Dr Diana James

Project Manager - Canning Stock Route

T: ( 02 ) 612 50338

F: ( 02 ) 61252434
E: diana.james@anu.edu.au

Research School of Humanities
College of Arts and Social Sciences

Qualifications:

Doctor of Philosophy, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia, 2006.

Advanced Pitjantjatjara Language, Institute of Aboriginal Development, Alice Springs, 1982.

Diploma of Education, Teaching English as Second Language, Sydney University, Sydney, 1978. Bachelor of Arts, double major anthropology /education, Macquarie University, Sydney, 1977.

PhD details:

Title: Kinship with Country: Acts of Translation in the Cross-Cultural Performance Space;

a case study on the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Lands of Central Australia. (Anthropological study of cultural and natural resource management in Indigenous Tourism.)

Short biography:

Diana is an anthropologist who has worked with the Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara people of Central Australia since 1975. She is a student of Western Desert language and culture, and reciprocally has worked with communities in the bilingual education and the arts at Fregon, Papunya, Docker River and Pipalyatjara. From 1988-2000 Diana managed Desert Tracks cultural tourism enterprise with the family at Angatja in the Mann Ranges. She acknowledges with respect the generously shared oral wisdom tradition of song, story and performance of her Anangu teachers.

Research Interests:

Cross-cultural translation of concepts and knowledge.The spread of the Western Desert language and dialectical differences across WA, NT and SA.The importance of art,story, song and dance in the transmission of knowledge across the Western Desert. Recording oral history, bi-lingual translation and the interface of Western and Indigenious knowledge systems.

Current Research Projects:

Ethnographic research along the Canning Stock Route; the intersection of traditional trading routes, social mobility patterns and Tjukurpa lines with  significant rock art sites.

Cross-cultural tourism management on Indigenous lands.

APY Lands continuing research on major Tjukurpa songlines at the request of the Traditional Owners and senior Pitjantjatjara and Yankunytjatjara cultural officers.

Conferences:

James, D 2006, ‘Indigenous Tourism Learning Markets’, Australian Indigenous Tourism Conference, WAITOC & TNT, ALICE springs, 19-22 September 2006.

James, D 2006, ‘Aboriginal Tourism Protocols for People and Place’, IGU Conference, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, 3-7 July 2006.

James, D 2004, ‘Sacred Economics: Sustaining Land and People through Spirit’ and “Ngura Walytja : the land my relative’, Sacred Ground Seminar, Common Ground Exhibitions & Research,Canberra 29-30th April 2004.

James, D & Inawinytji 2003, Water in the Desert-the sacred resource,   National Institute for the Environment Public Lecture, ANU, Canberra, 25th July.

James, D 2002, ‘Singing the Land’, Locations of Spirituality, Centre for Cross-Cultural Research, ANU, Canberra, 26-27 October, 2002.

James, D 2001, ‘Ethical Issues in Indigenous Tourism’, CAUTHE National Research Conference, Capitalising on Research, Canberra, 7-10 Feb. 2001.

James, D & Brady, L 2001, ‘Ngintaka Heritage Trail’, at Making Tracks ICOMOS Australia, Alice Springs, 23-27 May,2001.

Blair, S, Hall, N, James, D & Brady, L 2001, Making Tracks, International Congress  ICOMOS CIIC, Pamplona, Navarra, Spain, June 21-23, 2001.

James, D, Brady, L, A & Brady, L 2000, Entering the Dreamtime, at the OMEGA Institute, New York; June 25-30, 2000.

James, D 1999, ‘Indigenous Tourism the Australian Experience’, at the World Ecotourism Conference, The Right Approach; Communities and Ecotourism, The Ecotourism Ass., Sabah, Malaysia, 17-23rd Oct 1999

James, D, Brady, L, A & Brady, L 1998, ‘Sacredness of Country’, at Come to the Edge Conference, Portland, Oregon, September, 1998.

James, D 1998, ‘Two Laws One Spirit', at the Sacred in Diversity Conference, Australian Transpersonal Assoc., Adelaide, 23-26th April 1998.

James, D 1996, Circles in the Desert, at the Australian Transpersonal Conference, Australian Transpersonal Association, Sydney, January 1996.

James, D 1995,‘Desert Learning’, at Mindware Exchange Conference, Learning from Different Ways of Knowing, Mindware Institute, Melbourne , 22-23rd October, 1995.

James, D 1994, ‘Spirit of the Land’, National Women’s Spirituality Conference, Tallgum Tops, NSW, Sept 1994.

James, D 1994, ‘Sense of Place in the Outback’, Psyche in the World Conference, La Trobe Uni., Melbourne, 11-13TH Feb 1994.

James, D & Nganyinytja 1993, ‘Cultural Landscapes and Sense of Place’, at Pathways to Healing International Conference, IKON Institute, Kalgoorlie, W.A., Nov 11-14th 1993

James, D 1993, ‘Community Arts Centres – history and practice’, at the DESART Conference, DESART Association, Alice Springs, Oct 1993

James, D & Nganyinytja 1992, ‘Bridging Indigenous and Christian Spiritual Traditions’, at Journey Into Wholeness Conference, Jungian Perspectives in Psychology and Spirituality,  La Trobe University, Melbourne, 23-26th January 1992.

James, D 1992, ‘Angatja Bush College’, at The Parallel Education System Forum, Ideas for Australia, Adelaide, 8-9th Oct 1992

Professional societies:

Aboriginal Tourism Australia