Professor Michael John Christie

Professor Michael Christie is a Chief Investigator of the Living Archive for Aboriginal Languages project.

Michael worked in Yolŋu communities as a teacher linguist in the 1970s and 1980s, and started the Yolŋu Studies program at CDU with Waymamba Gaykamaŋu.

B.Ed (Waikato), M.A. (Uni. of New Mexico), Ph.D (Uni. of QLD)

Prof Christie did his research degree through the University of Queensland. His supervisor was Prof. Betty Watts.

Thesis title: The Classroom World of the Aboriginal Child.

Research interests

Yolngu languages and culture, Yolngu philosophy and education, Transdisciplinary and indigenous research.
His current research interests cover a range of collaborative projects which involve careful investigation into knowledge practices and methodology. 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. The following websites detail some current research interests.

• Yolŋu Languages and Culture - www.cdu.edu.au/yolngustudies
• Transdisciplinary and Indigenous Research - www.cdu.edu.au/yaci
• Water resources - www.cdu.edu.au/centres/yaci/projects_milingimbiwater.html
• Housing - www.cdu.edu.au/centres/yaci/projects_housing.htm
• Gambling - www.cdu.edu.au/centres/yaci/projects_gambling.html
• Maths education in remote communities - www.cdu.edu.au/centres/yaci/projects_maths.htm
• Gifted and talented Aboriginal children - www.cdu.edu.au/centres/yaci/projects_gifted_talented.html
• Health interpreting - www.cdu.edu.au/centres/yaci/projects_health_mmedia.html
• Financial literacy - www.cdu.edu.au/centres/yaci/projects_financial_literacy.html
• Indigenous Knowledge Traditions, and Digital technology - www.cdu.edu.au/ik
• Indigenous Community Engagement - www.cdu.edu.au/centres/spil/pdf/ICE@CDU_FINAL.pdf  www.cdu.edu.au/ice
• ICT and Capacity Building in Remote Communities - www.cdu.edu.au/inc