Information Technology and Indigenous People

Citation

Meyer, H.W.J. (2008), "Information Technology and Indigenous People", Online Information Review, Vol. 32 No. 4, pp. 542-543. https://doi.org/10.1108/14684520810897458

This book consists of 25 case studies dealing with attempts of specialists from various disciplines and fields of interest to harness information technology (IT) to advantage indigenous people and to counteract marginalisation resulting from unfamiliarity with socio‐economic structures and standards of the industrialised world. An outstanding feature of the book is that the contributors purposefully attempted to adapt IT to make it relevant to users in indigenous communities. In this way indigenous people are met on their own turf without expecting the latter to adapt to IT. The contributions – hailing from different countries with major indigenous communities – report on various products and services that have been developed to provide in the needs of indigenous people, to capture and preserve indigenous heritage, to ensure better connectivity and to create conditions that will ensure gradual integration of modern practices to improve standards of living.

The contributions are systematically arranged in five sections that deal with:

1. 1.

   issues and perspectives regarding indigenous people and the use of IT;

2. 2.

   the application of IT for educational purposes;

3. 3.

   the use of IT to capture and revitalise the cultural heritage of indigenous people;

4. 4.

   IT applications to introduce indigenous people to new types of products and services, such as e‐commerce and also to raise awareness globally of products and services available in indigenous communities; and

5. 5.

   networks already in place and improving access.

The book provides an overview of well‐developed social programmes to build social capacity on a number of fronts that require insight into more matters than just the requirements for basic computer literacy. It can serve as a useful guide for development agencies, policy makers, researchers and educators in learning about existing programmes and services that could also be applied to development projects elsewhere. For example, the case studies provide prospective learner‐developers with useful ideas on how to incorporate indigenous knowledge in the design of IT programmes to address problems in a local context.

Although the approach in most of the case studies is to prove how IT can be harnessed to benefit indigenous people, there is little evidence of long‐term experience. Most of the case studies emphasise only how the adaptations can benefit development processes in indigenous communities. However, the epilogue to the book reveals an awareness that the successful implementation of IT remains subject to the impact of a number of factors. These include, among others, remoteness of indigenous communities, small populations with low income, and cost implementations. There is also the realisation that a strong commitment by communities to development and ongoing management is required, as well as a strong integration of adapted IT programmes with community and cultural activities. It is also admitted that to ensure ongoing skills development community workers and community members need to be appropriately trained.