Tag Archives: video

Module 2 – Post 3 Indigenous Digital Storytelling On YouTube

http://id.erudit.org/iderudit/1003966ar

The above article focuses on how contemporary Inuit youth are using video-sharing sites like Youtube to post short excerpts from their lives and connect with others. The article asserts that the videos they share fit with conceptions of indigenous storytelling, showing that Internet technology enables indigenous users the freedom to bypass established rules and institutions of cultural representation. It is argued that these self-produced videos are more authentic expressions of indigenous selfhood than those texts that may have circulated in the past. As such, this article seems to suggest that Indigenous youth and young adults use video-sharing technology to creatively mediate pasts, presents, and futures in the creation of new social worlds.

Module 2.5 Path of the Elders

Path of the Elders is a a free, online educational resource that explores Cree and Ojibway history and culture, in particular the signing of Treaty no. 9.  Not only is it a game for youth to celebrate and explore their culture, but it is also an amazing resource with archives of historical and cultural materials from photos, historic audio recordings, and video interviews with Elders.
One example of a resource from this game is a section where one can compare the experience of watching the media coverage to watching the Elders’ videos on Path of the Elders.

Module 2 | Post 1 Playing with stereotypes

Why White people are Funny.   I found this video on the National Film Board site of Canada.  This is playful poke at the white community from the Inuit perspective.  Filmmaker Mark Sandiford and Inuit writer and satirist Zebedee Nungak created this short video as part of a larger series called Unikkausivut – Sharing our Stories.  I like this video because it is humorous and allows the outsider a window into the perspectives, humor and values of the Inuit people through their amusement at the behavior, attitudes and oddities of visitors to their communities.   This is an example of how stereotypes can provide a useful role in breaking down boundaries and potentially eliminate a defensive or painful reaction to white or colonial behavior and impacts on Inuit people.

https://www.nfb.ca/playlists/unikkausivut-sharing-our-stories/viewing/qallunaat_why_white_people_are_funny

Module 1 Post 5: Digital Stories – Residential Schools

Information regarding storytelling and the legacy of residential schooling were two topics that had a profound effect on me when reading the articles in Module 1. Storytelling is an important aspect of Aboriginal peoples’ culture as these oral traditions allow them to share their knowledge, histories, and lessons.

Sadly, residential schools have had a profound and detrimental effect on First Nations’ peoples, families, communities, and culture. I wanted to see if I could find a website in which Aboriginal people used digital media as a vessel to tell their stories and share their experiences in regards to residential schools and came across this project:

Digital Stories – First Nations Women Explore the Legacy of Residential Schools

The aim of the project is to promote awareness and bring about a better understanding of the lasting effects of residential schools from generation to generation. The website contains numerous digital stories, lasting between 2-5 minutes each, in which Aboriginal women narrate their experiences and offer insight to the disruptive impacts of residential schools. The purpose of these digital stories is not only to facilitate the healing process, but also to inform the public about how Aboriginal peoples were affected.

Residential schools are not only a part of First Nations’ history, but also a part of every Canadian’s history; therefore, it is imperative that these stories be heard.

Here’s another great site for more information on residential schools and residential school survivor stories.