Computer Databases and Aboriginal Knowledge

At a recent workshop on Aboriginal knowledge in Darwin, several women from the local Larrakia community talked about putting their elders’ knowledge onto a database. One cautious non-indigenous researcher voiced some doubts about the overenthusiastic embrace of digital technology: “Indigenous knowledge lives in country, and in doing things together in country – not in computers.” The Larrakia women responded: “That’s all very well, but while our elders are getting very old, the young teenagers today aren’t interested in learning anything from them. We need to find good ways of preserving some of the knowledge of the old people before they all pass away.” 1