Patrolling the Past to Explore the (de)Colonial Gaze was first taught by Rachel Emerine Hicks and Cristela Garcia-Spitz in the Summer of 2018 through the Culture, Art, and Technology Program at Sixth College of the University of California, San Diego.*  Students learned skills and addressed topics such as data coding, analysis, and management skills, developing confidence in using primary sources for research, understanding the process of digitization and the issues around it, and digitally curating data for public.

During July 2018, ten UC San Diego undergraduate students conducted a preliminary analysis of a selection of PNG Patrol Report volumes.  These reports are available online through the Digital Archives Oceania Collection at UC San Diego.  Students were assigned one volume each that ranged from 150-200 pages.  They were asked to analyze the volumes at the report level summarizing their findings, identifying key terms, and writing aboutness statements.  From this, they developed an aboutness statement and chose key terms that represent the overall volume.  Throughout the course, the students reflected on the research process through the blog posts available under “Class Blog Posts.”

• View the full class syllabus for Summer 2018.
• Explore the assignments for the course.
• Meet the students.

Take a tour through the Patrol Reports the students analyzed. Students were paired up by region and time period in order to share and verify each other’s analysis. They also presented together their findings in the final class of the course.

View all the blog posts written by a particular student by clicking on their name, or view the original patrol report by clicking on the associated with the year.

Gulf District, Kerema, 1935-1937

• Scott Curtis, 1935-1936
• Lea Kolesky, 1936-1937

Central District, Port Moresby, 1944-1948

• Jia Li, 1944-1946
• Vidal Espina, 1946-1948

East Sepik District, Yangoru, 1949-1955

• Margo Tannewitz, 1949-1953
• Rukmini Ravi, 1953-1955

West New Britain District, Talasea, 1961-1969

• Kyeongbin Kim, 1961-1962
• Natasha Daniels, 1968-1969

Southern Highlands, Pangia, 1969-1971

• Vincent Rojas, 1969-1970
• Shefali Goel, 1970-1971

Browse the spreadsheet with specific data and descriptions were compiled at the volume and report level.

*CAT 124. Sixth College Practicum (4) Students initiate, plan, and carry out community-based and/or research-based projects that connect classroom-based experiences and knowledge to the outlying community, and that explicitly explore the interplay of culture, art, and technology. May be taken for credit two times. Prerequisites: upper-division standing; department authorization required. (UC San Diego General Catalog, 2018).