Whether or not indigenous communities have equal access to Internet is important in determining if technology is culturally neutral. Our first discussion left me with more questions surrounding ‘the digital divide.’

Research done by Christine Smillie-Adjarkwa in 2005 compared the access to Internet among indigenous communities in Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Conclusions from this study can be found at the following link: http://research.arts.yorku.ca/nhnf/DigitalDivide.pdf

Smillie-Adjarkwa asserts that Canada has made significant strides in closing the gap and increasing connectivity in remote indigenous communities. Her studies show that a digital divide exists in Canada, New Zealand and Australia resulting from:

• lack of awareness
• lack of affordability
• low education
• los literacy levels
• lack of culturally appropriate material
• lack of reliable power supply
• lack of technical support

It is perhaps not the most stimulating read, but the document does present some intriguing facts and comparisons. If you are interested in statistics relating to the digital divide, I would recommend reading this document.