IndigiTUBE relaunch

IndigiTUBE relaunch: a modern platform for the voice of First Nations

IndigiTUBE, an online hub for first nations language and culture, is now live and packed with content.

The site went live in September 2018 and officially relaunched at the inaugural First Nations Media Awards in Sydney in November, featuring performances from Baker Boy, Marlene Cummins and Alice Skye. An initiative from First Nations Media, the platform aims to be a central point to promote Indigenous media content; radio, music, video, oral histories, language resources. Jaja Dare, InidigTUBE Project Manager said the site is a way to share culture with the rest of the country. “There was a recognised need for First Nations media to have a national delivery and content sharing platform. indigiTUBE has been developed as a centralised place for mob to share the richness of our language and culture; with each other and wider Australia. Together we are creating a strong national presence for First Nations people” she said.

Ms Dare said the site is keen to get a variety of Indigenous content, not just music. “If you are a media organisation, independent media maker, musician or artist, we want to see you up on indigiTUBE. The platform has both audio and video, with all kinds of cultural content; radio shows, interviews, albums, music videos, oral histories, news, sports, festivals and archives” she said. The indigiTUBE platform was first established in 2008 by Indigenous Remote Communications Association and Indigenous Community Television as a response to increased access to the internet and high uptake of mobile phone technology in remote First Nations communities.

The project is now being managed by First nations Media supported by the Indigenous Languages and Arts Program of the Department of Communications and the Arts.

How it works

Listen and view: Users will be able to start listening and viewing First Nations content from across the country.

Contribute: Media organisations, workers and independents are encouraged to sign up for a free account and contribute content, selecting their preferred options regarding streaming, downloads and airplay promotion.

Promote: Additionally, First Nations and community radio stations and broadcasters will be able to contribute content, as well as download content for broadcast from the one account.

The redevelopment of indigiTUBE has taken into account how people are connecting to and accessing media; the increase of smartphone and tablet use and limited access for remote communities. “There is so much awesome content on indigiTUBE for everyone to check out. First Nations media plays an important role in telling our stories our way, and indigiTUBE provides access to rich cultural content and positive stories” said Ms Dare.

Contributors have the option to mark their content for streaming, download and airplay.

First Nations Media has stated that there are hours of archive content locked away and indigiTUBE aims to be the go-to media site for positive story telling.

Go to indigitube.com.au

Indigenous weather knowledge

A website to collect Indigenous weather knowledge is open for all Aboriginal Nations to build on.

The Bureau of Meteorology developed the Indigenous Weather Knowledge Website in 2002 as a platform for First Nations to share their traditional seasonal knowledge.

There are currently 14 First Nations across Australia that have published their weather knowledge on the website. Kaurna is the first South Australian group to have shared their cultural information on the site.

Catherine Kennedy, Manager Diversity, Inclusion, said she worked with the Kaurna community to develop a Kaurna seasonal calendar.

“I worked with the Kaurna community, led by Uncle Lewis as he has traditional weather knowledge of this region and was keen to share it with his community and the wider community” she said.

“After lengthy discussions with the community, they decided on representation of the beaches as well as the hills and we sourced images from the art gallery to use as part of the calendar” she said. The calendar, along with Kaurna seasonal information now sits on the Indigenous Weather Knowledge website.

Ms Kennedy said she would like to see the information used as an educational tool.

“The day after we launched the Kaurna seasonal calendar, we received some feedback from a teacher, saying what an excellent resource and how she will be using it in the classroom. We would love more of that to happen” she said.

Heather Cubillo-Mulholland, a project officer at the Bureau of Meteorology in Darwin, said although it is a lengthy process, communities appreciate sharing their weather knowledge this way.

“Ideally, we’d love to see the whole map covered with weather calendars, but of course due to gathering the information, it can take a lot of time and work. Generally, communities are happy to share their local knowledge, but we need to make sure everyone is ok with the information going up on a public website” she said.

Ms Cubillo-Mulholland said that traditional weather knowledge has not been lost. “The communities that I’ve spoken to, I don’t find that there is lack of knowledge. The elders are passing it on to the little ones through stories and song and dance. You have your grandmother or aunties telling you stories and making sure the information lives on” she said.

The next South Australian group to share their knowledge through the website is likely to be Ngarrindjeri. Monarto Zoo at Adelaide Zoos SA and Bureau of Meteorology have been working with Ngarrindjeri Regional Authority to develop a seasonal calendar wheel.

Ms Kennedy said it is “in the initial working phase and it wouldn’t be completed until the end of next year as they can often take one to two years to complete.

“The Monarto Zoo are wanting a big mural or art representation of the Ngarrindjeri seasonal calendar. They have a lot of schools go through the zoo and this would be a great way to showcase Ngarrindjeri’s weather knowledge.

“All Aboriginal Nations are welcome include their weather knowledge. The bureau is happy to assist groups, but it is up to them how they go about it and they may decide to just do it themselves, the site is there for all to access” said Ms Kennedy.