Sometimes these people in government don’t communicate.  People live in a dark corner here lookin’ for the light. Where is the light? Just feeling their way. At the moment it’s like a …I dunno….just like a big whirl of water. You know if you stir that water round it’s just like it’s goin’ round in circles! You got circles, and you just got bits and pieces comin’ out!

Solomon belongs to Central Australian outstation country. In my study, he and others reflect on the complexities of reaching an understanding about government intentions for the welfare of his family.  Spanning the time before, during and after the Federal Government’s Intervention into remote Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory and the Northern Territory Government’s reform of local government arrangements, my study examines the conditions under which Aboriginal people engage in the programs and services meant to benefit them.  Using the voices of Aboriginal people I present preliminary findings from my PhD field research which shed light on how people in a remote desert environment experience and respond to government initiatives.  I suggest that Aboriginal insights into what could work in remote desert contexts, has resonance in service delivery approaches and research findings emerging from international development experience.

This seminar is based on other material on which on which can be found at www.desertknowledgecrc.com.au/research/discussionpapers.html

Annie Kennedy is a PhD scholar with Southern Cross University and the Desert Knowledge CRC.