Deadly Bloggers: Indigenous narratives enduring through digital participation Abstract: In 2012, Deadly Bloggers was created as a blog list, within a few months it became it’s own Twitter account, and twelve months later became its own website. Deadly Bloggers is the first directory of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander blogs. It supports and encourages people to blog and to have their ideas and culture recorded and shared within families, communities, as well as nationally and globally. It is also a tool for sharing educational knowledge to a broader audience. This workshop will provide an overview of Deadly Bloggers, and then will provide guidance to those new to social media about how to start their own blogs.

1. “I found my voice”
Indigenous narratives enduring through
digital participation
Leesa Watego
@IscariotMedia and @DeadlyBloggers

2. Current writings by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander
people belong within a cultural and historical continuity that
predates the invasion whilst utilising, adapting and
challenging the written genres and
forms of the colonising culture.
Anita Heiss

3. Representation of Indigenous People in the Media
● Representations of Aboriginal people
are informed by the media.
● “Theatre of pathology” Fiona Nicholls
“We have been portrayed … as
negligent and abusive parents,
extremely violent, sexually abusive,
corrupt, alcoholic, substance abusers
and bludgers on welfare, suffering from
cultural disfunction …”
Aileen Moreton-Robinson, 2012
http://caudallure.wordpress.com/2012/01/30/racist-headline-in-tasmanian-newspaper/

4. Some blogging/social media terms
self-hosted
platform
blog
post
Storify
Twitter
msm

5. About Deadly Bloggers
Website www.deadlybloggers.com
Twitter www.twitter.com/deadlybloggers
Facebook www.facebook.com/deadlybloggers
Brief History -
1. Began as a “blogroll” on a
personal blog
2. A hashtag on Twitter
3. A blog of its own on Blogger
4. A Twitter profile
5. A Facebook page
6. A G+ Page
7. A self-hosted Wordpress site

6. This presentation
1. Research in Indigenous +
Social Media / ICT
2. Research Findings
3. How you can start
blogging
RayGates
www.raygates.me

7. The majority of research has
been about Indigenous People &
Social Media and/or about
Indigenous People’s
engagement with ICTs.

8. Is blogging more akin to ‘media’
and ‘communication’ than
‘technology’?

9. My research
Feminism, Fashion, Design,
Lifestyle, Politics, Education,
Indigenous Organisations,
Language, Culture, Health,
Well-being, Professional,
Writers, Literature, Business,
Arts,
● Only a small percentage of
Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander
people
● Platforms - Blogger, Wordpress,
Tumblr. Majority do not have self-
hosted spaces
● Small percentage have more than
one blog
● All self-taught. A few have
attended workshops.
Responses -

10. Why do you blog?
1. Expression - share my stories, my
life, my ideas, my travels,
2. Strategic - build a professional
profile
3. Activism - blogging is about
Freedom + Empowerment - “no
one can stop me”,
4. Professional - income generation
Responses -
Anita Heiss
Blog www.anitaheiss.wordpress.com

11. Impact of blogging
1. Professional success
a. launch of an online magazine
b. professional writing gigs (msm),
increased credibility, speaking
engagements
c. publishing contracts
2. Skills development
a. improve writing skills
b. better engagement
c. deeper connections
3. National culture
a. Archived in Pandora (National
Library)
4. Personal
a. Feels good to have a place to “speak
in my own voice”
Responses -
Blonde Ink
Blog www.blondeink.net

12. Racism and other forms of discrimination
● Of respondents, only a small
percentage indicated they had
experienced racism as a result of
their blogging.
● Usually in the comments section.
Responses -
● Most indicated they would not
be hesitant about writing
something because of the
likelihood of racist attack.
● A few indicated that they have
deleted tweets after making
them.
● “some non-Indigenous people
Storify tweets out of context”
Have you experienced racism as a result of
blogging?
Do you self-censor your posts to limit racist
responses?

13. Advice to others
concerned about racism -
● Take the good with the bad (like
all of life)
● Use a pseudonym if you’re
concerned
● Take time to post (sleep on it, edit
again, before you publish)
● There will always be haters, be
courageous
● Don’t take it personally
● Know the risks before you start.
Think about privacy before you
start
● Build a supportive network
● Do not read the comments
Responses -
The Koori Woman
www.thekooriwoman.wordpress.com
1 Deadly Nation
1deadlynation.wordpress.com

14. Your Blogging Goals
Responses -
● Build an app and other products
● Build a more professional blog
● Earn a living
● Generate more msm writing
opportunities
● Generate online products - films,
screenwriting, books
● Build a regular readership
Aggy’s World
http://thehartlotblogger.blogspot.com
Madam Bonbon
http://madamebonbon.com.au/blog/

15. Biggest hurdles for
Murris in the blogosphere
Responses -
● Technology
● Access
● Racism - from commenters, lateral
violence
● Promotion
● Time!!!
● Pigeonholed into “an Indigenous
blogger” category
Michelle Evans
http://michellemevans.wordpress.com
Rantings of an Aboriginal Feminist
http://blackfeministranter.blogspot.com.au

16. General comments
Because of blogging ...
● I feel less alone
● I’ve found my voice
● I’ve found new direction, career
● I’ve made new friends and
partnerships
Blogging ...
● takes too much time
● is great, but the Australian media &
trolls make it very tough for
Indigenous voices
=> Write what you love, don’t think of
the $ yet
Aboriginal Oz Blog
http://aboriginaloz.blogspot.com.au
On Dusk
http://ondusk.blogspot.com.au

17. Blogging, & other forms of online publication, allow writers to define
themselves (and their Aboriginality). It can provide a space where
First Nations Peoples can play, explore, create, debate, rant and
vent, satirise, and philosophise the world in which we live.
Online publication, like other forms of publication, are defined by
particular structures. Issues of access, ownership, permanence,
and security all impact on the effectiveness of online publication for
First Nations Peoples. But the potential to throw down or bypass
the gatekeepers of traditional publication is too great to ignore.

18. - increased professional profile
- share expertise
- improve your writing
- experiment with ideas
- connect with others in the field
- express your opinion and/or
position
Why would I want to begin blogging?
The Travelling Unicorn
http://thetravellingunicorn.com

19. YOU DO NOT NEED TO
BLOG!

20. Blogging is NOT about
technology, it’s about
communication

21. ONLY SHARE WHAT YOU’RE
COMFORTABLE SHARING
Only share what you’re
comfortable sharing

22. 1. Write about innovations in your
school or system.
2. Write about educational articles or
theories that influence your
thinking and/or your practice
3. Thoughts & quotes
4. Raise questions about your
practice in a thoughtful and
reflective way. Show examples of
your work
5. Showcase innovations by other
educators
6. Be you
What can you write about?
Adapted from: What should a networked educational leader tweet about: http://georgecouros.ca/blog/archives/1810

23. There are
three basic
building
blocks.
You can either
pay $ for
some, all, or
none.

24. TIME TO CHOOSE A PLATFORM
Blogger
• Is owned by Google
• Is free
• You need a Google account to start
• It’s relatively easy to manage and shape
www.blogger.com
Wordpress
• Is open source
• Is free (wordpress.com)
• You need an email account
• A bit more complicated to manage and shape, but do-able
• Support comes from a “community”
www.wordpress.com

25. To get started with Blogger you must have a Google account
1) Sign in to Google
2) Go to blogger.com
3) Follow the prompts to create a new blog

26. To get started with Blogger you must have a Google account
1) Select a CREATE A NEW BLOG
2) Choose a title for your blog
3) Look for a URL for your site
4) CreateBlog!

27. Menu
URL
Title
Posts
Sidebar
Footer

28. How to start
Learner Proficient
Focus of
your posts
Technology
& Connection
Functionality
of the
platform
Building it
into your
work flow

29. How to start
If you’re unsure, take baby steps
o Start a blog but don’t tell anyone until you’re
ready
o See what other people are doing
o Ask for help

30. Questions?

31. Please join other Deadly Bloggers at
www.deadlybloggers.com
Connect with me:
@LeesaWatego
@DeadlyBloggers
@IscariotMedia
@CriticalClassrm