Prof Dori Tunstall presents on the use of Indigenous knowledge in design anthropology

Event summary for “Working with Aboriginal Communities: Incorporating Traditional Knowledge into Practice“, hosted by Melbourne Development Circle

Event Location: Donkey Wheel House, Melbourne CBD

Event Date: September 2, 2014

Prepared by: Chloe Piper, MDC Leader

Speaker summaries

Dr. Elizabeth (Dori) Tunstall – Associate Professor of Design Anthropology

• Course recognizes need to understand deep human values and looks at how these can be incorporated into design.
• Model:
  • Indigenous knowledge and global design
  • Indigenous anthropologies to designing for cultural wellbeing
  • Situated knowledge by co-design
  • Indigenous futures (Song)

• Currently misalignment between experience and design – what’s missing?
• Design for democracy – how do people experience democracy?

Amelia Telford describes Indigenous involvement in the Australian Youth Climate Coalition

Amelia Telford – Indigenous Coordinator for the Australian Youth Climate Coalition. SEED

Jefa Greenaway – Founder and director of Indigenous Architecture Victoria

• Looks at strengthening the multi-faced Indigenous culture through the built environment – Advocacy.
• Australian Indigenous culture is a rich tapestry with multiple layers of meaning that needs to be represented accordingly – NOT one size fits all – “no dots for me”.
• Try and understand what community wants from their environment.
• Architecture shouldn’t be separated from landscape.
  

  Jefa Greenaway talks about Indigenous Architecture Victoria and the quest to involve more Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the profession

Questions/ Topics

Is Design Anthropology model applicable in policy?

• Important to figure out methodology – How design currently works : implicit/explicit in community and figure out VALUES > then look at the gap. Important to ask the right questions!
• Define terms ie ‘sustainability’ – Often different meanings and interpretations.

Education

• Importance of Indigenous role models and stories of role models shared _ changing the face of professions
• Necessity of support once in the system
• Ask kids what they need
• Online platforms can offer alternative means of community and support
• Value of trades in Australia – particular professions valued ( doctors/ lawyers etc) – other professions need to showcase what they offer/ possibilities

The presenters engage in discussion with the audience

Indentifying with different cultures

• Amelia found while working for the Australian Youth Climate Coalition it was hard for Indigenous youth to identify with non-indigenous people and culture and in response AYCC hosted Australia’s first Indigenous Youth Climate Summit – Seed – give ownership, family, community.
• ‘Deep Listening’, dialogue in safe space and building networks that allow that to happen
• Importance of developing relationships
• Acknowledging and accepting differences
• No question is stupid – enable meaningful conversations
• Cultural preparedness
• Unpack complexity when dealing with something unknown
• Accountability – Work local – long term relationships

If you attended the event and have a contribution to add to the event summary, or if you didn’t attend and would like to ask a questions, please leave a comment below and the MDC Team will get back to you. Thanks!