Category Archives: Module 2

Concrete Indians, Cleveland Indians, and Where are the Tipis?

Module 2, Post 5

About a decade ago (way back during my undergrad years at UBC) I was a special needs worker at an off-campus after school care center. One day a fellow co-worker and I made a wrong turn onto a First-Nations reserve and she commented…”I honestly thought they lived in Tipis, not modern houses!” I wasn’t surprised because I had a few acquaintances and friends who were first nations.

Looking back on that incident and knowing what I now know she said what she did because of the stereotypes that are so entrenched in the dominant society about first-nations. Some may call this ignorance, but I would go further and state that it shows how powerful the dominant society has been in defining aboriginals and first-nations, that even a non-white Canadian would believe the stereotypes.

For my final post on Module 2 (which is late, but better late than never)…I decided to do a little comparison about how the dominant society perceives first-nations and how they represent themselves:

http://www.pe.com/local-news/riverside-county/hemet/hemet-headlines-index/20121203-region-native-american-exhibit-addresses-stereotypes.ece

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHCGuvE2mbk

I need to look into this a little more because the idea of stereotypes can be terribly reinforced through photographs or broken apart through them.

Nadya Kwandibens

Leave a reply

Model 2, Post 4

I can’t seem to catch a break this summer…what with renovations, a leaky basement, work, two kids, and grad school…I’m surprised I can still stay awake! Sorry this is late, but at least I’m getting it in here…as my dad always says “it’s better to arrive late and alive than never to arrive at all”.

Getting back to photography and first nations identity…there have been a number of first nations photographers who have piqued my interest: Nadya Kwandibens. Her work on ‘Concrete Indians’ is an eye opener.

As one curator has stated of her work: “Kwandibens’ photos actively depict the Indian with passion and integrity. She captures an Indigenous spirit (individual and collective) and resuscitates characters overshadowed by the burden of false impression. Her aesthetic, whether shot in black and white or color, is cinematic. Her portraits carry personal and collective strengths forward and create lasting impressions.”

That’s exactly what needs to happen across the board when it comes to self-representation for Indigenous people! There’s no way any of the NGS photographers could do what she does. And coming from me that’s a huge statement, because I consider NGS photographers the cream of the crop (right up there with Magnum photographers, though in all fairness many NGS photographers are also Magnum photographers).

http://www.cbc.ca/doczone/8thfire/2011/11/nadya-kwandibens.html

http://www.redworks.ca/

In my own eyes

Leave a reply

Model 2, Post #3

Photography theory is certainly going to play a large part of my research. One theorist, John Tagg, who doesn’t see the medium as cohesive (and for good reasons) has this to say about the cameras: “The representations it produces are highly coded, and the power it wields is never its own…but the power of the apparatuses of the local state which deploy it and guarantee the authority of the images it constructs to stand as evidence or register a truth.” This is one reason oral history is not considered “truth” or objective in any way by the dominant society. It’s a representation of history that’s not approved by the “apparatuses of the local state”.

The sad thing is the western institutions of power function under the assumption that photographs contain objective truth; the truth is we bring our prejudices and bias to a photograph. Add to this the all too easy manupulation of digital images and that assumption can get thrown out the window. What is needed is cuation and careful analysis–doctored images, even the best of the best can be found out through careful analysis.

How does this tie into first-nations identity? It does because any photographs taken by a first nations person for a first nations audience that ends up on in the internet can be re-interpreted, manipulated, and changed to have a meaning never intended. This is where a copyright notice is important, and so to is legislation that protects the photographer and her work.

I found this project online:

http://www.inmyowneyes.ca/

It’s a photography project funded by the government of Ontario with the purpose of giving “Aboriginal youth a voice”. What fascinated me was who was guiding and training these youth in photographic techniques. According to their website the youth involved in this project are taught by an Aboriginal photographer called a mentor. These “mentors are assisted on-reserve by a member of theOntario First Nations Young Peoples Council (Chiefs of Ontario), and in urban settings by a member of theOntario Federation of Indian Friendship Centres’ Youth Council.” I find this fascinating because this is a great approach to self-representation and the videos on youtube allow these kids to speak and explain their photography and their work, without the biases and prejudices of the dominant society. What I wonder is how/who will edit the book of these photographs for this project? I hope they allow captions written by the youth who took these photographs; words and photographs are a very powerful combination.

-Velasquez

Teachers as allies?

Leave a reply

Champagne, L. D. (2006). Physical education teachers as allies to aboriginal students: Dimensions of social consciousness. Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses.

The title of this study grabbed my attention immediately, because I have noticed that the most positive times of relationship-building with my indigenous students have happened outside of the classroom, in times of physical activity (such as charitable runs, PE classes, or even unloading classroom supplies from the car). I wondered about this, and was told by the Aboriginal Education teacher at my school that it might have to do with reduced eye contact, less pressure for immediate verbal responses, and the experiential nature of activity. I wanted to read research that explained this further.

Champagne conducted a qualitative study encouraging eight PE teachers to reflect on their positive experiences with Aboriginal students. What worked well? What didn’t? She then presented the teachers’ narratives with theoretical explanations based in a framework of critical pedagogy, culturally relevant teaching, and anti-racist education. She found that, like many other non-indigenous educators, her subjects felt unprepared to properly engage indigenous students. The PE teachers were aware that they were uniquely positioned to incorporate teaching practices more closely aligned with indigenous educational philosophy, because of their ability to discuss holistic health, to encourage teamwork rather than independence, and to have experiential lessons. Champagne ends her study with the recommendation that all pre- and in-service teachers receive more direct education on teaching indigenous students, so that all teachers can become “allies” of those students and cease practices that create harm.

Module 2 – Post 5: Four Directions Teachings

Leave a reply

The Four Directions Teachings website in an interactive, educational flash website that provides indigenous perspective from five First Nations across Canada: the Blackfoot, Cree, Ojibwe, Mohawk and Mi’kmaq. It was developed, with support of the Canadian Culture Online Program of the Department of Canadian Heritage, and produced by the National Indigenous Literacy Association and Invert Media and cites a respectable list of advisors on their about page.

This resource does not fit as well with my own research topic as my previous posts in this module; however, I do believe there is a great deal of educational value in this site as a teaching resource that I wanted to share it. Under each Nation are a number of narrated short stories based around elders’ teachings. Typically these stories focus on elements of the medicine wheel and sacred symbols, including the tipi, drum, bundles, song and dance that relate aboriginal identity to place and story. Suplemental to the narrated stories is a teachers’ resource guide that is divided into three levels (junior, intermediate and senior) to support the use of the website in the classroom.

Regrettably, the site only works with these five First Nations and seems incomplete without inclusion of the Metis, Inuit and Coast Salish peoples. None-the-less, the site has a great deal of information that can be brought into the classroom.

On a side note, this site is an interesting example of indigenous peoples embracing technology for the preservation and sharing of cultural teachings. It lacks a sense of protectionism described in the readings for this unit, and I originally had concerns about its authenticity, but I was (ironically) assured by the Government of Canada support behind the project. Still, it remains to be seen how teachers will implement such an obvious product of colonialism in classes that are likely searching to decolonize and reinhabitate the local environment.

What do you do when your culture is a mismatch with your students’?

Leave a reply

Fryberg, S. A., Troop-Gordon, W., D’Arrisso, A., Flores, H., Poniszovskiy, V., Ranney, … Burack, J.A. (2013). Cultural mismatch and the education of Aboriginal youths: The interplay of cultural identities and teacher ratings. Developmental Psychology, 49, (1), 72-79. DOI 10.1037/a0029056

This peer-reviewed study was co-authored by a team of eleven people, both indigenous and non-indigenous. They began their study out of a concern that existing literature focuses more on identifying what the deficits in Aboriginal education are, rather than on positive ways to improve it. They hypothesize that a lack of educational attainment in Aboriginal students springs from a mismatch in the cultures of teachers and their students – Aboriginal students’ cultures emphasize “interconnectedness and interdependence”, whereas mainstream education tends to value “independence and assertiveness”. This divide leads to Aboriginal students feeling alienated from the educational setting. The study included 115 secondary students in a Naskapi community, and looked at the correlations between students’ identification with their culture, students’ assertiveness levels, and students’ grades. They found that students who identified strongly with their own culture tended to score higher on measures of assertiveness and achievement than students with lower self-reported cultural identity. Additionally, higher levels of self-reported cultural identity correlated positively with their teacher ratings. From this, the authors concluded that one way to increase Aboriginal students’ school achievement and to foster positive relationships between non-Aboriginal teachers and their Aboriginal students was to support the growth of Aboriginal students’ cultural identity. This support requires the inclusion of Aboriginal philosophy and cultural experiences within the school setting. For my project, I believe that this offers concrete guidance into improving my own practice and the experience of my students. The conclusions also demand further research into the best ways to sensitively and appropriately include Aboriginal philosophy and cultural experiences.

Purposeful cultural exposure, to create positive relationships and remove stereotypes

Leave a reply

http://www.autochtones.gouv.qc.ca/publications_documentation/publications/mythes-realites-autochtones-en.pdf

This link leads to “Aboriginal Peoples: Fact and Fiction”, a short book by Pierre Lepage. I couldn’t find out if Lepage is Aboriginal or not, but the book is sponsored by the indigenous Institut Culturel et Educatif Montagnais (ICEM).

I found this book particularly interesting in light of this week’s discussions around protecting culture – the book is meant to be informative about culture, to remove negative stereotypes. It was published as an educational material for teachers to use in conjunction with an initiative between several Nations and Quebecois public schools. Denis Vallant, Director General of the ICEM, writes that “a negative image of the First Nations spread across Quebec. We the Innu nation could not remain silent in the face of all the generalizations that were circulating. The time to take action had come: we had to make ourselves, our culture, and our way of life better known” (iii). To achieve this, they created a shaputuan, a traditional Innu camp, and brought it to schools to give children of all ethnicities the opportunity to experience Innu culture. In Vallant’s opinion, it was a positive step towards ensuring that there is a place for Innu and other indigenous cultures in Quebec.

The book itself is intended to give teachers and students factual rather than generalized information about First Nations cultures. It shares First Nations’ perspectives on colonization, various government treaties, rights, lands, etc, as well as some information on cultural practices. Specifically, it discusses the practices and histories of several groups belonging to the Eskaleut family, the Kanlen’kahaka, the Iroquoian, and the Algonquin. If it is an accurate source, it will be valuable towards my purpose of researching ways for teachers to foster more informed and healthy relationships with their indigenous students.

Module 2: Posts 1 – 5

Leave a reply

Post 1

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x8ChMxCFx1Q

I had to include this short video of Ernesto (the Iban tattoo artist), and his friend and assistant Robin, I found. There is an interesting narrative going on. The setting shows the bamboo paneling in the style of a traditional longhouse, with bottles of water lining the foreground. Ernesto plays the traditional instrument called a Sape, with Robin plucking the baseline behind him on a badly tuned acoustic guitar. As they jam together, Ernesto hears the tone waver off-key and grimaces. A white guy gets up and tunes Robin’s guitar for him as he plays; Robin thanks him and they continue playing. In contrast to documentary style anthropology, this is an unedited slice of life in Borneo, which received over 18,000 views on You Tube because Ernesto is famous in certain circles.

When the foreigner gets up to tune Robin’s guitar, I feel abruptly ashamed for both of them and realize that I have never before seen a musical performance interrupted by an audience member interfering with the performer’s instruments. He got up and tuned the guitar for him. The nerve of this guy, and the grace with which Robin reacts. Would the interaction have been the same if both men were from the same culture? Is my suspicion of racism attributed to an acknowledgement of condescending treatment of indigenous people attributed to “our (as white people)” ancestors, or a justified irritation over an isolated incident? When viewing such a slice of life, how can we analyse it in isolation?

Post 2-3

http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/stable/pdfplus/29790572.pdf

Linda Chalmers details the custom of textile weaving in Iban female society, as a community act and individual accomplishment. The nature of soft natural fiber is imbued with impermanence, subsequently embraced by the weavers, and apparent conceptually as the imagery appears different in shadowed light, an effect produced by very subtle variations of the dying process. The effects of economic development, commercialization of indigenous craft and the pressure to produce weaving for market and not for ceremony has caused changes to the community process and actual weaving product. The article continues with a detailed account of the intricate Pua Kumbu weaving process, one that may be difficult to follow without diagrams or experience. I was lucky enough to have had an Iban woman show me the different steps involved in the year long process, so I can visualize the arrangement, folding tying dying, rearrangement, securing to the loom, and the long weaving process that follows.

http://www.reocities.com/heartland/3409/PUAKUMBU.HTM

I came across this rather confusing website, with an incredible article describing the cultural and mystical background of Iban women’s weaving. I was unable to identify the author, but the text seems to have the kind of insight that only one deeply involved with a culture would have, such as technical, historical and natural terms transcribed from the Iban tongue. I also assume the author is female as the subject pertains to women’s weaving skills as a socially revered value in the tribe, and she appears to include herself in this culture. This mystery writer gives a fascinating account of the oral history behind the Pua Kumbu, which was ordained by a god to be wrapped around the skulls of warriors from other tribes, integral to the spiritual practice of headhunting. She also describes the process of processing cotton into thread used before commercial thread was available, as well as recipes for dye made from rainforest resources.

What is rare and unique about this article is the description of how the Pua plays into female society and rank. Immersion of a female member into the Pua Kumbu is a methodical and process which begins in simple technique and progresses to patterns which because of their spiritual danger should only be attempted by master weavers, who are visited in dreams by the spirits themselves. Thus technical mastery of the materials and weaving are intertwined with social status and mysticism. Only a truly inspired master weaver can produce the items used for worship and communication with the supernatural world.

Though much speaks for itself, a comparison between Chalmer’s article and Anonymous’ shows a difference in paradigm; one prioritizes economy and the other social status and mysticism. Both give great detailed accounts of the technical skills required to master the Pua Kumbu. The latter touches the surface of how and why women’s weaving, this “handicraft”, is integral to the traditions of the Iban, and the former points out the effects of commercializing indigenous women’s craft.

Post 4

http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=a9f502a9-ac68-4536-a4ca-aeac6cb8b0f9%40sessionmgr13&vid=2&hid=23

Alison Griffiths’ “The Untrammelled Camera” is a review and critique of the 1920’s anthropological film, Through Central Borneo: An Account of Two Years‘ Travel in the Land of the Head–Hunters between the Years 1913 and 1917 by Carl Lumholtz. This film had a brief viewing history and is not available on the internet, but I have included a link to the ebook,

http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc2.ark%3A%2F13960%2Ft4th8nf1q;page=root;view=image;size=100;seq=342

where the photographs of the people and forest of Borneo might stand in for the theme of the film. In the book version, Lumhotlz provides a detailed account of his own journey through the rainforest and his encounters with different tribes. The photos included are evident of some issues Griffiths discusses about the film; in particular the staging and manipulating of the photographed subjects as specimens for entertainment. She discusses in particular the “returned gaze” of the subject, a phenomenon in film reserved for anthropology. She notes how the indigenous subjects of Lumholtz’s expedition had pre-existing experience with technology like the cameras, which had already aroused superstition and foreboding in the culture. Griffiths concludes her critique with an assertion that such expedition films risk a deception of lived experience and adventure when treated as a documentary of information.

Post 5

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-03-03/malaysia-regime-ouster-hinges-on-borneo-as-radio-aids-opposition.html

This article discusses current political issues in Borneo related to a recent election, and the impact of the liberal party’s corruption and stronghold on the democratic elections. At the forefront of political tension in Borneo is the illegal clear cutting of rainforest for palm plantations; this stimulates the economy, but results in a desecration of the life and land so essential to indigenous culture. Short wave radio has been used by Radio Free Sarawak http://radiofreesarawak.org/how-to-listen/, featuring native villagers to share personal accounts of “landgrabs” and provide means of solidarity between members of different tribes affected by the actions of the ruling party. The effectiveness of short wave radio as a subversive and community building tool, a simple circuit to build and implement, is evident in the overwhelming opposition by the current government. The radio shows great potential for community building and strengthening cultural ties for rural communities less endowed with technology and connectivity.

Hulleah J. Tsinhnahjinnie

Leave a reply

Module 2, Post 2

Although her main focus was in the fine arts, she considers herself first and foremost a photographer. Her work is controversial, at times uncomfortable, and her essays sometimes feel like a stream of consciousness…at times very poignant and coherent and at other times covering too much ground. However you look at her there’s no denying her work is for “Indians”. She doesn’t claim that her artwork is for any specific nation, and I got the feeling that hers was more of a “pan-Indian” approach. Her book Our People, Our Land, Our Images: International Indigenous Photographers, is testimony to this approach.

Having said that she does share some fascinating insights into photography and indigenous identity. In one of her essays she has this to say: “When oral history coincides with photographic evidence the impact can be disturbing.” This is so true.

Not having a written record (which is paramount to the Western mindset and modus operandi) is a disadvantage to so many Indigenous people. When their stories coincide with photos, things like massacres finally begin to be acknowledged (2003). I find this fascinating on several levels. First an oral account can be just as reliable as a written one. I say this because an event recorded on paper is someone’s story; in the same vein a photograph that records an event is someone’s story. Why do we not consider an oral story at the same level of acceptance, especially if that story is a shared experience by more than two people? That is something that I’m not sure there’s a clear answer to…my guess is there’s an assumption built into Western societies that documents (whether written or visual) are more reliable and truthful than an oral testimony (or a story).

Having studied photography since high school, I know that’s a load of bullocks…this gets into other issues, but my point is oral stories and photographs have a way of revising and rewriting the past when they coincide. Second I find her comment lends credence to what one of my literature professors said when I asked…”Is there a difference between personal, individual history and a culture’s history…”. Her answer was simply: “No.” I think if a group of people share an oral history, there’s bound to be something to it. I’m sure they don’t just sit around a fire and tell each other to repeat the same story…an experience that’s shared will be one that everyone will attest to, each in their own way, but that doesn’t diminish its truthfulness or its reliability.

Tsinhnahjinnie, H. J. (2003). When is a Photograph worth a Thousand Words? Photography’s Other Histories. C. Pinney and N. Peterson. Durham and London, Duke University Press: 40-52.