Tag Archives: CMS

(Entry 3) Article: A Community of Relations: Mukurtu Hubs and Spokes

Article:  A Community of Relations: Mukurtu Hubs and Spokes

This article provides a more detailed history of Mukurtu and its evolution over the past decade; it also discusses (possible) future directions of the CMS.  I think this article will be quite useful in providing a timeline describing how Mukurtu came to be, how it was initially used and how the developers intend to upgrade it in the future.  Of particular interest to me is how the developers intend to consult Indigenous communities throughout the upgrade process (and how the CMS was developed through consultation with many different Indigenous communities).  Within this article I also discovered a sort of ‘sister site’ (a multi-tribal version of Mukurtu) named the Plateau Peoples’ Web Portal (I’ll post a separate entry describing the site in more detail).

Link:  http://www.dlib.org/dlib/may17/christen/05christen.html

Christen, K., Merrill, A., & Wynne, M. (2017). A Community of Relations: Mukurtu Hubs and Spokes. D-Lib Magazine, 23(5/6). https://doi.org/10.1045/may2017-christen

(Entry 1) Article: Archival Challenges and Digital Solutions in Aboriginal Australia

Article:  Archival Challenges and Digital Solutions in Aboriginal Australia

This article describes the use of Mukurtu in preserving many historical artifacts from the Warumungu community in Australia.  One of the (many) issues faced by Indigenous groups when attempting to preserve their culture is the difficulty in accessing content and/or artifacts that are stored in museums quite a distance away from the community.  In addition, living in a community in which Internet access is a daily struggle, even when these artifacts are available through an online catalogue, it can be challenging to access these materials online (content can be too large for bandwidth).  This article describes some of the challenges and success stories associated with the Warumungu’s community’s first attempt at using Mukurtu as an online archival storage system.  I am particularly interested in examining some of the larger challenges this community encountered when first attempting to adapt and use a CMS.

Link:  https://research.libraries.wsu.edu:8443/xmlui/handle/2376/5703?show=full

Christen, Kimberly. Archival Challenges and Digital Solutions in Aboriginal Australia. SAA Archaeological Record. August 2008, Vol 8, No 2, 21-24.

(Entry 3) Website: Mukurtu

Website: Mukurtu

I came across Mukurtu while searching the web for places where communities could share their knowledge in a way that best suits the community (sites that allow for a slightly less prescribed use of technology for the purposes of sharing, teaching and learning in a ‘culturally relevant way’).

“Mukurtu (MOOK-oo-too) is a grassroots project aiming to empower communities to manage, share, narrate, and exchange their digital heritage in culturally relevant and ethically-minded ways. We are committed to maintaining an open, community-driven approach to Mukurtu’s continued development. Our first priority is to help build a platform that fosters relationships of respect and trust”.

Mukurtu: About. (2017, August 17). Retrieved September 16, 2018, from http://mukurtu.org/about/

URL:  Mukurtu

(Entry 2) Article: Does Information Really Want to be Free? Indigenous Knowledge Systems and the Question of Openness

Article: Does Information Really Want to be Free? Indigenous Knowledge Systems and the Question of Openness

Kimberly Christen’s article, “Does Information Really Want to be Free? Indigenous Knowledge Systems and the Question of Openness” describes her experience creating and launching Mukurtu, a Content Management System (CMS).  What makes Mukurtu different than other CMS’ is that it is designed to encourage (particularly Indigenous) communities to exchange, share, and manage their cultural traditions in their own way and on their own terms.

Christen, K. (2012). Does Information Really Want to be Free? Indigenous Knowledge Systems and the Question of Openness. International Journal of Communication, 6, 2870–2893

URL:  Does Information Really Want to be Free?  Indigenous Knowledge Systems and the Question of Openness