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1
Arthur, William Stewart. "Torres Strait Islanders and autonomy : a borderline case /." View thesis entry in Australian Digital Theses, 2005. http://thesis.anu.edu.au/public/adt-ANU20070612.114556/index.html.
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Williamson, Alan. "Schooling the Torres Strait Islander, 1873-1941." Thesis, The University of Sydney, 1990. https://hdl.handle.net/2123/26312.
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This thesis examines the role of schooling in the implementation and achievement of the respective religious and secular policies of the London Missionary Society (L.M.S.) and the Queensland Government in the Reserve Islands of Torres Strait. It sets out to analyse the educational policies of mission and government, the practices and processes by which attempts were made to implement them in the schools, and the outcomes of schooling for the L.M.S., the Queensland government, and Torres Strait Islanders. Particular attention is paid to policies, styles of administration, the curriculum, roles of teachers, indigenous teacher training, and Islanders' responses to schooling. The various historical, socio-cultural, geographical, and community contexts in which schooling was set are woven into the analysis as important considerations.
The thesis reviews arguments for considering the Reserve Islands as a colony of Queensland. Further, it attempts to go beyond conventional theorising on colonial education by using holistic, qualitative and interpretive approaches. These approaches allow for interactive analysis of an array of elements in the Reserve Islands which shaped the policies, practices, and outcomes of schooling. It provides for an eclectic historiography, which, it is argued, allows for Islander and European viewpoints to be considered, and relevant contextual features to be included.
3
Davis, Jenny, and n/a. ""Principal, he's the boss": power, culture and schooling on Saibai in the Torres Strait Islands." University of Canberra. Professional & Community Education, 2000. http://erl.canberra.edu.au./public/adt-AUC20060427.084424.
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This thesis examines issues of power, culture and schooling as they apply
to an indigenous community located on Saibai Island in the Torres Strait
of northern Australia. The thesis combines literature research with
ethnography to consider Saibaian schooling in various contexts. These
include the history of schooling in the region, the relevant educational
literature and the actual physical and social contexts of schooling on
Saibai. Early chapters deal with methodology, history and educational
literature. Later chapters deal with ethnographic material using the
themes of separation, culture and collaborative decision-making to
organise the data. The work of Michel Foucault informs the analytical
approach to issues of power. Hence power is considered to be ubiquitous,
productive and linked to issues of knowledge and culture. School
principals are identified as key figures in schooling and therefore play a
major role in the thesis. As the principals are all men of non-Islander
(anglo) backgrounds, this thesis represents a significant break from works
within the realm of indigenous education that are heavily influenced by
cultural anthropology and tend to focus only on the Aboriginal or Islander
participants as objects of study.
The thesis considers how Saibaian people are excluded from schooling
through various techniques and practices that tend to place the principal in
a position of autocracy vis a vis the school. Furthermore, I show how
various schooling practices that aim to include community members in
schooling are shaped and transformed such that they actually serve to
entrench the principal in his position of control over schooling. This
applies even in the way that cultural activities are incorporated into the
school illustrating that no aspect of schooling is immune to relations of
power. Indeed, the notion of Saibaian Islanders belonging to a unique
cultural group is used by some principals to argue that they are unsuited to
roles within the school's decision-making process. Ultimately, then, this
thesis is about relations between school principals and community
members in the context of schooling on Saibai Island.
4
Ewing, Bronwyn. "Meeting under the "Omei" Tree in the Torres Strait Islands: Networks and Funds of Knowledge of Mathematical Ideas." Saechsische Landesbibliothek- Staats- und Universitaetsbibliothek Dresden, 2012. http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bsz:14-qucosa-82480.
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5
Arthur, William Stewart, and William Arthur@anu edu au. "Torres Strait Islanders and Autonomy: a Borderline Case." The Australian National University. Crawford School of Economics and Government, 2006. http://thesis.anu.edu.au./public/adt-ANU20070612.114556.
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During 1996 and 1997 an Australian parliamentary committee conducted an inquiry into greater autonomy for Torres Strait Islanders, but by 2000 the future of the issue seemed unclear. This thesis explores what the notion of autonomy has meant for Torres Strait and for Torres Strait Islanders in the past, and what it might mean in the future. The thesis uses material from the period before European contact to just after the end of the parliamentary inquiry.
¶
Several analytical tools were utilised to explore the concept of autonomy. Major among these to propose and then analyse the relationship between autonomys economic and political components. The thesis also introduces the paired concepts of negative and positive autonomy to provide a counterpoint to ideas of welfare colonialism. Cross cutting these economic and political elements is a consideration of both regional and corporate forms of autonomy. The thesis argues that it is necessary to consider the factors which people can use to legitimise a case for autonomy and these are identified and discussed.
¶
Although previous research and historical material are utilised, unique parts of the thesis include an analysis of: the formal submissions and hearings associated with the parliamentary inquiry; the Torres Straits location between Australia and Papua New Guinea; and the Straits small-island make-up. In this latter regard, comparisons are made with models and examples of autonomy found in small island states and territories in the Pacific.
¶
The findings include that we must consider two groups of Torres Strait Islanders, those in Torres Strait and those on mainland Australia. Whereas those in the Strait have been able to legitimise a case for a form of autonomy those on the mainland have not. Islanders in the Strait have achieved a degree of regional autonomy; those on the mainland are unable to make a case to be part of this regional autonomy, or to achieve a form of corporate autonomy. The status of Islanders in the Strait is influenced by several factors including the Straits location on the border with Papua New Guinea, the associated Treaty with that country, and the nature and the accessibility of the in-shore fishery. A major finding however is that although Islanders have achieved a degree of regional political autonomy, which may be progressed yet further, they have been unable to embrace non-Indigenous people within this. Their present aspiration for regional political autonomy therefore is limited to one that would apply only to Indigenous-specific affairs. This stands in some conflict with their aspiration for regional economic autonomy which would include their control over the entire regional fishery which they presently share with non-Islanders.
¶
Though Islanders have achieved some degree of political autonomy, they depend on substantial government financial transfers to the region. Despite this they have also achieved some economic autonomy, particularly through being involved in the regions fishery. Juxtaposing negative and positive autonomy with political and economic autonomy shows that a dependence on government economic transfers does not preclude gains in political autonomy. This can be contrasted with the notion of welfare colonialism.
6
Sharp, Nonie. "Stars of Tagai : the Torres Strait islanders /." Canberra : Aboriginal studies press, 1993. http://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb374246858.
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Th. Ph. D., 1984. Titre de soutenance : Springs of originality among the Torres Strait islanders : after the storm-winds the leafing of the wongai tree.Bibliogr. p. 283-300. Notes bibliogr. Glossaire. Index.
7
Knight, Michele Therese. "Growing the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander." Thesis, The University of Sydney, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/2123/13789.
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The current study consisted of two initiatives. The first initiative was to qualitatively explore the perceptions and attitudes of Career Advisers in New South Wales secondary schools regarding health career pathways for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander secondary school students. The second initiative was to explore strategies for raising awareness and stimulating interest in health career pathways for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander secondary school students. Fifteen Career Advisers from fifteen secondary schools across metropolitan and regional New South Wales participated in the study. At three separate data collection sites, and at the express request of the participant, the school Aboriginal Education Assistant also contributed primary data to the study. It was the express wish of Career Advisers at these schools that an Indigenous perspective be included in the study. At one data collection site, the Deputy School Principal also expressed the wish to be included in the study. In total nineteen participants contributed toward the study. Findings from the current study suggest that Career Advisers work within a challenging world-of-work context which is constantly changing in order to meet the demands of globalisation. Furthermore, it is evident that within this world-of-work context Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students face significant barriers and socio-economic disadvantage. This disadvantage severely impacts upon and restricts these students’ access to career education within the schooling environment. Additionally, the opportunity to engage with and foster lifelong learning in conjunction with ongoing career development is also negatively impacted upon. Other than with medicine and nursing, Career Advisers were found to have limited knowledge regarding both the diversity and range of allied health careers that are currently available to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. Career Advisers noted they work collaboratively with Aboriginal Education Assistants, who are a core component of the learning and teaching environment for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. In spite of the critical role they play in holistically integrating the schooling environment and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community, it was noted that of those schools that did employ Aboriginal Education Assistants, did so on a part-time or casual basis. It was also noted by some participants that despite the necessity for Aboriginal Education Assistants to be on staff in their school, and to be available to themselves and to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, there was no Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander person employed in that capacity. Notwithstanding these significant challenges, research outcomes from the current study will recommend that Career Advisers and Aboriginal Education Assistants be supported in their roles. This is particularly important if they are to raise awareness and stimulate interest in health career pathways for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. Furthermore, it is recommended that additional research be conducted in order to determine how the Commonwealth Department of of Education Science and Training can best provide this support.
8
Rieländer, Klaus. "Fernsehen der australischen Aborigines und Torres Strait Islanders /." Bonn : Holos, 1993. http://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb374501668.
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Ghaleb, Barbara. "An ethnoarchaeological study of Mabuiag Island, Torres Strait, Northern Australia." Thesis, University College London (University of London), 1990. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.245190.
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Pitt, George Henry. "The Indigenous history and colonial politics of Torres Strait: contesting culture and resources from 1867 to 1990." Thesis, Curtin University, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/1165.
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The aim of my study is to comprehend why there is a significant gap in the economic development of Torres Strait. It questions why it is that Torres Strait Islanders as a whole remain largely economically unproductive in their present situation in contrast to the political beliefs of Islanders and their struggles for self-determination. It questions why Island leaders continue to accept policies of external control even though the guidelines for self development maintain the situation, rather than transforming it. Thus this thesis examines contemporary and traditional history of the Torres Strait in order to analyse and evaluate the development of the political structures of the Islands and how colonialism has influenced the politics of Torres Strait Islanders. I shift through the recorded layers of myths and legends for my interpretation and analyse the ethnographic accounts about Torres Strait from past archival reports, academic literature and the oral accounts from interviews. From the local media, I have examined the recent views of both the contented and discontented Islanders and other people reported in the local Torres News. From these records, I bring into perspective the historical processes of a capitalist economic system which has so deeply penetrated Islander culture.Commencing in the 1860s, at the onset of the Torres Strait beche-de-mer and pearl shell industry, the system has so failed Torres Strait Islanders' social development that it moved Islander leaders in the 1980s to push for cessation from Australia and, in the mid 1900s to seek "autonomy and self government" to remain within the Australian political system. In this thesis, I use this evidence to bring into perspective the concept of development with awareness to the colonial history of Torres Strait in comparison with oral history interpreted as the culture of my people. The theme my thesis implicates the contestation between Torres Strait Islanders and governments who impose administrative policies through the Islander system of political representation (regarding Islander culture and resources).
11
McLeod, Abby. "Towards an understanding of musical variation in Torres Strait : an analysis of songs performed by two Torres Strait Islander singers /." Title page, contents and conclusion only, 1996. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09MUB/09mubm165.pdf.
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Thesis (B. Mus.(Hons.))--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Music Studies, 1996.A loose leaved appendix of Transcriptions in back pocket (31 leaves). Includes bibliographical references (leaves 69-71).
12
Hodes, Jeremy. "Torres Strait Islander migration to Cairns before World War II." [S.l. : s.n.], 1998. http://catalog.hathitrust.org/api/volumes/oclc/44839600.html.
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Thesis (Master of Letters)--Central Queensland University, 1998."A dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Letters in History. Central Queensland University." Cover title.
13
Norman, Karma C. "Grasping Adubad : Badulgal management, tenure, knowledge and harvest within the marine environment of the Torres Strait /." Thesis, Connect to this title online; UW restricted, 2007. http://hdl.handle.net/1773/6547.
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Ewing, Bronwyn. "Recognising Torres Strait Islander Women’s Knowledges in their Children’s Mathematics Education." Saechsische Landesbibliothek- Staats- und Universitaetsbibliothek Dresden, 2012. http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bsz:14-qucosa-79697.
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This paper discusses women’s involvement in their children’s mathematics education. It does, where possible, focus Torres Strait Islander women who share the aspirations of Aborginal communities around Australia. That is, they are keen for their children to receive an education that provides them with opportunities for their present and future lives. They are also keen to have their cultures’ child learning practices recognised and respected within mainstream education. This recognition has some way to go with the language of instruction in schools written to English conventions, decontextualised and disconnected to the students’ culture, Community and home language.
15
Hall, Kerry K. "Acute respiratory illness in urban Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2017. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/110528/1/Kerry_Hall_Thesis.pdf.
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This thesis is the first to comprehensively evaluate Acute Respiratory Illness with Cough (ARIwC) in urban, predominantly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, children. It identified a community experiencing significant disadvantage and a concerning burden of ARIwC. Positive findings include the frequent presentation to primary health care, continuity of primary health care provider, and knowledge of when cough is abnormal; factors that are all critical to the success of interventions and further research to reduce the burden of disease.
16
Macniven, Rona Margaret. "Physical activity and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People in Australia." Thesis, The University of Sydney, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/2123/17811.
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Background Globally, non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes represent an issue of epidemic proportion, responsible for tens of millions of premature deaths annually. NCDs are also responsible for reducing quality of life and causing detrimental social and economic effects. Disparities across population groups are evident. In Australia, NCDs were a leading cause of the total burden of disease in 2011. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders have a shorter life expectancy and poorer health risk factors and outcomes than non-Indigenous Australians. Much of this gap in life expectancy has been attributed to preventable NCDs. Physical activity is a key modifiable cause of the excess burden of disease and mortality. Among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, there is a lack of evidence around the associations between physical activity and health and demographic factors and the impact of strategies to increase physical activity, compared to mainstream evidence. Aims This thesis aims to contribute towards building an evidence base around the association of physical activity on the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. The first aim is to examine cross-sectional associations between physical activity and a range of lifestyle, environmental and social factors among adults. Subsequently, the thesis identifies and describes physical activity patterns and influencing factors among adolescents. The third aim is to describe characteristics of physical activity programs targeting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. Lastly, the thesis aims to measure the effects of a community-based physical activity program. Methods The series of studies used a range of methods. The first study examined whether achievement of national physical activity recommendations was associated with healthy lifestyle behaviours, neighbourhood environmental characteristics and social support among Aboriginal and non- Aboriginal adults in New South Wales (NSW) (Chapter 2). The second study examined cross-sectional demographic, social, psychosocial and health correlates of physical activity among Aboriginal and non- Aboriginal adolescents in NSW (Chapter 3). The third study examined age related declines in physical activity among Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal young people and their variation by season, setting and type among Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children from between 2007/8 and 2011/12 (Chapter 4). The fourth study reviewed the scientific and grey literature for physical activity programs targeting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders operating between 2012 and 2015, described their characteristics and engaged with program coordinators to verify sourced information (Chapter 5). The final study examined the health and community impacts of the Indigenous Marathon Program (IMP) in a remote Torres Strait island community, using questionnaire and semi-structured interview mixed methods (Chapter 6). Results In Chapter 2, a similar proportion of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal adults achieved national physical activity recommendations and factors relating to achieving recommendations were similar in both groups. However, neighbourhood features and social support were less favourable among Aboriginal adults. Among Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal adolescents, physical activity levels were similarly low but some correlates differed by Aboriginality (Chapter 3). Aboriginal girls were less active than boys, as were those whose mothers were unemployed. In Chapter 4, serial physical activity declines were found in a population of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal young people over five years, but not across all seasons, settings and types. Chapter 5, identifies 110 programs that aimed to increase physical activity for health or broader social outcomes. Around half were found to collect process or impact evaluation data but this is underrepresented in the scientific literature. In Chapter 6, impacts of Indigenous Marathon Program were the adoption of running and broader healthy lifestyle factors in a remote community with a high initial level of community readiness. Barriers to running were both personal, cultural and environmental. Conclusion The findings from this thesis make a novel contribution to building an evidence base of associations between physical activity and the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders. A number of factors associated with physical activity in adults and children are unique to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders populations; other factors are similar to those experienced by mainstream populations. It is vitally important that physical activity programs that aim to improve health or social outcomes can determine their value through evaluation.
17
McMaster, John. "Yumi pedagogy: pedagogy with cultural integrity in the Torres Strait." University of Southern Queensland, Faculty of Education, 2006. http://eprints.usq.edu.au/archive/00006230/.
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[The Mariner's Chart]I've chosen to use the metaphor of the mariners chart to highlight the characteristics that are the essential elements of this study. This metaphor also sits comfortably with the Torres Strait Islander people, both historically and contemporaneously. The document '(IN) THE BEGINNING: The mariner’s chart to the folio’, represents the chart which enables readers ofthis study to 'navigate' their individual progress through the study in ways that reflect the reader's motivation/s. As with most maritime voyages, destinations can be reached via a number of different routes. These routes will be partially determined by motivations including tides, winds, directness, the skill of the navigator and the whim of the skipper. These motivations also apply to any reading of this study. The essential starting point will bedetermined initially by reference to the chart. Being made aware of the elements of the folio (logs of the various voyages) will influence where the reader goes from there; in other words, what folio elements (logs of the voyages) the reader will go to first and the order they chooseto follow, subsequent to that. There is no necessary order in which the logs of the various voyages should be read, following the initial reference to the 'chart'.The mariner's chart identifies low water marks, channel markers, reefs, sandbanks, and unseen obstacles. These represent only a handful of the dangers the reader (mariner) will face on the voyage. Likewise the study has its share of 'dangers', both seen and unseen. Thewhole nature of the study is in a sense, dangerous. I anticipate that any reading of the study will necessarily reflect the idiosyncrasies of the reader, so that the conclusions that I have reached, represent only one view of the data. The identification of the data itself reflects a level of interpretation that is also very personal, highlighting the reality that others(readers/mariners) may see greater significance in aspects of the recorded data that the author has not. The log of the voyage, My Journey An Autobiographical Narrative, clearly identifies a very personal journey or series of journeys, all of which reflect a range of reefs and sandbars that the author has sometimes been stranded on, between tides, giving time for reflection on actions that have either proven unsuccessful or are cause for quietcontemplation. Each of the folio elements reflects this metaphoric mix of danger and clear passage, in many different ways and at many different levels, inviting the individual and equally legitimate reactions of each reader.Whilst Torres Strait Islanders historically navigated by the stars and the seasons today, electronic navigation charts have tended to replace these important and culturally significant practices. Torres Strait people have metaphorically experienced being stranded on reefs andshoals and being wrecked, especially in terms of the education processes they have been exposed to, by virtue of this cultural shift. The process, educationally, of replacing the reliable historic (navigation) practices of Torres Strait Islanders with contemporary, western(navigation charts) practices has frequently resulted in confusion, frustration and a failure to produce successful educational outcomes for Torres Strait Islanders - clear passage to the future. The reasons for this situation are explored in greater depth in this study.With these explanations in mind then, the reader is invited to engage on their own voyage through this study.
18
Pitt, George Henry. "The Indigenous history and colonial politics of Torres Strait: contesting culture and resources from 1867 to 1990." Curtin University of Technology, Dept. of Social Sciences, Division of Humanities, 2005. http://espace.library.curtin.edu.au:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=18528.
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The aim of my study is to comprehend why there is a significant gap in the economic development of Torres Strait. It questions why it is that Torres Strait Islanders as a whole remain largely economically unproductive in their present situation in contrast to the political beliefs of Islanders and their struggles for self-determination. It questions why Island leaders continue to accept policies of external control even though the guidelines for self development maintain the situation, rather than transforming it. Thus this thesis examines contemporary and traditional history of the Torres Strait in order to analyse and evaluate the development of the political structures of the Islands and how colonialism has influenced the politics of Torres Strait Islanders. I shift through the recorded layers of myths and legends for my interpretation and analyse the ethnographic accounts about Torres Strait from past archival reports, academic literature and the oral accounts from interviews. From the local media, I have examined the recent views of both the contented and discontented Islanders and other people reported in the local Torres News. From these records, I bring into perspective the historical processes of a capitalist economic system which has so deeply penetrated Islander culture.Commencing in the 1860s, at the onset of the Torres Strait beche-de-mer and pearl shell industry, the system has so failed Torres Strait Islanders' social development that it moved Islander leaders in the 1980s to push for cessation from Australia and, in the mid 1900s to seek "autonomy and self government" to remain within the Australian political system. In this thesis, I use this evidence to bring into perspective the concept of development with awareness to the colonial history of Torres Strait in comparison with oral history interpreted as the culture of my people. The theme my thesis implicates the contestation between Torres Strait Islanders and governments who impose administrative policies through the Islander system of political representation (regarding Islander culture and resources).
19
Peacock, Janice, and n/a. "Inner Weavings: Cultural Appropriateness for a Torres Strait Island Woman Artist of Today." Griffith University. Queensland College of Art, 2006. http://www4.gu.edu.au:8080/adt-root/public/adt-QGU20070327.140720.
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This exegesis examines the context of my studio work submitted for the degree of Doctor of Visual Art at Griffith University in 2004. My art practice reflects my identity, which is complex and many-stranded, but at its core is my identity as a 21st century woman of Torres Strait Islander descent. I also acknowledge multiple heritages and, like many of my contemporaries, I am a descendant of those two thirds of the Torres Strait population who now live on the Australian mainland. Having been born and brought up on the mainland also means that I am connected to, and have been affected by, wider Australian Indigenous issues, particularly those resulting from the alienation and dislocation which stem from colonialism. Therefore, as I draw from both traditional and contemporary modes and theory to explore the appropriateness of my art practice, this exegesis centres on the question: What constitutes culturally appropriate practice for me as a contemporary Torres Strait Island woman?
20
Hart, Deirdre E. Physical Environmental & Mathematical Sciences Australian Defence Force Academy UNSW. "Eco-sedimentological environments of an inter-tidal reef platform, Warraber Island, Torres Strait." Awarded by:University of New South Wales - Australian Defence Force Academy. School of Physical, Environmental and Mathematical Sciences, 2003. http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/38731.
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This thesis examines functional relationships between the morphologic, hydrodynamic, ecological and sedimentological characteristics of the Warraber reef platform, an inter-tidal reef island system, Central Torres Strait, Australia (10[degrees] 12??? S, 142 [degrees] 49??? E). Hydrodynamic and sediment-transport experiments were conducted on the reef flat using current meters, water level recorders and directional sediment traps. Results showed dominantly SE flows during the dry season and more variable NW to SE flows during the wet season. Topography and reefal water levels modulated the direction and strength of currents and the generation of wind-waves on the reef flat as well as the passage of waves over the reef rim. These hydrodynamic conditions are sufficient to induce significant transport of moderately fast to slow settling sediment (>-5.25 symbol psi) on the reef flat, though the platform as a whole is a relatively closed transport system. Carbonate production was estimated based on the key ecological variables of live assemblage distribution and cover. Overall, only 24% of the reef flat was occupied by carbonate-producing organisms. The average estimated carbonate-production rate for the reef was 1.6 kgm -2y-1 (0.07-4.37 kgm-2y-1). Production is dominated by coral (73%), with subordinate proportions contributed by coralline algae (19%). And molluscs, foraminifera and Halimeda (<4%) though actual reef-flat sediments did not reflect this potential. Instead, they were dominated by molluscs (35-55%), coralline algae (16-26%), coral (8-13%), Halimeda (7-8%) and foraminifera (5-10%). Differential rates of carbonate to sediment conversion meant the reef-platform sediments were more closely related to the cover of live organisms than to the contribution of carbonate production by each parent organism. The settling properties of the least altered particles of the five commonest constituents were measured and these provided the basis for an eco-sedimentological model of the reef-platform system. Modelled textures were compared to the actual textures, indicating the degree of textural alteration resulting from a combination of biological and physical processes, including sediment production, hydraulic sorting and mechanical breakdown. This analysis, integrated with the hydrodynamic, exposure and other data, was used to determine reef-platform surface-sediment sources, sinks and transport pathways. In using both the textual and constituent compositional properties of sediments, as well as information on local biological and physical processes, the model approach developed offers progress towards an integrative, interdisciplinary analysis of carbonate environments.
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Peacock, Janice. "Inner Weavings: Cultural Appropriateness for a Torres Strait Island Woman Artist of Today." Thesis, Griffith University, 2006. http://hdl.handle.net/10072/365502.
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This exegesis examines the context of my studio work submitted for the degree of Doctor of Visual Art at Griffith University in 2004. My art practice reflects my identity, which is complex and many-stranded, but at its core is my identity as a 21st century woman of Torres Strait Islander descent. I also acknowledge multiple heritages and, like many of my contemporaries, I am a descendant of those two thirds of the Torres Strait population who now live on the Australian mainland. Having been born and brought up on the mainland also means that I am connected to, and have been affected by, wider Australian Indigenous issues, particularly those resulting from the alienation and dislocation which stem from colonialism. Therefore, as I draw from both traditional and contemporary modes and theory to explore the appropriateness of my art practice, this exegesis centres on the question: What constitutes culturally appropriate practice for me as a contemporary Torres Strait Island woman?Thesis (Professional Doctorate)
Doctor of Visual Arts (DVA)
Queensland College of Art
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Adams, Michael John. "Sexual and reproductive health problems among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander males." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2007. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/16599/1/Michael_John_Adams_Thesis.pdf.
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Compared to males in almost any social group in all affluent nations, Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men suffer from substantially more serious illnesses and early death. To date, research done by or in collaboration with Indigenous communities has revealed the extent of the problems that arise from diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, cancers, respiratory diseases, psychological disorders, accidental injuries, violence and other causes. Reproductive health, however, rarely has been studied among Indigenous men. To date, research in this field has been limited mainly to studies of sexually transmitted infections. No data has been published on Aboriginal men's symptoms of prostate disease or erectile dysfunction, nor has the clinical screening and treatment of these disorders among these men been assessed. In-depth search of the worldwide web demonstrated that little information on these issues was available from other Indigenous populations. It does appear that Indigenous men in Australia, New Zealand and North America are less likely than European-ancestry men to die from prostate cancer, or for living cases to be recorded on cancer registries. This may arise because Indigenous men genuinely have a lower risk, or because they are not captured by official statistics, or because they do not live long enough to develop severe prostate disease. We also know very little about other reproductive health problems such as sexual dysfunction and specifically erectile difficulties. One reason for our scant knowledge is that research mainly relies on self-report of sensitive information. The aim of the research study was to improve the understanding of sexual and reproductive health problems experienced by Indigenous men. This is best gathered by Aboriginal males who are inside the culture of middleaged and older Indigenous men, but until now this has not been attempted. In this study we adopted the World Health Organization (WHO) definitions for Reproductive and Sexual Health (WHO, 2001). Thus, we consider reproductive system disorders (prostate disease, erectile dysfunction) and related health care-seeking, and also men's perceptions about a "satisfying and safe sexual life". The methodology was framed within an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander research protocol that advocates respect for cultural, social and community customs. A mixed method design combined qualitative inquiry (4 focus groups and 18 in-depth interviews) and quantitative survey (n=301) involving men living in remote, rural and urban communities (Tiwi Islands, Darwin and north and south-east Queensland). Survey data were compared to recently published self-reports from 5990 randomly selected men aged over 40 years in Australia (Holden et al., 2005, The Lancet, 366, 218-224. The qualitative interviews revealed that most men were silent about reproductive health. They were unwilling to reveal their inner feelings to wives or partners, and they were unwilling to discuss such issues with doctors and other health care workers. Men's reaction to sexual difficulties included shame, denial, substance abuse and occasionally violence. On a positive note many men said they want to learn about it, so they understand how to cope with such problems. The Indigenous men reported symptoms of erectile dysfunction at least as much as non-Indigenous men in other Australian studies. Bivariate analysis showed that erectile dysfunction was correlated with many health and lifestyle variable. However multivariate analysis revealed that only three factors significantly predicted ED: presence of chronic disease, presence of pain when working, and living in a remote geographic location The quantitative survey data indicate that Indigenous men have more symptoms of prostate disease than non-Indigenous men. The syndrome appears to be poorly managed in clinical practice (e.g. rates of PSA testing and digital-rectal examination are only one-third the rate reported by non-Aboriginal men, despite equivalent likelihood of GP visits). The research study adds to the literature by providing better insight and depth into the issues impacting on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander males experiencing reproductive and sexual health difficulties. It also provides a platform to undertake comprehensive research with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men to explore a wider spectrum of questions in this important but neglected area. Implications for education of primary healthcare workers and community-based awareness campaigns for Indigenous males are discussed. Most of all, this study revealed "layers" of silence around sexual and reproductive health of Indigenous men. This includes silence in the scientific establishments in health services, and in the community. It is hoped that this study puts the voices of the men forward to help to break down this silence.
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Adams, Michael John. "Sexual and reproductive health problems among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander males." Queensland University of Technology, 2007. http://eprints.qut.edu.au/16599/.
Full textAbstract:
Compared to males in almost any social group in all affluent nations, Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men suffer from substantially more serious illnesses and early death. To date, research done by or in collaboration with Indigenous communities has revealed the extent of the problems that arise from diabetes, heart disease, hypertension, cancers, respiratory diseases, psychological disorders, accidental injuries, violence and other causes. Reproductive health, however, rarely has been studied among Indigenous men. To date, research in this field has been limited mainly to studies of sexually transmitted infections. No data has been published on Aboriginal men's symptoms of prostate disease or erectile dysfunction, nor has the clinical screening and treatment of these disorders among these men been assessed. In-depth search of the worldwide web demonstrated that little information on these issues was available from other Indigenous populations. It does appear that Indigenous men in Australia, New Zealand and North America are less likely than European-ancestry men to die from prostate cancer, or for living cases to be recorded on cancer registries. This may arise because Indigenous men genuinely have a lower risk, or because they are not captured by official statistics, or because they do not live long enough to develop severe prostate disease. We also know very little about other reproductive health problems such as sexual dysfunction and specifically erectile difficulties. One reason for our scant knowledge is that research mainly relies on self-report of sensitive information. The aim of the research study was to improve the understanding of sexual and reproductive health problems experienced by Indigenous men. This is best gathered by Aboriginal males who are inside the culture of middleaged and older Indigenous men, but until now this has not been attempted. In this study we adopted the World Health Organization (WHO) definitions for Reproductive and Sexual Health (WHO, 2001). Thus, we consider reproductive system disorders (prostate disease, erectile dysfunction) and related health care-seeking, and also men's perceptions about a "satisfying and safe sexual life". The methodology was framed within an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander research protocol that advocates respect for cultural, social and community customs. A mixed method design combined qualitative inquiry (4 focus groups and 18 in-depth interviews) and quantitative survey (n=301) involving men living in remote, rural and urban communities (Tiwi Islands, Darwin and north and south-east Queensland). Survey data were compared to recently published self-reports from 5990 randomly selected men aged over 40 years in Australia (Holden et al., 2005, The Lancet, 366, 218-224. The qualitative interviews revealed that most men were silent about reproductive health. They were unwilling to reveal their inner feelings to wives or partners, and they were unwilling to discuss such issues with doctors and other health care workers. Men's reaction to sexual difficulties included shame, denial, substance abuse and occasionally violence. On a positive note many men said they want to learn about it, so they understand how to cope with such problems. The Indigenous men reported symptoms of erectile dysfunction at least as much as non-Indigenous men in other Australian studies. Bivariate analysis showed that erectile dysfunction was correlated with many health and lifestyle variable. However multivariate analysis revealed that only three factors significantly predicted ED: presence of chronic disease, presence of pain when working, and living in a remote geographic location The quantitative survey data indicate that Indigenous men have more symptoms of prostate disease than non-Indigenous men. The syndrome appears to be poorly managed in clinical practice (e.g. rates of PSA testing and digital-rectal examination are only one-third the rate reported by non-Aboriginal men, despite equivalent likelihood of GP visits). The research study adds to the literature by providing better insight and depth into the issues impacting on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander males experiencing reproductive and sexual health difficulties. It also provides a platform to undertake comprehensive research with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander men to explore a wider spectrum of questions in this important but neglected area. Implications for education of primary healthcare workers and community-based awareness campaigns for Indigenous males are discussed. Most of all, this study revealed "layers" of silence around sexual and reproductive health of Indigenous men. This includes silence in the scientific establishments in health services, and in the community. It is hoped that this study puts the voices of the men forward to help to break down this silence.
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Nakata, Martin N. "The cultural interface: an exploration of the intersection of Western knowledge systems and Torres Strait Islanders positions and experiences." Thesis, Online version, 1997. https://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/11908/11/JCU_11908_Nakata_1997_thesis.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis is a study of the intersection of Western knowledge systems and Islander positions and experiences as they are inscribed in the literature on Torres Strait Islanders. By exploring and charting processes in the production of knowledges on Torres Strait Islanders over the last Century, this thesis has sought to understand what conditions the possibilities for Islanders in a Western order of things and to learn about whether historical relations between us, as formed discursively in the literature between Islanders and non-Islanders, constrain educational possibilities for Islanders.
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Nakata, Martin N. "The cultural interface : an exploration of the intersection of Western knowledge systems and Torres Strait Islanders positions and experiences /." Online version, 1997. http://bibpurl.oclc.org/web/22615.
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Grootjans, John, of Western Sydney Hawkesbury University, and of Health Humanities and Social Ecology Faculty. "Both ways and beyond : in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health worker education." THESIS_FHHSE_SEL_Grootjans_J.xml, 1999. http://handle.uws.edu.au:8081/1959.7/445.
Full textAbstract:
During 1987 my essential beliefs about the nature of the world were challenged by a chance event which led to my arrival in Arnhemland. Working with Aboriginal people allowed me to see first hand the failings of Western ideas in Aboriginal education and health. This is how a 12 year collaboration with Aboriginal people began. The aim was to search for answers to the question, 'Why so many ideas that had been successfully used in the Western world, fail to meet the needs of aboriginal people? My experiences prior to 1995 had led me to believe that Both Ways, an education pedagogy developed in teacher education, was the best approach for empowering Aboriginal Health Workers. I believed Both Ways gave Aboriginal Health Workers a means to develop solutions to aboriginal health issues which valued and respected their aboriginal knowledge. I needed to describe and evaluate the practice of both ways with Aboriginal Health workers for the purpose of proving the benefit of this pedagogy for other educators in this field. This thesis describes how I came to think Both Ways was a good idea; how I defined Both ways; and how I put it into practice. It also provides a description of the issues raised in my critique of Both Ways and in my attempts to provide answers to these issues. Several years of collecting data, including records from action research group discussions, participant observation, interviews with peers and students, and formal evaluations left me with many concerns about Both Ways. As educators follow my journey of discovery I hope that they will recognise experiences and insights that they themselves have shared. The descriptions and discussions in this thesis will add significantly to the overall discourse about health worker education. Similarly, the exploration of ideas beyond Both Ways will add significantly to the overall body knowledge about the power relationships involved in teaching in a cross cultural settingDoctor of Philosophy (PhD)
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Hogarth, Melitta Dorn. "A critical analysis of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Action Plan." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2015. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/89754/1/Melitta_Hogarth_Thesis.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
This study involves the analysis of one of the most recent Indigenous Education policies, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Action Plan 2010-2014 (MCEECDYA, 2011). It examines how the language used within policy positions Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Articulating Rigney's (1999) Indigenist Research Principles with Fairclough's (2001) Critical Discourse Analysis provides a platform for critical dialogues about policy decision-making. In doing so, this articulation enables and emphasises the need for potential policy revision to contribute to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander struggle for self-determination.
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Grootjans, John. "Both ways and beyond : in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health worker education." Thesis, View thesis, 1999. http://handle.uws.edu.au:8081/1959.7/445.
Full textAbstract:
During 1987 my essential beliefs about the nature of the world were challenged by a chance event which led to my arrival in Arnhemland. Working with Aboriginal people allowed me to see first hand the failings of Western ideas in Aboriginal education and health. This is how a 12 year collaboration with Aboriginal people began. The aim was to search for answers to the question, 'Why so many ideas that had been successfully used in the Western world, fail to meet the needs of aboriginal people? My experiences prior to 1995 had led me to believe that Both Ways, an education pedagogy developed in teacher education, was the best approach for empowering Aboriginal Health Workers. I believed Both Ways gave Aboriginal Health Workers a means to develop solutions to aboriginal health issues which valued and respected their aboriginal knowledge. I needed to describe and evaluate the practice of both ways with Aboriginal Health workers for the purpose of proving the benefit of this pedagogy for other educators in this field. This thesis describes how I came to think Both Ways was a good idea; how I defined Both ways; and how I put it into practice. It also provides a description of the issues raised in my critique of Both Ways and in my attempts to provide answers to these issues. Several years of collecting data, including records from action research group discussions, participant observation, interviews with peers and students, and formal evaluations left me with many concerns about Both Ways. As educators follow my journey of discovery I hope that they will recognise experiences and insights that they themselves have shared. The descriptions and discussions in this thesis will add significantly to the overall discourse about health worker education. Similarly, the exploration of ideas beyond Both Ways will add significantly to the overall body knowledge about the power relationships involved in teaching in a cross cultural setting
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Grootjans, John. "Both ways and beyond : in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health worker education /." View thesis, 1999. http://library.uws.edu.au/adt-NUWS/public/adt-NUWS20030725.103057/index.html.
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Nalatu, Simone Taraivosa. "'Understanding the Physical Activity Patterns of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Mothers, Including the Factors that Influence Participation'." Thesis, Griffith University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10072/366930.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis explores the physical activity experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mothers from a health promotion viewpoint, in which the determinants of physical activity can be understood. Although regarded as highly inactive subgroup of the population, little is known about the influence the determinants of health have on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mothers’ physical activity participation. Therefore it is difficult to understand how future interventions could be developed to improve physical activity levels and probably explains why so few exist. The central argument of this thesis was that standardised, ‘one size fits all’ approaches, targeted at the majority are ineffective if they did not address the needs of specific groups and populations.
Physical inactivity is a serious public health issue for all Australians, in particular the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander population, who suffer the greatest burden of disease. Hence, efforts to close the gap are needed by promoting physical activity, which is noted as the second most modifiable risk factor to chronic disease. In order to do this a comprehensive understanding of the factors that influence participation is needed. Whilst limited information that documented the physical activity determinants of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander mothers was available, the influences of the broader determinants were examined. The World Health Organization’s social determinants of health were used as framework to understand the various influences that impacted Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women’s lives. The purpose of this initial investigation was to contextualise physical activity behaviour. At this point however, it was discovered that the evidence base of the broader Australian maternal population was also relatively small. Therefore, pilot work was conducted to strengthen the knowledge and approach that would be taken in the main study.Thesis (PhD Doctorate)
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
School of Public Health
Griffith Health
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Lukaszyk, Caroline. "Falls in older Aboriginal people: risk factors, burden, and development of a culturally appropriate fall prevention intervention." Thesis, The University of Sydney, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/2123/18045.
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Abstracts – oral conference presentations Lukaszyk, C., Harvey, L., Sherrington, C., Close, J., Coombes, J., Mitchell, R., Moore, R., Ivers, R. Fallrelated injury hospitalisations for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people aged 50+ in New South Wales, Australia, 15th World Congress on Public Health, April 2017, Melbourne, Australia Lukaszyk, C., Harvey, L., Sherrington, C., Close, J., Coombes, J., Ivers, R. Investigating hospitalisations due to fall-related injury for older Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in New South Wales, Australia, 7th Biennial Australia and New Zealand Falls Prevention Conference, November 2016, Melbourne, Australia Lukaszyk, C., Coombes, J., Sherrington, C., Keay, L., Tiedemann, A., Cumming, R., Broe, T., Ivers, R. Preventing falls amongst older Aboriginal people: development and pilot evaluation of the Ironbark Program, 15th National Conference of Emerging Researchers in Ageing, October 2016, Canberra, Australia Lukaszyk, C., Approaches to preventing falls amongst older Aboriginal people, Travelling Rural Fall Prevention Network Forum, September 2016, Broken Hill, Dubbo, Australia, invited speaker Lukaszyk, C., Coombes, J., Sherrington, C., Keay, L., Tiedemann, A., Cumming, R., Broe, T., Ivers, R. Developing and trialling a culturally appropriate fall prevention program for older Aboriginal people, Australian Health Promotion Association, June 2016, Perth, Australia Lukaszyk, C., Coombes, J., Sherrington, C., Keay, L., Tiedemann, A., Cumming, R., Broe, T., Ivers, R. Approaches to developing a falls prevention program for older Aboriginal people, Australian Injury Prevention Network, November 2015, Sydney, Australia Lukaszyk, C., Coombes, J., Falls Prevention in Older Aboriginal People: Approaches to Program Development, Championing Falls in April Forum, April 2015, Sydney, Australia, invited speaker Lukaszyk, C., Coombes, J., Sherrington, C., Keay, L., Tiedemann, A., Cumming, R., Broe, T., Ivers, R. Falls prevention in older Aboriginal people: service audit and yarning circle discussions, Australian Injury Prevention Network, November 2014, Sydney, Australia Lukaszyk, C., Coombes, J., Sherrington, C., Keay, L., Tiedemann, A., Cumming, R., Broe, T., Mack, H., Ivers, R. The Ironbark Project: Fall Prevention in Older Aboriginal People in NSW, Australian and New Zealand Falls Prevention Conference, November 2014, Sydney, Australia Lukaszyk, C., Coombes, J., Sherrington, C., Keay, L., Tiedemann, A., Cumming, R., Broe, T., Ivers, R. Ironbark Project Service Audit on Fall Prevention in Aboriginal People, Emerging Health Policy Research Conference, October 2014, Sydney, Australia Abstracts – poster conference presentations Lukaszyk, C., Coombes, J., Keay, L., Sherrington, C., Tiedemann, A., Turner, NJ., Cumming, R., Broe, T., Hillmann, E., Ivers, R. Working together to develop and trial a culturally appropriate fall prevention program for older Aboriginal people. Lowitja Institute International Indigenous Health and Wellbeing Conference, November 2016, Melbourne, Australia Lukaszyk, C., Harvey, L., Close, J., Ivers, R. Investigating fall-related injury hospitalisations for older Indigenous people in Australia, 12th World Conference on Injury Prevention and Safety Promotion, September 2016, Tampere, Finland Lukaszyk, C., Coombes, J., Sherrington, C., Keay, L., Tiedemann, A., Cumming, R., Broe, T., Ivers, R. Developing and trialling a culturally appropriate fall prevention program for older Aboriginal people, RICH forum, March 2015, Multiple locations, Australia Workshops “Fall prevention for older Aboriginal people: lessons from the Ironbark Aboriginal Fall Prevention Project”, pre-conference workshop for the 7th Biennial Australia and New Zealand Falls Prevention Conference, Melbourne, November 2016 Awards Cross Cultural Public Health Research Award. May 2017. University of Sydney and University of Western Sydney. Postgraduate Research Support Scheme Travel Grant. October 2017. University of Sydney, School of Public Health. Postgraduate Research Support Scheme Travel Grant. October 2016. University of Sydney, School of Public Health.
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Fairfoot, Glen. "Torres strait islander students' experiences transitioning from various locations to Brisbane to undertake university studies." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2020. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/197684/1/Glen_Fairfoot_Thesis.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
This research project was undertaken to ascertain what Torres Strait Islander students, who have relocated from various locations around Australia to Brisbane in order to attend university, report as having assisted them in their transition to a metropolitan area to undertake their university studies or suggest would have assisted them. The findings of this research contribute to knowledge about how current and future Torres Strait Islander students can be better supported to transition to university and improve their chances of success whilst at university.
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Simone, Nicole R. "Teachers perspectives of embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' histories and cultures in mathematics." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2022. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/227459/1/Nicole_Simone_Thesis.pdf.
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This thesis explored how six teachers of mathematics embedded Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ Histories and Cultures into the core mathematics curriculum. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, then written transcripts were analysed through the use of Bernstein’s Theory of Pedagogic Discourse. Teachers shared their perspectives on how they have developed their cultural capabilities, and how this has informed culturally responsive teaching of mathematics. Recommendations are made for how to support in-service teachers with their personal cultural capabilities to authentically embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ Histories and Cultures in mathematics curriculum.
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Shepherd, Carrington C. J. "The socioeconomic pattern of health and developmental outcomes among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children." Thesis, Curtin University, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/712.
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The pervasive health and social disadvantage faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples is an acknowledged part of Australian society. The contemporary data reveal striking inequalities between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians in most measurable aspects of wellbeing across the life cycle. This reflects a postcolonial history of marginalisation and exclusion from mainstream society, dispossession of traditional lands, forced separation from family and kinship networks, and racism. Despite an increased awareness and disapproval of these inequalities in health, the inequalities persist.The lack of progress in the face of public disapproval and progressive government support underscores the fact that we still do not adequately understand the fundamental causes of Indigenous ill health and disease. A small body of research in Australia has highlighted that socioeconomic status (SES) accounts for a portion of the gap in health but this does not imply that they account for health differences within Indigenous population groups. A robust international literature has consistently shown that socioeconomic factors influence population health. These factors reflect the way in which society is ordered according to wealth, prestige, power, social standing or one’s control over economic resources, and their pattern of association with health has almost always depicted better health for those who are better off— that is, the health of population groups normally follows a gradient pattern. Despite the ubiquity of this observation in the empirical literature, there is uncertainty as to whether it applies to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations in Australia.Accordingly, this thesis has aimed to assess the pattern of socioeconomic disparities in the health and development of Indigenous populations in Australia, with a specific focus on children. The three key objectives were to: • Describe the developmental status of Indigenous children and the mechanisms that influence this status; • Determine the pattern of association between socioeconomic factors and physical and mental health outcomes; and • Reveal the significant differences (and similarities) in the socioeconomic pattern of child health between Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations, and articulate these in terms of their direction, shape and magnitude.The objectives of the study were primarily assessed using a quantitative analytic framework applied to four existing population-representative datasets: the 2008 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Survey, the 2000–2002 Western Australian Aboriginal Child Health Survey, the 2004–05 National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Survey and 2004–05 National Health Survey. Simple univariate and cross-tabulation data were used to describe population characteristics, while the relationships between socioeconomic indicators and health outcomes were assessed using a range of regression techniques. Multilevel models are an important feature of this study, and have enabled a more accurate estimation of the effects of individual and area-level measures of SES on health. Generalised Additive Models were used to account for the possible non-linear nature of associations between continuous SES variables and physical health outcomes, with results presented as non-parametric spline curves. The mechanisms linking SES and mental health were explored using a stepwise approach to the regression analysis. All data in all chapters were weighted to reflect population benchmarks.The findings highlighted that there were significant socioeconomic disparities in the health of Indigenous children in Australia, although the direction, shape and magnitude varied, by both socioeconomic measure and health outcome. While the socioeconomic patterns of Indigenous child health are not universal, they are more consistent for mental than physical health. In addition, the thesis has shown that both conventional and alternative notions of SES can influence health patterns. The largest disparities in child physical health were observed for area-level SES indicators, while housing characteristics and area-level SES both had a strong direct effect on child mental health.The thesis has demonstrated that the patterns of socioeconomic disparities in child health differ markedly in Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations—at least in non-remote settings. It was not uncommon for the magnitude of disparity to be larger in the Indigenous population. These findings lend support to the notion that socioeconomic factors have a differential impact on the health of Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations. The implication of this for policy is that a single approach to stimulating socioeconomic conditions will not have equal benefits to child health outcomes in Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations. While the evidence here underscores the validity of the well-worn edict that “one size does not fit all” in Indigenous health policy, it also reinforces the need to examine health disparities within and across Indigenous and other population groups in order to better inform policy and practiceCollectively, the results have provided clear evidence that socioeconomic factors matter to both the physical and mental health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. The diversity of findings implies that SES factors are one facet of the unique and complex set of factors that influence Aboriginal child health and wellbeing.This thesis has made several original contributions to the literature on social inequalities in Indigenous health in Australia and the broader field of social determinants of health. It is one of the few studies internationally to explicitly look at the socioeconomic patterning of health in an Indigenous population, and the first to examine these patterns among Indigenous children using population-representative data. In doing so, the study has begun to bridge the knowledge gap on social inequalities in Aboriginal health in Australia, and will facilitate a better grasp of the complex underlying mechanisms that determine Aboriginal health.For policy, this knowledge can lead to more effective government decision-making in terms of targeting social determinants of health that are of particular significance for Aboriginal populations. It is hoped that the findings of the thesis can provide directions for future research and insights to policy that will, ultimately, increase the pace of change toward health equity in Australia.
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Miller, Melinda G. "Action for change? Embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives in early childhood education curricula." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2013. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/60905/5/60905.pdf.
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This thesis focuses on non-Indigenous educators’ work around embedding Indigenous perspectives in early childhood education curricula. In place of reporting examples of ‘good’ educational practice, the study questions how whiteness and racism continue to operate in diversity work that is seen to be productive and inclusive. The thesis argues for a more comprehensive framework for embedding Indigenous perspectives in before-school contexts to support educators’ efforts. New strategies for professional development are also suggested to support changes in disciplinary knowledge and pedagogy.
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Farnbach, Sara. "Conducting high-quality, culturally-appropriate primary healthcare research with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples." Thesis, The University of Sydney, 2018. http://hdl.handle.net/2123/18850.
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Health research should inform culturally-appropriate, evidence-based primary healthcare (PHC), potentially enhancing social and emotional wellbeing (SEWB) among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (hereafter referred to as Indigenous) Peoples. When conducting such research, scientific and ethical quality should be forefront. Aim To identify approaches and enablers to conducting high-quality, culturally-appropriate Indigenous-focused SEWB PHC research. Methods This thesis comprises three sections: firstly, two systematic reviews of the Indigenous-focused SEWB PHC research literature; secondly, an in-depth critical and reflective case study of an Indigenous-focused SEWB PHC research project entitled Getting it Right: the validation study (hereafter referred to as Getting it Right); finally, a process evaluation of Getting it Right using a grounded theory approach. Results Twenty-five research projects were included in the systematic reviews. Two were judged as high quality using scientific and ethical criteria. Research projects that were judged as ethical used culturally-sensitive approaches, focused on developing relationships and involved community members. These approaches also appeared to enable this research. Getting it Right had an adaptive protocol (where localised approaches were developed within certain requirements) and PHC services were reimbursed on a per participant basis. The research was evaluated as meeting scientific and ethical quality criteria. The process evaluation showed that the research was acceptable to most participating staff (n=36), community members (n=4) and participants (n=500). Many were willing to participate in research and speak about SEWB. Staff reported that the reimbursement provided to the service sufficiently resourced the research. Conclusion High-quality, culturally-appropriate Indigenous-focused SEWB PHC research can be facilitated by culturally-sensitive, flexible, collaborative and sufficiently-funded approaches.
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Aldrich, Rosemary Public Health & Community Medicine Faculty of Medicine UNSW. "Flesh-coloured bandaids: politics, discourse, policy and the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples 1972-2001." Awarded by:University of New South Wales. School of Public Health and Community Medicine, 2006. http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/27276.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis concerns the relationship between ideology, values, beliefs, politics, language, discourses, public policy and health outcomes. By examining the origins of federal health policy concerning Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples 1972-2001 I have explored the idea that the way a problem is constructed through language determines solutions enacted to solve that problem, and subsequent outcomes. Despite three decades of federal policy activity Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children born at the start of the 21st Century could expect to live almost 20 years less than non-Indigenous Australians. Explanations for the gap include that the colonial legacy of dispossession and disease continues to wreak social havoc and that both health policy and structures for health services have been fundamentally flawed. The research described in this thesis focuses on the role of senior Federal politicians in the health policy process. The research is grounded in theory which suggests that the values and beliefs of decision makers are perpetuated through language. Using critical discourse analysis the following hypotheses were tested: 1. That an examination of the language of Federal politicians responsible for the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples over three decades would reveal their beliefs, values and discourses concerning Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and their health 2. That the discourses of the Federal politicians contributed to policy discourses and frames in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health policy environment, and 3. That there is a relationship between the policy discourses of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health policy environment and health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples. The hypotheses were proven. I concluded that there was a relationship between the publicly-expressed values and beliefs of politicians responsible for health, subsequent health policy and resulting health outcomes. However, a model in which theories of discourse, social constructions of people and problems, policy development and organisational decision-making were integrated did not adequately explain the findings. I developed the concept of "policy imagination" to explain the discrete mechanism by which ideology, politics, policy and health were related. My research suggests that the ideology and values which drove decision-making by Federal politicians responsible for the health of all Australians contributed to the lack of population-wide improvement in health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in the late 20th Century.
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Whatman, Susan Leigh. "'Wis Wei Youpla Health?' A case study of the nature and extent of community participation in health education decision-making for Torres Strait Islander girls at Bluewater High." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2004. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/15863/1/Susan_Whatman_Thesis.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
This dissertation seeks to investigate the nature and extent of community participation in health education decision making for Torres Strait Islander girls at one Queensland high school. As such, the study is concerned with identifying stakeholders in health education for girls, describing the ways in which stakeholders participate in health education decision-making, and identifying the factors that promote or inhibit community participation in health education decision-making.
The question presupposes several standpoints: firstly, that Indigenous communities want to participate in education decision-making and, secondly, that community participation would be desirable in producing good outcomes for Indigenous students. Thus, the literature review is concerned with critiquing discourses of community participation in Indigenous education, the effects on educational outcomes of Indigenous students when community participation is enabled, and reviewing previous research on educational decision-making in health education in Australia.
Given the necessity for emancipatory research methodology in Indigenous research contexts, a critical ethnographic case study approach was chosen to investigate the research questions at a high school in the Torres Strait; building a critical case record from field notes, interview data, and documents. Using Carspecken's (1996) stages of data analysis, primary records were reconstructed and dialogically negotiated with participants, to describe system relations. Such an approach allows for power and control relations between researchers and research participants to be explicated, giving voice to usually marginalised groups, such as Indigenous students. This approach was also congruent with specific Torres Strait Islander research protocols, informed by Ailan Kastom, which were necessary to sensitively and successfully undertake the research.
Data analysis was informed by a framework of Indigenous community participation theory, derived from Soliman (1995), Heslop (1998 ), Ministerial Advisory Council for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education (1999) and Stewart (1999), together with curriculum theory, from Bernstein (1976; 1990; 2000). This approach constituted a unique adaptation of Bernstein's pedagogic discourse theory to a Torres Strait Islander educational setting.
The findings indicated that there was strong desire by community members, including students, to participate in health education decision-making at Bluewater High. However, the ability of different stakeholder groups to participate in health education varied, with teachers exercising the most power, and students the least. An in-depth, contextual analysis, in which pedagogic decision-making occurred, enabled a number of immediate and long-term recommendations to be developed. It is envisaged that these recommendations will enable greater community participation in health education decision-making for girls at Bluewater High, and more generally in other Indigenous educational settings.
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Whatman, Susan Leigh. "'Wis Wei Youpla Health?' A case study of the nature and extent of community participation in health education decision-making for Torres Strait Islander girls at Bluewater High." Queensland University of Technology, 2004. http://eprints.qut.edu.au/15863/.
Full textAbstract:
This dissertation seeks to investigate the nature and extent of community participation in health education decision making for Torres Strait Islander girls at one Queensland high school. As such, the study is concerned with identifying stakeholders in health education for girls, describing the ways in which stakeholders participate in health education decision-making, and identifying the factors that promote or inhibit community participation in health education decision-making. The question presupposes several standpoints: firstly, that Indigenous communities want to participate in education decision-making and, secondly, that community participation would be desirable in producing good outcomes for Indigenous students. Thus, the literature review is concerned with critiquing discourses of community participation in Indigenous education, the effects on educational outcomes of Indigenous students when community participation is enabled, and reviewing previous research on educational decision-making in health education in Australia. Given the necessity for emancipatory research methodology in Indigenous research contexts, a critical ethnographic case study approach was chosen to investigate the research questions at a high school in the Torres Strait; building a critical case record from field notes, interview data, and documents. Using Carspecken's (1996) stages of data analysis, primary records were reconstructed and dialogically negotiated with participants, to describe system relations. Such an approach allows for power and control relations between researchers and research participants to be explicated, giving voice to usually marginalised groups, such as Indigenous students. This approach was also congruent with specific Torres Strait Islander research protocols, informed by Ailan Kastom, which were necessary to sensitively and successfully undertake the research. Data analysis was informed by a framework of Indigenous community participation theory, derived from Soliman (1995), Heslop (1998 ), Ministerial Advisory Council for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education (1999) and Stewart (1999), together with curriculum theory, from Bernstein (1976; 1990; 2000). This approach constituted a unique adaptation of Bernstein's pedagogic discourse theory to a Torres Strait Islander educational setting. The findings indicated that there was strong desire by community members, including students, to participate in health education decision-making at Bluewater High. However, the ability of different stakeholder groups to participate in health education varied, with teachers exercising the most power, and students the least. An in-depth, contextual analysis, in which pedagogic decision-making occurred, enabled a number of immediate and long-term recommendations to be developed. It is envisaged that these recommendations will enable greater community participation in health education decision-making for girls at Bluewater High, and more generally in other Indigenous educational settings.
40
Lawrence, Christopher Grant. "Influences on food and lifestyle choices for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians: an Aboriginal perspective." Thesis, The University of Sydney, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/2123/12551.
Full textAbstract:
Influences on food and lifestyle choices for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians: An Aboriginal perspective The care and management of chronic diseases and comorbidity impose a substantial burden on the Australian government, Aboriginal Medical Services (non-government primary health care organisations) and mainstream health services and systems. Nowhere is this burden more felt than upon Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australian individuals, their families and communities. Most health research studies that have measured the burden of chronic disease tend to take only a partial view of the socio-economic consequences, focusing on measuring the burden on the health system of responding to an illness rather than apply a holistic perspective of the overall historical, political, social, cultural and emotional wellbeing (psychological distress) that impact upon Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, their families and communities. The analytical framework applied in this thesis used mixed methods of research, study design, data collection and analysis in order to provide a holistic assessment of the population, socio-economic and cultural burden of disease. Research was undertaken in a number of different settings; including Aboriginal Medical Services and the Eora (TAFE) College. Responses provided by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander participants in the 45 and Up longitudinal cohort study were analysed. The framework incorporated features to assess the key dimensions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health and incorporated a holistic definition of Aboriginal health: “Aboriginal health is not just the physical well-being of an individual but refers to the social, emotional and cultural well-being of the whole community in which each individual is able to achieve their full potential as a human being, and thereby contributing to the total well-being of their Community. It is a whole-of-life view that includes the cyclical concept of life-death-life”. (NACCHO 2013) The findings of all these studies highlight that there is a need to investigate further the resilience factors, relationships and psychological distress, which influence Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s food choices, diet patterns, risky behaviour and lifestyle choices.
41
Schug, Donald M. "The marine realm and a sense of place among the Papua New Guinean communities of the Torres Strait." Thesis, 1995. http://hdl.handle.net/10125/9818.
Full text
42
Ban, Paul Zoltan. "The application of the Queensland Adoption Act 1964-1988 to the traditional adoption practice of Torres Strait Islanders." 1989. http://repository.unimelb.edu.au/10187/2361.
Full textAbstract:
The intention of this study is to examine the relevance of applying the Queensland Adoption Act 1964-1988 to the traditional adoption practice of Torres Strait Islanders. The concept of adoption as defined by the Queensland adoption legislation reflects the cultural context of “white Australia” and the intention of the Adoption Act 1964-1988 is to legalise a specific concept of adoption. This study will show that the Queensland Government, through the Department of Family Services, the Department which has the responsibility for implementing adoption legislation, does not make any allowance for differing views of adoption. The accepted definition of adoption is biased toward the dominant white culture in Queensland and the legislation was intended to service the needs of the dominant white culture.
43
Carter, Melissa Jane. "North of the Cape and south of the Fly: the archaeology of settlement and subsistence on the Murray Islands, eastern Torres Strait." Thesis, 2004. https://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/1054/1/1054_Carter_2004_thesis.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
This dissertation describes analyses and contextualises the results of
archaeological investigations carried out between 1998 and 2000 on Mer and
Dauar in Torres Strait. Along with Waier these small volcanic islands are
commonly known as the Murray Islands, and form the most eastern group of the
formation of islands scattered between northeastern Australia and southern
Papua New Guinea. Unlike the research into human occupation and
subsistence in Australia and New Guinea, the archaeology of the Torres Strait
Islands is by contrast a relatively recent academic pursuit. Over the last 30
years various researchers have postulated the timing of first human occupation
of Torres Strait, the development of maritime and horticultural subsistence
systems and the emergence of ethnohistorically documented trade networks. A
lack of archaeological data, however, has prevented informed consideration of
these issues.
This dissertation presents the results of the first systematic archaeological
excavations undertaken in the Eastern Torres Strait, and includes the first
detailed radiocarbon chronological sequence for the Murray Islands and for the
Torres Strait more generally. The excavations on Dauar revealed extensive
archaeological deposits of marine subsistence remains, and previously
unrecorded material culture of Torres Strait; most notably, several sherds of
earthenware pottery. These artefacts have provided new opportunities for
investigating the traditional trade and exchange networks between the Torres
Strait Islands and New Guinea that existed at the time of European contact.
The Murray Islands data illustrates the existence of a maritime subsistence base
from the time of first human occupation now securely dated to almost 3000
years BP. Although plant macrofossils where absent during the excavations,
evidence for horticultural subsistence on Dauar was identified through the
extraction and identification of plant phytoliths and starch grains from excavated
sediment samples. In combination with the radiocarbon site chronologies and
changes to sediment deposition rates and assemblage densities, it is concluded
that these results indicate the onset of widespread clearance and horticultural activities on the island from at least 2000 years BP, providing the earliest date
for the emergence of horticulture so far established in Torres Strait.
Dated to between 2000 and 700 years BP, the excavated pottery from Dauar
suggests the possibility of sustained linkages between the peoples of the
Eastern Torres Strait and New Guinea. Ethnohistoric records suggest
southward trade into the Eastern Torres Strait was dominated by southwestern
coastal Papuan communities, and particularly by groups of the Fly Estuary.
Surprisingly, mineralogical analysis of selected pottery sherds from the Murray
Islands revealed the presence of sand tempers sourced to the metamorphic and
volcanic lithology of the Eastern New Guinea Highlands. More accurately, these
results are concluded to portray linkages between the Torres Strait and the
adjacent southern Papuan lowlands through which more discrete movements
and transactions with interior areas occurred along key riverways that connected
the hinterland to the coast.
The timing of human occupation of Torres Strait, the development of
subsistence systems and the relationships that islanders had with the peoples of
northern Australia and the western Pacific have only started to be explored
archaeologically. It is concluded from the combined ethnohistorical and field
archaeological evidence that settlement and subsistence in Torres Strait is a
product of late-Holocene human expansions and cultural intensification
previously documented for the adjacent mainlands and the broader western
Pacific region. This research confirms that the archaeology of Torres Strait must
be interpreted within the broader cultural, chronological and geographical
context in which it is centrally located.
44
Carter, Melissa Jane. "North of the Cape and south of the Fly : : the archaeology of settlement and subsistence on the Murray Islands, Eastern Torres Strait /." 2004. http://eprints.jcu.edu.au/1054/1/01front.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
This dissertation describes analyses and contextualises the results of archaeological investigations carried out between 1998 and 2000 on Mer and Dauar in Torres Strait. Along with Waier these small volcanic islands are commonly known as the Murray Islands, and form the most eastern group of the formation of islands scattered between northeastern Australia and southern Papua New Guinea. Unlike the research into human occupation and subsistence in Australia and New Guinea, the archaeology of the Torres Strait Islands is by contrast a relatively recent academic pursuit. Over the last 30 years various researchers have postulated the timing of first human occupation of Torres Strait, the development of maritime and horticultural subsistence systems and the emergence of ethnohistorically documented trade networks. A lack of archaeological data, however, has prevented informed consideration of these issues. This dissertation presents the results of the first systematic archaeological excavations undertaken in the Eastern Torres Strait, and includes the first detailed radiocarbon chronological sequence for the Murray Islands and for the Torres Strait more generally. The excavations on Dauar revealed extensive archaeological deposits of marine subsistence remains, and previously unrecorded material culture of Torres Strait; most notably, several sherds of earthenware pottery. These artefacts have provided new opportunities for investigating the traditional trade and exchange networks between the Torres Strait Islands and New Guinea that existed at the time of European contact. The Murray Islands data illustrates the existence of a maritime subsistence base from the time of first human occupation now securely dated to almost 3000 years BP. Although plant macrofossils where absent during the excavations, evidence for horticultural subsistence on Dauar was identified through the extraction and identification of plant phytoliths and starch grains from excavated sediment samples. In combination with the radiocarbon site chronologies and changes to sediment deposition rates and assemblage densities, it is concluded that these results indicate the onset of widespread clearance and horticultural activities on the island from at least 2000 years BP, providing the earliest date for the emergence of horticulture so far established in Torres Strait. Dated to between 2000 and 700 years BP, the excavated pottery from Dauar suggests the possibility of sustained linkages between the peoples of the Eastern Torres Strait and New Guinea. Ethnohistoric records suggest southward trade into the Eastern Torres Strait was dominated by southwestern coastal Papuan communities, and particularly by groups of the Fly Estuary. Surprisingly, mineralogical analysis of selected pottery sherds from the Murray Islands revealed the presence of sand tempers sourced to the metamorphic and volcanic lithology of the Eastern New Guinea Highlands. More accurately, these results are concluded to portray linkages between the Torres Strait and the adjacent southern Papuan lowlands through which more discrete movements and transactions with interior areas occurred along key riverways that connected the hinterland to the coast. The timing of human occupation of Torres Strait, the development of subsistence systems and the relationships that islanders had with the peoples of northern Australia and the western Pacific have only started to be explored archaeologically. It is concluded from the combined ethnohistorical and field archaeological evidence that settlement and subsistence in Torres Strait is a product of late-Holocene human expansions and cultural intensification previously documented for the adjacent mainlands and the broader western Pacific region. This research confirms that the archaeology of Torres Strait must be interpreted within the broader cultural, chronological and geographical context in which it is centrally located.
45
Arthur, Bill (W S. ). "Torres Strait Islanders and Autonomy: a Borderline Case." Phd thesis, 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/45747.
Full textAbstract:
During 1996 and 1997 an Australian parliamentary committee conducted an inquiry into greater autonomy for Torres Strait Islanders, but by 2000 the future of the issue seemed unclear. This thesis explores what the notion of autonomy has meant for Torres Strait and for Torres Strait Islanders in the past, and what it might mean in the future. The thesis uses material from the period before European contact to just after the end of the parliamentary inquiry. Although previous research and historical material are utilised, unique parts of the thesis include an analysis of: the formal submissions and hearings associated with the parliamentary inquiry; the Torres Strait’s location between Australia and Papua New Guinea; and the Strait’s small-island make-up. In this latter regard, comparisons are made with models and examples of autonomy found in small island states and territories in the Pacific. The findings include that we must consider two groups of Torres Strait Islanders, those in Torres Strait and those on mainland Australia. Whereas those in the Strait have been able to legitimise a case for a form of autonomy those on the mainland have not. Islanders in the Strait have achieved a degree of regional autonomy; those on the mainland are unable to make a case to be part of this regional autonomy, or to achieve a form of corporate autonomy. The status of Islanders in the Strait is influenced by several factors including the Strait’s location on the border with Papua New Guinea, the associated Treaty with that country, and the nature and the accessibility of the in-shore fishery. A major finding however is that although Islanders have achieved a degree of regional political autonomy, which may be progressed yet further, they have been unable to embrace non-Indigenous people within this. Their present aspiration for regional political autonomy therefore is limited to one that would apply only to Indigenous-specific affairs. This stands in some conflict with their aspiration for regional economic autonomy which would include their control over the entire regional fishery which they presently share with non-Islanders.
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Lahn, Julie. "Past visions, present lives: sociality and locality in a Torres Strait community." Thesis, 2003. https://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/1128/2/02whole.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis explores dynamics of sociality and local identity on Warraber Island in the
Torres Strait. I argue that Warraber residents' representation of themselves as a
distinctive collectivity needs to be understood in terms of indigenous conceptions of
relatedness and difference and with reference to local moral terms of communal life, in
particular a valorised striving towards the idealised vision of moral relations known as
gud pasin. This value is informed by a dense network of cognatic connections existing
among Warraber residents – encapsulated in the local discourse of “ol wan pamle” (all
one family), in addition to shared identification as a Christian community.
Warraberans envision the past through ideas of temporal rupture, indexed to the arrival
of Christianity in the region and linked to the positive transformation of Warraber life.
This forms a reference point in local thinking about ancestors. Warraberans depict their
ancestors as both 'natives' and 'foreigners' linked respectively to the pre-Christian period
and the marine industries of the post-missionised colonial era. These temporal
associations, and their implicit moral inscriptions, generate poignant areas of ambiguity
concerning personal ancestry, and also prominent pre-Christian sites and dance
performances thought to be associated with head-taking and sorcery. The image of the
sorcerer is itself contentious, appearing partly as a moral Other, and partly as a source of
local power.
Such dynamics of difference appear as integral to contemporary social life on Warraber.
Differing Christian affiliations, ancestral emphasis and perspectives on the past
certainly contain potential for contestation. Productive activities are markedly gendered
and family networks involve strong personalised loyalties that compete with broader
social obligations. However, the value of gud pasin is shown as ultimately valorising
inclusiveness, generosity and a concern with community harmony. Moreover residence
on Warraber Island emerges as an important context for common experiences that help
distinguish the population as a distinctive, emplaced community within the diversity of
Torres Strait populations.
Intense attachments to Warraber Island are communicated in local notions of 'belonging'
to place. This is characterised by knowledge and familiarity and also by birth and
residence. In this context, the marine realm continues to be a central component within
Warraber collective identification and notions of local distinctiveness. Warraberans
represent themselves both in historical and contemporary terms as incomparable marine
workers, hunters and fishers. Transactions in marine products, whether related to
generating income or for consumption, continue to be a focus of Warraber life and are
inextricably woven into the practice of familial relations, whereby marine resources are
transformed by human activity into a ‘currency’ of relatedness shaped by moral
understandings that inflect the landscape as much as the conduct of sociality.
47
Lahn, Julie. "Past visions, present lives : sociality and community in a Torres Strait community /." 2003. http://eprints.jcu.edu.au/1128.
Full text
48
Watkin, Lui Felecia. "My island home: a study of identity across different generations of Torres Strait Islanders living outside the Torres Strait." Thesis, 2009. https://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/11642/2/02whole.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis is a study of identity across different generations of Torres Strait
Islanders living outside the Torres Strait (also referred to as ‘Mainlanders’). The
research aims, firstly, to examine the representation of identity across different
generations of Islanders living outside the Torres Strait; secondly, to analyse critical
aspects of this identity; and, thirdly, to explore new ways of representing ‘Mainland
Islander’ identity in contemporary society.
Since the end of World War Two, the Torres Strait Islander diaspora, located on
the mainland of Australia, has continued to grow to the extent that it now represents just
over 85 percent (40,367 people) of the total Torres Strait Islander population
(Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), 2007). The period immediately following World
War Two marked the beginning of mass internal migration of Torres Strait Islanders to
the Australian mainland. There are many different pathways and passages that Islanders
followed in the journey from the Torres Strait to the mainland. Many Islanders,
including my family, made the journey voluntarily as they looked for work and other
life opportunities. Some Islanders were forcibly removed from their islands; the journey
made under duress with circumstances that paralleled the oppressive conditions they
experienced in the Torres Strait. Other Islanders arrived on the mainland because of
environmental or historical circumstances, such as the evacuations required during the
flooding of Saibai Island in the 1930s and later during World War Two.
Drawing on the theoretical frameworks of both Cultural Studies and Indigenous
Studies, this qualitative study focuses on the narratives of twenty-three participant
Storytellers representing first, second and third generation Torres Strait Islanders
(mainly) living outside the Torres Strait. The research sites included the mainland
Islander communites of Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Brisbane and Canberra as well as
Badu and Erub Islands in the Torres Strait.
A review of current government legislation and policies pertaining to Islanders
living outside the Torres Strait reveals a form of identity politics that sees
‘Mainlanders’ positioned in binary oppositions and deficit cultural discourses. In
contrast, this research articulates a story of ‘Mainlander’ relatedness, a multilayered and
complex process of identification across generations of Islanders living outside the
Torres Strait. This story of ‘Mainlander’ relatedness represents a composite counternarrative
to claims of cultural and political dissolution and displacement for a
population (increasingly) born and raised outside the Torres Strait. It is articulated
through a strong sense of place identity, relating and connecting across generations, the
shared experiences and memories of belonging to an Island Home. The relational aspect
of place identity, in turn, informs our knowledge of who we are, our connections with
ourselves, each other and our position in the world. This research presents key insights
into the way Islanders negotiate and contest the contemporary ‘Mainlander’ experience
in the everyday through utilisation of multimedia, the arts and technology in the
creation of systems of representation, cultural expression and interconnectivity between
individuals and the collective.
New political approaches must be open to ‘Mainlander’ representations of
identity that are grounded in the connection to Island Homes but, at the same time,
shaped, influenced and negotiated within the context of our experiences, history and
connection to the mainland. We ‘Mainlanders’ are equally responsible for reviewing
our own institutional systems and practices, critiquing the way we are positioned by
others and ourselves in political and social discourses, and understanding how we might
articulate the spaces from which we speak of our lived realities and experiences as
Ailan Pipel (Islander People).
49
Davis, Richard. "Epochal bodies and gendered time : engagement and transformation in Saibaian (Torres Strait) masculinity." Phd thesis, 1998. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/147410.
Full text
50
Loban, Frank. "Ngalpun adhabath a goeygayil bangal (our sea, our future): an examination of Torres Strait Protected Zone Joint Authority principles and Torres Strait Islander needs and aspirations for the Torres Strait fisheries, from a Torres Strait Islander perspective." Thesis, 2007. https://researchonline.jcu.edu.au/4829/2/02whole.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
The UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People: Articles 18, 23 and 26, states that an
Indigenous person has the right to participate fully at all levels of decision making in matters which may
affect their lives, they have the right to develop strategies for economic gains, and the right to own,
develop, control and use of their lands including waters and coastal seas (Human Rights Council,
2006). Zenadhaw Mabaygka (Torres Strait Islanders) are traditional owners of the islands and seas that
are located between the most northern point of Kie Daudai (Australia) and the western coast of Migi
Daudai (Papua New Guinea). Occupation of the islands and seas in Zenadh Kes (Torres Strait) by
Zenadhaw Mabaygka dates back almost 3000 years (Carter,2004). Their traditional knowledge of their
environment has evolved over the generations.
The current fishery governance regime in the Zenadh Kes, the Torres Strait Protected Zone Joint
Authority or PZJA has a policy of maximizing the opportunities for Zenadhaw Mabaygka participation in
all sectors of the fishing industry, and has limited non-islander participation in the Zenadh wapiw
(Torres Strait fisheries). Since 1985 the PZJA has prevented further expansion by this group through
the requirement that non-islanders must purchase an existing license to gain access to the fishery
(PZJA Annual Report, 2002: 8). Growth in the Zenadh wapiw, where there is scope for expansion, has
been reserved exclusively for Zenadhaw Mabaygka. However, Zenadhaw Mabaygka participation in the
actual governance structure, where management decisions are made for the Zenadh wapiw, is that of
an advisory role, not a decision-making role.
Zenadhaw Mabaygka has an advisory role in the current fishery governance regime through the PZJA. The PZJA was established under the Torres Strait Treaty 1984 No. 4.This Treaty was negotiated
between Kie Daudai and Migi Daudai in 1978 and ratified into Kie Daudai law in 1985. The Treaty
recognizes the importance of protecting the traditional way of life as well as the livelihood of Zenadhaw
Mabaygka. However, it fails to secure equal power and benefit sharing for its primary stakeholders,
Zenadhaw Mabaygka. This principle is reflected throughout relevant Kie Daudai legislation and the
PZJA.
My thesis argues that the contemporary logic of this Treaty commitment to protect the way of life as well
as the livelihood of Zenadhaw Mabaygka requires a governance regime that guarantees benefit sharing
and that this guarantee can only be achieved through power sharing. Today the way of life and
livelihoods of Zenadhaw Mabaygka must involve them fully in both traditional as well as the commercial fisheries. To reflect contemporary economic reality and Zenadhaw Mabaygka aspirations the present
governance regime requires a re-arrangement of governance mechanisms, a re- articulation of the
guiding principles and a modest amendment to the enabling rules. The re-arrangements are needed to
empower authentic participation in power sharing through decision-making processes that will
accommodate Zenadhaw Mabaygka as key actors in the regime by acknowledging them as in the
principal stakeholders in the fisheries.