title: Archaeological evidence of an ethnographically documented Australian Aboriginal ritual dated to the last ice age

authors: David, B

subjects: GunaiKurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation

abstract: In societies without writing, ethnographically known rituals have rarely been tracked back archaeologically more than a few hundred years. At the invitation of GunaiKurnai Aboriginal Elders, we undertook archaeological excavations at Cloggs Cave in the foothills of the Australian Alps. In GunaiKurnai Country, caves were not used as residential places during the early colonial period (mid-nineteenth century CE), but as secluded retreats for the performance of rituals by Aboriginal medicine men and women known as ‘mulla-mullung’, as documented by ethnographers. Here we report the discovery of buried 11,000- and 12,000-year-old miniature fireplaces with protruding trimmed wooden artefacts made of Casuarina wood smeared with animal or human fat, matching the configuration and contents of GunaiKurnai ritual installations described in nineteenth-century ethnography. These findings represent 500 generations of cultural transmission of an ethnographically documented ritual practice that dates back to the end of the last ice age and that contains Australia’s oldest known wooden artefacts.

text: Archaeological evidence of an ethnographically documented Australian Aboriginal ritual dated to the last ice age In societies without writing, ethnographically known rituals have rarely been tracked back archaeologically more than a few hundred years. At the invitation of GunaiKurnai Aboriginal Elders, we undertook archaeological excavations at Cloggs Cave in the foothills of the Australian Alps. In GunaiKurnai Country, caves were not used as residential places during the early colonial period (mid-nineteenth century CE), but as secluded retreats for the performance of rituals by Aboriginal medicine men and women known as ‘mulla-mullung’, as documented by ethnographers. Here we report the discovery of buried 11,000- and 12,000-year-old miniature fireplaces with protruding trimmed wooden artefacts made of Casuarina wood smeared with animal or human fat, matching the configuration and contents of GunaiKurnai ritual installations described in nineteenth-century ethnography. These findings represent 500 generations of cultural transmission of an ethnographically documented ritual practice that dates back to the end of the last ice age and that contains Australia’s oldest known wooden artefacts.

year: 2024-08-01

title: Five critical knowledge management organizational themes

authors: Sun, Peter Yih-Tong

subjects: knowledge management

abstract: Purpose – This study is motivated by the question “how do organizational routines influence the three knowledge management processes of acquisition, creation, utilization and sharing?” and accordingly it seeks to address this issue. 
Design/methodology/approach – A theoretical framework is first built by linking absorptive capacity (a routine-based capability) with knowledge management processes. A literature search guided by the theoretical framework, and evidence from two case studies, were used to address the objective of the study. 
Findings – The study elicited the organizational routines that influence the three knowledge management processes. These routines were then clustered into five key organizational themes: systemic knowledge; strategic engagement; social networking (external and internal); cultural context; process and structural context. 
Research limitations/implications – Several implications for research are suggested. More specifically, the study offers five propositions that can be further tested. The key limitation of this study is the use of only two case studies for empirical data, and therefore further testing is needed. 
Practical implications – The study shows that, although leadership behavior is critical for knowledge management, its impact depends on the platform of routines and processes built for it. The identified routines and their influence on knowledge management are invaluable for knowledge management practitioners. 
Originality/value – The paper furthers understanding of how organizational routines influence the three knowledge management processes of knowledge acquisition, creation, utilization and sharing. This aspect has been little studied and is of value to both academics and practitioners.

text: Five critical knowledge management organizational themes Purpose – This study is motivated by the question “how do organizational routines influence the three knowledge management processes of acquisition, creation, utilization and sharing?” and accordingly it seeks to address this issue. 
Design/methodology/approach – A theoretical framework is first built by linking absorptive capacity (a routine-based capability) with knowledge management processes. A literature search guided by the theoretical framework, and evidence from two case studies, were used to address the objective of the study. 
Findings – The study elicited the organizational routines that influence the three knowledge management processes. These routines were then clustered into five key organizational themes: systemic knowledge; strategic engagement; social networking (external and internal); cultural context; process and structural context. 
Research limitations/implications – Several implications for research are suggested. More specifically, the study offers five propositions that can be further tested. The key limitation of this study is the use of only two case studies for empirical data, and therefore further testing is needed. 
Practical implications – The study shows that, although leadership behavior is critical for knowledge management, its impact depends on the platform of routines and processes built for it. The identified routines and their influence on knowledge management are invaluable for knowledge management practitioners. 
Originality/value – The paper furthers understanding of how organizational routines influence the three knowledge management processes of knowledge acquisition, creation, utilization and sharing. This aspect has been little studied and is of value to both academics and practitioners.

year: 2010

title: Using the curriculum guidelines for the teaching and learning of te reo Māori in Years 1 - 13 of New Zealand schools to create lessons for young learners

authors: Diane, Johnson

subjects: New Zealand

abstract: In 2009, The New Zealand Ministry of Education published curriculum guidelines for te reo Māori in Years 1 - 13 of English-medium New Zealand schools, that is, from age 5 upwards. These guidelines recommend a communicative approach to the teaching and learning of te reo Māori. In this article, we discuss communicative approaches and provide examples of ways in which teachers can design communicative language lessons that are appropriate for very young learners, lessons that are not only fun but also effective in developing genuine communicative competence in te reo Māori.

text: Using the curriculum guidelines for the teaching and learning of te reo Māori in Years 1 - 13 of New Zealand schools to create lessons for young learners In 2009, The New Zealand Ministry of Education published curriculum guidelines for te reo Māori in Years 1 - 13 of English-medium New Zealand schools, that is, from age 5 upwards. These guidelines recommend a communicative approach to the teaching and learning of te reo Māori. In this article, we discuss communicative approaches and provide examples of ways in which teachers can design communicative language lessons that are appropriate for very young learners, lessons that are not only fun but also effective in developing genuine communicative competence in te reo Māori.

year: 2009-09