Designing with Indigenous Knowledge: Policy and protocols for respectful and authentic cross-cultural representation in communication design practice A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy at Swinburne University of Technology Faculty of Health, Arts and Design by Russell John Kennedy Master of Arts (Design), Monash University (2000) 2015 Key words Appropriation, collaboration, consultation, design, ethical, Indigenous, knowledge, professional, practice, representation, respect. i ii Preface It is important for me to declare at the outset that I, the author of this PhD dissertation, am not of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander decent. I pursue this research from the perspective of a communication designer who is unclear about the positioning of Indigenous culture within Australia’s national identity. My motivation emanates from a concern I have had for many years about the representation, referencing and application of Indigenous culture in professional design practice. The topic of Indigenous culture representation has attracted little academic study in the field of communication design. This lack of specific literature required this dissertation to align knowledge from both the fine arts and social sciences. This required building an informed level of familiarity with fields of cross-cultural research, cultural appropriation, nation building and the law (Indigenous cultural expression and heritage). Having stated that, it should be made clear that this research is positioned firmly in the field of design studies. It references and intersects associated areas of epistemology, as ‘design’ research should. However, this dissertation does not claim to speak with expert authority in the fields law, philosophy, ethics of appropriation or the social sciences. This study is framed from a practitioner’s perspective (Indigenous and/or non-Indigenous) and is specifically focused on appropriate, ethical conduct of design practice. Although not an Indigenous Australian, I have a long-standing interest in exploring the relationship between Australian Indigenous culture and national identity. Over the past three decades, I have worked on projects that operated at the intersection of cross-cultural design practice. I believe it is important for Australia and other countries to appropriately acknowledge and represent their Indigenous heritage in the expressions of communication design. NOTE: The following dissertation uses a number of phrases and terms to describe Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island peoples (see Glossary). They include ‘Indigenous’, ‘Indigenous Australian’, ‘Aboriginal’, and ‘Aboriginal and ‘Torres Strait Island (ATSI)’. In some cases, the document refers specifically to community, tribal or regional names of Aboriginal sectors. In most cases, the term, ‘Indigenous’ is used when it clearly applies to the Australian context. iii I have used the one-word term, ‘Indigenous’ because it is an efficient way to describe all people whose ancestors were the original, pre-colonial people of the country we now know as Australia. Since 1984, I have worked to refine methodologies and improve practice methods involving both commercial and non-commercial projects featuring Indigenous themes and content. In retrospect, these methods could have been better, but it is fair to say they improved incrementally over that period. My related experiences, as professional designer, filmmaker and academic, highlighted the need for rigorous academic examination into this issue. Following is a summary of projects I have worked on that have required respectful consideration of Indigenous knowledge. In 1984, I commenced research for Rose against the odds, an internationally distributed television mini-series about Aboriginal boxer Lionel Rose. My credits were co-creator, co- producer and second unit director. I was also involved as a screenplay researcher. The Seven Network first broadcast Rose against the odds in Australia in 1990. Related academic research in this area involved the exploration of national identity, Indigenous culture and vexillography (flag design). In 2003, my Masters thesis proposed a new Australian flag design and supporting ensigns, including an Australian Reconciliation flag. This research activity was undertaken in the Department of Design at Monash University with the support of Monash University’s Centre for Australian Indigenous Studies (CAIS). An outcome of this research was the Australian Reconciliation flag, which is currently flown at schools and Aboriginal communities across Australia. In 2000, it was officially recognised by the Nillumbik Shire Council in Victoria. In 2005, I initiated and established INDIGO, an International Indigenous design network. This initiative was developed with the assistance of a research grant from the Institute for the Study of Global Movements at Monash University. The 2006 pilot project involved collaborative workshops and exhibitions with undergraduate students from both the University of Hartford in the USA and Monash University in Australia. These workshops, called the Migrant Indigenous Exchange 2006 (MIX06), were co-developed by Robert L. Peters, Koopman Distinguished Chair in the Visual Arts at the University of Hartford, and myself. The workshop outcomes were exhibited in galleries at the respective campuses in the USA and Australia under the title of One step back, two steps forward. MIX06 explored the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous culture within the context of national iv identity. It also investigated issues of cross-cultural co-creation and the methodologies required to do so effectively. It was a successful pilot project for INDIGO and also inspired further research in this area. I regard MIX06 as a precursor to this PhD study. In 2014, INDIGO still presents opportunities for local and Indigenous designers across the globe to exchange knowledge and experiences. It provides a platform for evolving creative expressions that shape the formation of national and cultural identities. INDIGO is supported by the international design community and hosted in Montreal, Canada, by Icograda, the International Council of Design Associations, a partner of the International Design Alliance (IDA). I acknowledge that although the above-mentioned projects employed considered methods of Indigenous engagement they would all have benefited from scientifically based practice systems, including protocols and the broader consideration of cultural ontologies. Although there are protocol guides for the visual and media arts, there is no resource dedicated specifically to communication design. My past experiences and long-standing interest in this area have provided the inspiration and motivation for this research. My aim is to develop processes for professional engagement with Indigenous design and visual culture. This new knowledge can then be used as a practice method tool for designers and image creation companies. v vi Abstract Despite the existence of protocols for the creation, distribution and ownership of Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander visual and media arts, there remains a lack of information, guidance and professional leadership regarding the appropriate creation and commercial use of Indigenous graphical representations. This dissertation responds directly to Australian Government and professional representative design associations. The Australian Government has called on the creative industries to consider more closely the relationship between Indigenous cultures and national identity. The design profession, represented by peak bodies, the Design Institute of Australia (DIA) and the Australian Graphic Design Association (AGDA), have identified a need to develop methods to assist communication designers to understand and appropriately represent Indigenous ontology in their work. The literature review identified a clear knowledge gap existing between the practices of communication designers and the representation of Indigenous ontology. This suggests that guidance is needed in relation to the use of Indigenous culture in communication design practice. It also highlights the sensitivities, sensibilities and commercial dynamics associated with this issue, which also impacts on the relationship of Indigenous cultures to the Australian national identity. Using a qualitative approach involving Indigenous and non-Indigenous stakeholders, this dissertation aims to investigate the role of the design profession and governments in developing an associated strategic innovation policy. The primary question of this research asks: Are protocols required to assist practising communication designers (Indigenous and non-Indigenous) in the respectful representation of Australian Indigenous visual culture in communication design practice. And if so, what should they be? The suggestion of protocols and practice guidelines raises additional questions such as whose voice do they speak with; who speaks on behalf of whom and what protocols would need to be put in place for use by designers (non-Indigenous and Indigenous)? This dissertation presents an argument that the Australian design profession requires workable methods and processes to help practising designers access and engage appropriately and ethically with Indigenous knowledge on projects that involve the graphical vii depiction of Indigenous culture, national authenticity and the specific representation of ‘place’. The study also considers Indigenous designers