Indigenous Wearable Technology Assembly
On the 24th June 2014 Mikaela Jade (Griffiths) flew out from Canberra to meet with Bruce Hammond, Director of Envirologix and Khatija Thomas, Commissioner for Aboriginal Engagement, South Australia Government as well as Minister Zoe Bettison and Herb Mack, Manager of Country Health, South Australia.
The purpose of the trip was for the Paramodic Pty Ltd Directors and Advisors including myself to consult with Aboriginal community groups across the South Australian region including Vince Coulthard from Umeewarra Media in Port Augusta, South Australia.
The meetings identified many different perspectives as to the usefulness of the technology but also as the researcher observed an avid endorsement of the product with claims of economic opportunities for Aboriginal communities surpassing the ‘detriments’. Both government representatives voiced their concerns regarding Google Glass including the lack of consultation with the Google corporation, the continued assault of international technologies taking data offshore via the Internet.
Vince Coulthard, an Adnyamathanha man who grew up in Nepabunna Community, South Australia hosted a meeting with Bruce Hammond, Tagnekeld Elder and Mikaela Jade to discuss the formation of the Indigenous Wearable Technology Assembly (IWTA)
A short video was recorded during the meeting within which Coulthard openly invited the Google corporation to meet with himself and other traditional custodians at the Wilpena Resort which is an Aboriginal managed accommodation and cultural tours enterprise in the Flinders Ranges of South Australia.
"... My name is Vince Coulthard, I'm the Chairperson of the Adnyamathanha Traditional Lands Association. ATLA is a prescribed body corporate Native Title determined land area, area of Adnyamathanha Lands. I would like to, I've had a look at this technology, and I would like to have some frank discussions with the developers, and I would really like to invite you, Google. I would really like to invite Google to Adnyamathanha Country to meet with my people so we can actually talk and get further information about this particular product." (Griffiths & Mirams 2014)
As a result of a trip Jade reported breaches of privacy involving the technology as well as technical issues that resulted in information being posted to the ‘Deadly Glass’ G+ social media group (Hayes 2014j) without Griffith’s permission nor subsequent awareness.
“... Deadly means 'awesome' in Australian Aboriginal communities. This forum is about giving voice, raising awareness.” (Jade et al. 2015)
Dr. Ruth Mirams then engaged with the researcher exploring the role of skeptic and that of ‘positive scientist’ engaging in robust discussions, authoring a short paper titled ‘Glass Interview‘ (Hayes & Mirams 2014) and exploring the ethical ramifications of wearing Google Glass.
“... Alexander Hayes (Senior Advisor) chooses not to wear Glass at all, for reasons of objectivity and research ethics”. (Mirams 2014a)
During this period the researcher collaborated also through an action research process known as ‘2014 Yirrabana - This Way Collaboration’ (Mirams et al. 2014) and learned of the concepts of ‘place’ based learning, also of ‘Country’ and ‘dadirri’, (Ungunmerr 1988) a deep listening that is inner, quiet, still awareness, and waiting that Indigenous scholar Judy Atkinson (2002) used as a research methodology (The Lowitja Institute 2012) in Trauma Trails, ‘Recreating Song Lines: The Transgenerational Effects of Trauma’ in Indigenous Australia.
These interactions had a profound effect on the researcher at the time and shifted the researchers focus further as to the cultural ramifications of the socio-ethical implications of technology which provides a ‘where-to’ for the research inquiry
It also marked the beginning of collaborations with the researcher that resulted in the ‘2014 Consilience Workflow Framework’ (Hayes et al. 2015) a model or guide for wearable technology project cycles of prototyping, development, marketing and service based on the scientific concepts of consilience and stigmergic development.
Miram's also authored several further posts with the researchers input regarding Paramodic’s involvement in the wearable technology domain including;
Paramodic, ethics and wearable technology (Mirams 2014a);
Digital glass technologies as a tool (Mirams 2014b);
Reflecting on what wearable digital glass technologies might mean for Indigenous Peoples (Mirams 2014c)
