Ph.D, M.A., B.Ed
Principal Researcher
Michael Christie is a Professor of Education and heads up the Contemporary Indigenous Governance and Knowledge Systems research theme at the Northern Institute, Charles Darwin University.
Professor Christie worked in Yolŋu communities as a teacher linguist in the 1970s and 1980s, and started the Yolŋu Studies program at Northern Territory University (now CDU) in 1994. After working within the Faculty of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies and the School of Education, he moved to the Northern Institute in 2010.
Research Interests
Michael's current research interests cover a range of collaborative transdisciplinary projects in Indigenous contexts which involve careful investigation into diverse knowledge practices and methods. A key part of collaborative transdisciplinary methodology is avoiding simplification into received categories, and maintaining research websites has become a key aspect of that work.
- Yolngu languages and culture
- Yolngu philosophy and education
- Transdisciplinary and Indigenous research
Current Research Projects
The following websites detail some current research projects and interests:
- Living Archive of Aboriginal Languages - www.cdu.edu.au/laal
- GroundUp research - www.cdu.edu.au/groundup
- Yolŋu Languages and Culture - www.cdu.edu.au/yolngustudies
- Yolŋu Aboriginal Consultants Initiative - www.cdu.edu.au/yaci
- Collaborations over water resources
- Housing
- Gambling
- Maths education in remote communities
- Gifted and talented Aboriginal children
- Health interpreting
- Financial literacy
- Indigenous Knowledge Traditions, and Digital technology - www.cdu.edu.au/ik
- Indigenous Community Engagement - www.cdu.edu.au/ice
- ICT and Capacity Building in Remote Communities - www.cdu.edu.au/inc
Awards
- 2011 Northern Territory Australian of the Year
- 2010 The Artful Integration Award from the 11th Biennial Participatory Design Conference
- 2008 - 2009National Fellowship, Australian Learning and Teaching Council
- 2008 NT Government Research and Innovation McArthur River Mine Indigenous Innovation Award for 'Homeland micro e-business: e-learning champions for family-level businesses on very remote Indigenous communities'
- 2007 Charles Darwin University Vice-Chancellor's Awards for Exceptional Performance in Research
- 2005 Prime Minister's Award for Excellence in Tertiary Teaching, awarded for the Yolngu studies teaching program
- 2005 Business-Higher Education Round Table national award for best research collaboration with a CRC awarded for the 'Sharing the True Stories' Research
- 2002 Wyeth Prize for best research article published in the Medical Journal of Australia
- 1988 Winner NT Red Earth short story award
Higher Degree by Research (HDR) Supervision
- Anthea Nicholls: The Social Life of a Computer at Ramingining
- Hayashi Yasunori: The Collaborative On-Line Representation of Gupapuyŋu history and culture
- Robyn Williams: Cultural Safety
- Julie Crough: Caring for country: Tools and resources
- Adam Heaton: Anti-racist education
- Lisa Hall: Pathways into Teacher Education for indigenous adults
- Sharon Gierus: Maths education in kindergarten
- Robyn Ober: Aboriginal English
- Kathy McMahon: Teaching maths
- Adam Macfie: Assessing Cultural Significance
- Alison Reedy: Indigenous learners online
Link to Research Publications
