of Arts and Social Sciences [CASS] and the Centre for Aboriginal Economic Policy Research [CAEPR]. I thank the many children and families who have supported me over the years, especially the Ward, West, Gibson, James and Rose families in Kiwirrkura, the Lyons, Butler, Ward and Mitchell families in Papulankutja and the West, Porter and Green families in Warburton. My gratitude goes to Dr Inge Kral (Australian National University), Dr Elizabeth Marrkilyi Ellis (Australian National University), Dr Lyn Fasoli (Batchelor Institute) and Dr Zazie Bowen (Australian National University) for their ongoing support and guidance over the period of my thesis. I thank Dr John Guenther and the organisers of the “Knowledge Intersections Symposium: Red Dirt Knowledge from the Heart” for inviting me to be a part of the symposium and the special edition. Lastly, I wish to thank the editors for their tireless dedication in pulling this special edition together and the anonymous reviewers for their useful comments.