Songlines to Satellites

Indigenous Communication in Australia, the South Pacific and Canada

Michael Meadows, Helen Molnar

Songlines to Satellites explores the developmental history and policy environments of the Indigenous media sectors in Australia, New Zealand, the South Pacific Island countries and Canada. Helen Molnar and Michael Meadows detail how communication technologies have been pioneered by Indigenous communities and used as cultural, social and political resources. Songlines to Satellites is based on interviews with hundreds of Indigenous people in Australia, the South Pacific and Canada, over a thirteen-year period. From this research, Molnar and Meadows address key issues such as the convergence of communications and information technologies and the impact of globalisation on Indigenous identity.

Contents

• Acronyms
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction: The Voices of the People
• Part I: Australia
• 1. Finding a Voice: Indigenous Media Policy Development
• 2. Speaking out: The Emergence of Indigenous Newspapers and Radio
• 3. “Cultural Nerve Gas” and Cultural Resources: Indigenous Video, Television and Film
• Part II: The South Pacific
• 4. Reaching Out: The Rise of Radio
• 5. A Leap of Faith: The Emergence of “Big” Television
• 6. Negotiating Control: The Possibilities of “Small” Television
• Part III: Canada
• 7. Syllables and Satellites: The Rise of Aboriginal Media
• 8. “Neutron Bomb Television” and Native Air Rights: Policy Development
• Conclusion: “The Way People Want to Talk”
• Appendices
• Bibliography
• Index