Dr. Kim Christen
NOTE: Kim recently completed an interview with the BBC on her research, specifically the Mukurtu archive, that was featured on its program, "Digital Planet." See the following links for more information on this project:
ABC News Story
WSU Chronicle Article
WSU University Spotlight
Mukurtu Archive
She recently received a Northwest Academic Computing Consortium (NWACC) grant to work in conjunction with the WSU Plateau Center for American Indian Studies, the Museum of Anthropology, and the Manuscripts, Archives and Special Collections to create the Plateau Peoples' Web Portal. The final portal will be complete in April 2009. The following link is to the project web site: http://libarts.wsu.edu/plateaucenter/portalproject/
Biography
Kim received her PhD from the History of Consciousness department at the University of California at Santa Cruz in 2004. Her academic work focuses on contemporary global articulations of indigeneity. Specifically, since 1995, Kim has worked with Warumungu people from Tennant Creek, a remote town in the Northern Territory of Australia, on a range of community projects: writing a community history (Anyinginyi Manuku Apparr), producing digital video and audio recordings, and compiling archival data for use in the interpretive displays at the Nyinkka Nyunyu Art and Culture Centre.
Publications
Her book, "Aboriginal Business: Alliances in a Remote Australian Town," is forthcoming from SAR Press, Spring 2009
Representative articles include:
Christen, K., "Anthropology In/Of Circulation: The Future of Open Access and Scholarly Societies," Cultural Anthropology, vol. 23 (3): 559-588.
Christen, K.: Kelty, C.; Golub, A.; Brown, J.; Jackson, J.: and Fischer, M. (2008) http://blog.culanth.org/incirculation/
Christen, K., (2008). "Archival Challenges and Digital Solutions in Aboriginal Australia," SAA Archeological Recorder, vol. 8 (2): 21-24.
Christen, K., (2007). "Following the Nyinkka: Relations of Respect and Obligations to Act in the Work of Aboriginal Culture Centers," Museum Anthropology, vol. 30 (2): 101-124.
Christen, K., (2006). "Tracking Properness: Repackaging Culture in a Remote Australian Town," Cultural Anthropology, vol. 21 (3): 416-446.
Christen, K., (2005). "Gone Digital: Aboriginal Remix in the Cultural Comments," International Journal of Cultural Property, vol. 12: 315-344
Research Interests
Kim’s research interests include global issues such as sovereignty, land rights, cultural tourism, intellectual property rights and digital "remix" as they mutate and mingle with indigenous communities. Most recently she has been exploring the link between indigenous cultural heritage movements, digital technologies and intellectual property rights.
Teaching Interests
Kim enjoys teaching a range of classes focusing on globalization, indigenous rights, cultural tourism, modernity and nationalism. Her classes stress critical thinking and getting up out of ones chair on a regular basis.
