‘Rolling Thunder’: Changing communication and the Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjara public sphere

An eyewitness account traces the struggles around the formation of an Aboriginal public sphere that lives under permanent pressure to adapt to the mainstream norms of White Australia. In 2002, the Anangu Pitjantjatjara (AP) Council managing the Pitjantjatjara, Yankunytjatjara, and Ngaantjatjara tribes organized a travelling campaign called 'Rolling Thunder' to bring self-governance debates to communities and allow people to consider the development of a governing constitution. Through public meetings and the Radio 5NPY FM network they communicated their structured discourse system, allowing it to evolve within the telecommunication environment.