Category Archives: Module 3

Entry #15: SaskSport Aboriginal Sport

(http://www.sasksport.sk.ca/aboriginalSport.php)

This SaskSport program is intended to address identified needs and fill gaps that exist for Aboriginal communities in Saskatchewan. The main page includes information about the multi-year strategic plan, the Sport Enhancement Program, community grants, the SIMTAG poster series, and the Aboriginal Sports Leadership Council. This is both a symptom of current issues in the social structure of the province’s people and an example of an initiative intended to reconcile the compounded discrepancies. Additional links are provided to Aboriginal coach training and general SaskSport information.

MODULE 3 WEBLOG: E-LEARNING AND MOBILE DEVICES CONTINUED

Nothing about us without us
This last week, to my surprise, I saw this article on the website homepage of Mount Royal University, where I work.The following description is in the article:

“A field school in the mountains last spring is being lauded as the best model to date of delivering Indigenous-centred curriculum in partnership with Indigenous stakeholders”

Students are taken to the lyarhe (Stoney) Nakoda first nation in Morley, Alberta for a week-long immersive learning experience that brings together Indigenous people and settler Canadians to explore reconciliation and Indigenous land relationships.

Community member Thomas Snow stated that:

“You can’t teach environmental reconciliation without being out on the land, and you can’t teach Indigenous students without learning from Indigenous peoples”

It’s definitely nice to see this sort of progress happening in my own community.
Developing a Culturally Relevant eMentoring Program for Aboriginal Youth
This is a great article for better understanding how eMentoring can assist Indigenous students in succeeding in post-secondary, as well as some of the precautions that should be taken such as understanding cultural values, protocols, respect for land and elders, etc. in pursuing the development of eMentoring programs. The article further discusses how enhancing Indigenous education could also improve Indigenous health and wellness. eMentoring allows students to have better support on their traditional land, which is critical for place-based learning and community identity.
Going Places: Preparing Inuit high school students for their future in a changing, wider world
After the last weblog, where I focused in on mobile education, particularly in Inuit communities, I wanted to explore this topic further as a potential avenue for narrowing my research topic. In my exploration I found this YouTube video which discusses Inuit learning and community investment into Inuit youth education. In watching this video, I have further recognized the importance of having community involvement in education. While this video in particular doesn’t discuss e-Learning or m-Learning, I think that it helps to further solidify the importance of community involvement in educational program, system, and tool development.
Work-based Mobile Learning: Concepts and Cases (Google Book)
Although the section in this book on Indigenous learners is small, it was helpful to me in bringing to light how mobile devices could help assist Indigenous instructors and learners in developing their own narratives in their day-to-day lives. It is discussed that mobile devices can assist Indigenous workers in documenting their work and then being able to share their work with others. As well, mobile devices are a good medium, as many learners are already experts in using them, eliminating a difficult learning curve.
Tablet PCs preserve Indigenous knowledge
While this article doesn’t discuss Canada’s Indigenous people, it does discuss, similar to the #4 article above, that mobile tablets can help with preserving knowledge. This article explains a specific application that uses 3D visualization of a village as well as drawing capabilities imitate the way elders share their knowledge which is similar to being physically present in the village. The article stresses the importance of having elders involved in the development of the app. Finally, the article discusses how tablets, using touch screens, are more intuitive than using computers and will eliminate some frustration and costs in implementing them.

Entry #14: Canadian Native Law Cases

(https://library.usask.ca/native/cnlc/index.html)

This database of Native law cases between 1763 and 1978 was compiled by researchers at the University of Saskatchewan Native Law Centre in the 1980s. Although it only includes cases up to 1978, it has the potential to be a strong resource for examining the legal side of the interactions between the Crown and First Nations and Métis populations that have influenced more contemporary perspectives, attitudes, and situations. The main page of the database does provide a link to another external database that contains information about more recent cases. The case records can be either browsed from a list organized by volume or searched using key words, making the database user friendly for various types of research.

Entry #13: Online Cree Dictionary

(http://www.creedictionary.com/)

This resource is an initiative of the Miyo Wahkohtowin Community Education Authority and the Dr. Earle Waugh Dir. Center for Culture & Health Family Medicine at the University of Alberta. Their focus is on building an interactive resource to support the preservation and development of Cree language in Canada. Their resource is available in app form as well, increasing its practical usability. The resource includes syllabic converters based on specific subgroups of Cree. The site also includes links to external Cree language resources as well as a site from which to download fonts that will support the appropriate characters and symbols in written Cree. This resource is a living example of many of the cultural preservation and rejuvenation themes we have been exploring in this course. It will also be a good resource for engaging more accurately with Cree-based concepts since the language can be explored as its own cultural component.

Entry #12: MathCentral Database

(http://mathcentral.uregina.ca/RR/database/RR.09.00/treptau1/index.html)

This University of Regina project has compiled a series of games drawn from a variety of Aboriginal cultures that could be played with students, including a section on games that support specific math skills. Each game page includes a very brief cultural-historical background to the culture of origin, original and adapted materials, and instructions. The source of the research for each game is also linked, providing potential extensions to one’s own research. This resource provides small ways that teachers can integrate Aboriginal culture naturally into classroom activities. There is also the potential for students to conduct their own research into additional activities not included on the website. Such games could be an excellent way to help bridge the perceived gap between cultures by including alternatives to Western approaches to learning.

Entry #11: The Cradleboard Teaching Project

(http://www.cradleboard.org/main.html)

This project is an initiative begun by Buffy Sainte-Marie through her Nihewan Foundation with the mission of providing an interactive learning experience for children to develop more authentic understanding of Native American culture and contributions to society. The Cradleboard website includes their own curriculum for different contexts of study, some of which are available free of charge and some of which require a subscription. The site includes links to multimedia resources for students and teachers, links to external websites organized by tribe (both Canadian and American), and a complementary project with chat rooms and discussion boards to help people connect. The overarching goal is to connect non-Aboriginal classrooms with authentic Aboriginal resources in order to address misconceptions and build a culture of understanding and appreciation.

Module 3 Weblog- Erin Howard

In this module 3 weblog, I am beginning to narrow my search to some of the institutions and organizations that are leading and supporting Indigenization strategies for post secondary. I am finding that so much good work has been done, but there are also many lessons documented for the future. Here were some great sites I found this module:

Indigenous Education Protocol: Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan)

Colleges and Institutes Canada (CiCan) recognizes that colleges serve many Indigenous students throughout Canada, the North included. The organization has clearly defined seven principles aimed at Indigenization of colleges and has encouraged institutions to become signatories by implementing in these principles. So far, there are 54 signatories across Canada. Additional links such as background of the protocol, member documents, resources and FAQ’s are included in the site.

Inspiring Relationships Indigenization Plan: Comosun College

This document was created by Comosun college (Vancouver Island) and was implemented in 2013 and 2014. Although it is a few years old, it has a strong framework for how they approached Indigenization at their institution. They base their strategy on four “corner posts”: curriculum development and delivery, services for students, policy and strategic planning and employee education. Each of these four areas has clear goals and actions to complete. The plan and is laid out in an easy-to-understand format. It includes a comprehensive section on strengths, challenges, opportunities, and lessons learned.

First Nations Education Steering Committee (FNESC)

FNESC recognized that they needed a collective organization that was dedicated to the betterment of education for all Indigenous learners from K to post secondary. THis organization practices at the provincial level and works to improve success in education to BC’s Indigenous population through research, communication, advocacy, and networking. This site includes comprehensive annual reports, resources for students and educators, media (videos and images), and opportunities to become involved. They put on a yearly conference that looks fantastic (in fact, it is already full for this coming year!)

BC Campus Indigenization Project: Environmental Scan Summary

This publication is an environmental scan completed by BC Campus that analyzes professional learning resources and opportunities that are available for staff and educators. Their findings are quite interesting and look at the type of training available, training topics, access to resources, authenticity of resources, and engagement of faculty and staff. This provides a great overview to see what is currently being offered and where gaps may still exist.

White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack by Peggy McIntosh

I wasn’t sure if I should post this resource and have had it in my “maybe” list since the start of this course. I decided to post it for the reason that none of the indigenization strategies will be as effective unless those of us who are not Indigenous first “unpack our knapsacks” and realize that we inevitably bring our own histories, pasts, values and viewpoints to our interactions whether we are aware of it or not. Recognizing our biases is the first step in removing them and moving forward.

Module 3: Digital storytelling among Inuit youth

One of the things that struck me from our readings in this module was the fight to include the “s” in Indigenous peoples. It seems so simple, but reading this made me realize that I have probably viewed Indigenous peoples as if they all had the same cultures and values. Since being made aware of this, it’s also made me realize that perhaps focusing on a specific group of Indigenous peoples would be better suited for the final project (as opposed to being general and missing the mark by lumping different cultural groups together as if they had the same values and culture). With that in mind, and after watching the Alluriarniq documentary, Stepping Forward, I’ve decided to focus on how Inuit youth are using digital storytelling to post about their lives, connect with others, and question/confront stereotypes.

1. Uploading selves: Inuit digital storytelling on YouTube

This article focuses on how Inuit youth use video-sharing sites and online spaces to post excerpts from their lives and connect with others. It looks into how Internet technology allows narrators to post expressions of Inuit self-hood that are self-produced. It puts forward the idea that by narrating their lives, Inuit youth are giving meaning to their experiences and through this, gaining a sense of control and agency over their world.

2. My Inuit Culture

This video was created by Dina Wolfrey and is about her ties to Inuit culture. She discusses the death of her grandmother, and how in losing her, she lost her grandmother, teacher, and the last way to speak her Inuit language. She says today she is still “keeping her voice heard” by doing things that are a part of Inuit culture.

3. Inuit story telling with Michael Kasugak

Michael Kusugak tells a story from his youth about travelling with his family and the stories his grandmother would tell him.

4. Youth-led participatory video as a strategy to enhance Inuit youth adaptive capacities for dealing with climate change

While not directly relating to exposing stereotypes, I was very interested to come across this article which discusses the climate and environmental changes experienced in the north of Canada that are having huge impacts on the lives of Inuit, and could have devastating consequences for the Inuit youth population. It called to mind the video we watched this past week, March Point, which also used youth voices to ensure representation and sustainable adaptation strategies. It also discussed the negative stereotypes of small, remote, northern communities and how youth-led participatory videos can share experiences of living in the northern communities and share their experience of living in the community, and the pride they have in their community.

5. Storytelling in a digital age: digital storytelling as an emerging narrative method for preserving and promoting Indigenous oral wisdom

This article describes a case study that demonstrates how an indigenous community used digital storytelling to engage community members, celebrate stories and lived experiences, and address issues such as colonization and climate change in northern communities.

Module 3 Weblog – Kathryn Williams (née Gardner)

Persistence of women and minorities in STEM field majors: Is it the school that matters? Amanda L. Griffith

Grittish, A, L. (2010). Persistence of women and minorities in STEM fields majors; Is it the school the matters? Economics of Education Review, 29(6), 911-922.

https://ac-els-cdn-com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/S0272775710000750/1-s2.0-S0272775710000750-main.pdf?_tid=a7a15684-be89-11e7-a4c7-00000aacb362&acdnat=1509488589_b1447c7e163089383b4d36aad28a5f34

Griffith explains that there is a gap between the representation of women and minorities in STEM fields post-university compared to the numbers of men or majority groups. She argues that this is due to two reasons: first, women and minorities are less likely to choose STEM subjects to study at university and second, they are less likely than men and majority groups to remain in that major until graduation. Her study looks at the impact of their previous educational experiences, impact on their post graduate choices and selections, the influence that female professors have on female students and minorities graduation rates in STEM fields.

Aboriginal woman defies odds in science – Derek Sankey, Calgary Herald

http://www.calgaryherald.com/technology/aboriginal+woman+defies+odds+science/3127863/story.html

This article focusses on Indigenous woman Becky Cook, who grew up in Manitoba. She attended the University of Manitoba and now works as a geophysicist. Cook attributes her success to community support. She now mentors young Indigenous girls and tries to make them more aware of the options available to them post-high school. While researching Indigenous women in STEM careers, I have found several articles like this one which highlight an Indigenous woman who has overcome many barriers to achieve success in STEM subjects. The articles, like the one above, are often inspirational. I find these articles very interesting but they led me to ask more questions. When will there be fewer barriers in the way Indigenous women achieving success in these fields? How can the norms be changed so that an Indigenous woman achieving success in scientific or mathematical careers is no longer newsworthy and becomes the norm?

Implementing Meaningful STEM Education with Indigenous Students & Families

http://stemteachingtools.org/brief/11

This website suggests many practical tools for including Indigenous knowledge systems in STEM subjects in the classroom. A very simple tool which is highly recommended is ‘observation of the natural world.’ Further recommendations include connecting STEM subjects to the everyday community responsibilities of Indigenous students, inviting guest speakers into the classroom and taking children outside school to have different experiences.

Putting Raven Back Together Again – Case Study

http://sciencemathpartnerships.org/2015/11/10/putting-raven-back-together-again/

This case study describes the experiences of students who took part in the Native Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Summer Camp in Seattle in July 2015. Taking the original STEM subjects, this camp combined them with the Arts. Campers were encouraged to think deeply about their surroundings whilst celebrating the Indigenous way of knowing. The camp used Indigenous stories and combined them with modern sciences. They gave the example of mischievous Raven being thrown off a cliff and the environmental consequences that followed and connected this to modern human caused environmental problems and drought. The program developers noticed that there were not very many science-oriented camps for Indigenous kids and that is why the camp was set up, as the organizers believe it will help increase Indigenous student achievement as well as their overall well-being.

Alberta Women in Science Network – https://www.awsn.org/

The Alberta Women in Science Network (AWSN) assists STEM outreach programs to share resources and support each other to achieve shared goals. The network’s vision is equal opportunity for all in STEM. Developed in 1994, AWSN has advanced STEM opportunities for young girls and has helped women in STEM careers to share resources. The network also recognized that Indigenous people were underrepresented in the STEM fields and developed programs that were specifically geared towards them. For example, the Power to Choose program gives Indigenous youths in grades 7-12 the knowledge and power to choose a career and encourages them to stay in school to achieve these goals. The three pillars of the organization are: recruitment – encouraging underrepresented groups to pursue their interest in STEM; retention – helping STEM-trained professionals to find and retain work in their fields; and recognition – recognizing excellence in STEM pursuits.

Dana’s Contributions to Module 3

Victoria school district Aboriginal cultural facilitator honoured with music award

Anyone who knows Sarah Rhude knows that receiving an award is not something she sought or yearned after. I talked to my friend and colleague, Jenn Treble, the trouble maker who nominated Sarah, as she was photocopying endless sheets of music for her students, last week. Jenn informed me that the photo of Sarah was snapped after tears decided to run down her face, due to the emotional wave that the ceremony impacted her with.

Three years ago, Jenn decided that she wanted to introduce Indigenous music into her practice and she asked for Sarah’s help. Baby step after baby step, since then, has now led to SD61’s permission to the teaching of three Indigenous songs, that were created for the purpose of the project. All students in Jenn’s band classes, Grades 9 through 12, learn, practice and perform these songs.

Last year, a Grade 12 Metis student asked Jenn, in front of the class, why she was “singling out” Indigenous culture, when there were so many other cultures represented in class. Was he embarrassed? Had he been “colonized to the point of no return”? I am not sure, although I know the student extremely well– he was one of my top math and physics students! It was a non-Indigenous Grade 9 student who spoke up and said, “Because we do not live on Scottish territory. If we did live in Scotland, we would undoubtedly learn about Scottish music. But we live on Lekwungen territory… that is why.”

Enough said.

Why Gord Downie’s ‘beautiful’ work can’t stand alone

My guess is that this will not be the only Hip post this week. I am a Hip fan, although I “only” saw three live shows. Good friends of mine saw well over 20 shows and their now deceased cat was named Gordie.

There were many online pieces to choose from over the week, but I went with this interview from CBC’s, Q, recorded on December 7, 2016. The subject was Jarrett Martineau, and Indigenous art scholar and creator of the Indigenous music platform, Revolutions Per Minute. Martineau acknowledges the significance of Downie’s work, and simultaneously underscores the importance of continuing with activism surrounding language preservation and authentic forms of reconciliation. Marineau also mentions how celebrities can bring “different communities together by having them all meet in the middle.” #ThirdSpace

In Canada, white supremacy is the law of the land

You cannot simply reform your racist state by enacting a few more programs and delivering a few more services. It is embedded in the very nature of Canada and requires a completely new deal. But first, to truly understand where we have landed today, we have to continue retracing a bit further along the sad road that brought us to this place. ~Arthur Manuel

Described by some as the Nelson Mandela of Indigenous rights in Canada, Arthur Manuel passed away earlier this year. The above quote was taken from an excerpt from his recently released book he co-authored with Grand Chief Ronald Derrickson, “The Reconciliation Manifesto, Recovering The Land, Rebuilding The Economy.”

Those of us who appreciate history will appreciate this piece. We have touched on some of this history in our ETEC 521 journey, however, Manuel’s perspective offers a dose of reality, that lacks the sweetener.

For what it is worth, when I visited the Human Rights Museum in Winnipeg last summer, I was impressed with the ample amount of “Canada’s dirty laundry” that was put out for public viewing. This piece does not attempt to hide our soiled knickers, either. If the rest of the book is like this excerpt, it will be one “kick ass” manifesto!

Non-Indigenous B.C. artist defends work despite calls for authenticity

If you have been monitoring my posts, I listen to a lot of CBC. Perhaps I should be branching out more with my searches, however, when I hear or read something that is recent and relevant, it really resonates with me, as it allows me to think about historical relevance and how it influences our now.

This column, written by the new host of CBC’s Reconcile This, Angela Sterritt, highlights issues of cultural appropriation and intellectual property rights. The artist in question is from England, and has been “blending” Indigenous art forms with non-Indigenous. The article points out that even though the artist is well-meaning, she is indirectly taking money from Indigenous communities that rely on sales of authentic crafts and artwork. An interviewee continues by saying that “the art market is only so big and we are the most vulnerable demographic, so it kind of stings a bit.”

The History of Dia de Los Muertos & Why You Shouldn’t Appropriate It

“Dear white people, … You arrived at the Dia de los Muertos ceremony shipwrecked, a refugee from a culture that suppresses grief, hides death, … celebrates it only in the most morbid ways — horror movies, violent television — death is dehumanized, without loving connection, without ceremony. You arrived at Dia de los Muertos like a Pilgrim, starving, … and the Indigenous ceremonies fed you … [And] like Pilgrims you have begun to take over, to gentrify and colonize this holiday for yourselves.” ~Aya de Leon

Indigenous peoples worldwide have been fighting off the ramifications of cultural appropriation. This article is a short, history of the cultural relevance of the holiday and why white folks need to stop morphing it into a pathetic excuse to drink excessively and where inappropriate costumes at Halloween parties.

Typically, the comments sections within online pieces are filled with the worst verbal diarrhea know to our species. I came across this comment, however. She nailed it:

“Alana Sterling I truly believe that it IS okay. Cultural appreciation is wonderful. But there is a big difference between cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation.

My old high school is thinking about having a day of the dead themed prom. In my opinion that is cultural appropriation because the school is majority white and from experience I know that a lot of them are prejudice and are very outspoken about their feelings on Mexican immigration. Its a small high school in the south.
Cultural appropriation to me is when you want the culture but not the people.
I think if you wanted to throw an actual day of the dead party it would be great look up customs and traditional food and music. That’s appreciation, but if you just want an excuse to wear pretty colors and “sugar skulls” then that’s appropriation. Some people might jump on you for it but to me that’s not really that bad, if you want to throw a day if the dead themed party that’s cool you just need to have respect for your Hispanic brothers and sisters.”~Ayleen DeLeon