Council of Ministers of Education (CMEC)
http://www.cmec.ca/54/Programs-and-Initiatives/Aboriginal-Education/Summit-on-Aboriginal-Education/index.html

This site offers information garnered on the Summit on Aboriginal Education, where education ministers and leaders from Aboriginal organizations met to improve Aboriginal education.

The summit focused on:
1. raising public awareness of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit education and the need to eliminate gaps between learners.
2. building support for partnerships with Aboriginal organizations.
3. identifying areas for action to meet the goals of Learn Canada 2020 
4. engaging federal government in Aboriginal education issues to implement policy change.
5. building networks for future collaboration.

Aboriginal Education Action Plan
Aboriginal Education Best Practices
Summit on Aboriginal Education Report 

Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada
www.aandc-aadnc.gc.ca

AANDC envisions a future in which indigenous communities are healthy, self-sufficient, and prosperous – ” a Canada where people make their own decisions, manage their own affairs and make strong contributions to the country as a whole.”

This site provides a wealth of resources, including (but not limited to):
– Arts, Culture, and Heritage
– Acts, Agreements, and Land Claims
– Education
– Environment and Natural Resources
– Social Programs

I have been thinking about the connection between mass media and indigenous peoples – at the production level, on the screen and behind the scenes, in programming, and in air time.  How is indigenous culture represented on the Canadian screen?

CBC Aboriginal  
Links to the CBC programs and features relating to Canada’s aboriginal communities.
http://www.cbc.ca/aboriginal/

Cultural Diversity on TV and Radio
Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission’s (CRTC) site outlining Canada’s Broadcasting Act and the upholding of cultural diversity on screen and on air – by ensuring equal rights are given based on gender, linguistics, culture and race are represented. Consideration is given to programming by and for specific groups, as well as reflecting diversity in all broadcast services.
Policies Described:

• Native Broadcasting Policy
• Ethnic Broadcasting Policy
• increased licensing of ethnic and third-language stations
• expanded availability of non-Canadian, third-language services
  http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/info_sht/b308.htm

Emerging Filmmaker Programs
The National Film Board of Canada offers several initiatives to support new and emerging filmmakers from every part of the country.
http://www.onf-nfb.gc.ca/eng/directing-co-producing-film/emerging-filmmaker-programs.php

imageNATIVE Film Festival
Founded in 1998 in Toronto, imageNATIVE is considered to be the most important Indigenous film and media festival in the world, annually showcasing, promoting, and celebrating both emerging and established Indigenous filmmakers and artists.  “imagineNATIVE is committed to dispelling stereotypical notions of Indigenous peoples through diverse media presentations from within our communities, thereby contributing to a greater understanding by audiences of Indigenous artistic expression.
http://imaginenative.org/festival2012/

The Aboriginal Voice: NFB and Aboriginal Filmmaking Through the Years (Gil Cardinal)
Gil Cardinal, an Edmonton-based Métis filmmaker and producer,  shares the history of the NFB and Aboriginal filmmaking in a playlist of NFB films from 1968 to present day.  A comprehensive body of films is shared to outline the NFB initiatives involved in sharing the Aboriginal Voice. http://www.nfb.ca/playlists/gil-cardinal/aboriginal-voice-national-film-board-/

Four Directions Teaching

I was searching for more understanding of the complex issue of protecting individual and collective cultural rights.  I came across this great site:

Canada’s World: Indigenous Rights

The site provides detail into the issue of cultural rights – and the need to represent and promote human rights in relation to the history, language, and cultural transitions of Canada’s Aboriginal peoples.  Although Canada is perceived as a strong advocate of human rights, we don’t have the same positive reputation for Indigenous rights.  There is a close connection between Indigenous rights and environmental sustainability, protection of cultural diversity, and global issues.

Included on the site is detailed background to the topic, historical timelines, and teaching resources including an Indigenous Rights discussion guide.  The discussion guide includes information on the rights movement, the current state of Indigenous people in Canada, and challenges and opportunities to be addressed.

Discussion Guide

Article #13: What is an Elder?

The following link….

http://www2.brandonu.ca/library/CJNS/16.1/Stiegelbauer.pdf

….provides an article written by S.M. Stiegelbauer, of the Ontario Institute for Studies in Edcation, at the University of Toronto.

The article describes what an‘Elder’ is according to First Nations Culture. This description has great importance to my final research paper that will hopefully shed more light on First Nations Libraries and their uses.

This article is a follow up to my questions regarding how a First Nations Library should look, and what its useful components would be. I am beginning to think that a First Nations Library would not be the same as a Public Library because of different oral traditions and the way First Nations history is usually portrayed and preserved. I am also guessing that a First Nations Library would have much more in terms of Cultural representations and more visual, and artistic symbols of past events.

From the article, since an Elder is responsible for ‘teaching’ younger students, a First Nations Library should have ample space to accomplish these teachings and provide support for Elder’s to attend and share their knowledge.

Thanks.

-Regen

Module #3, Entry #12…..

Hello,

The following website is a directory of every First Nations Library within Canada.

http://library.usask.ca/native/directory/english/index.html

The website lists Libraries and Cultural Institutions that collect material related to First Nations, Inuit, and Metis peoples within Canada. The website offers great tabs of information including location, collections, laguages, etc.

This website is quite interesting because it included information about ‘cultural institutions’ which I didn’t really think about prior to visiting this site. Some questions that have now arisen include:

Does a First Nations Library need to have the same components as a public library in order to be have the same educational benefits?

What are  the ideal components of a library for a First Nations users?

The answers to these questions will shape my research further into finding out how, or if at all, First Nations libraries differ from Public libraries.

Thanks.

-Regen

Entry #11…..

Hello,

http://www.olsn.ca/index.aspx?id=1434

The above link is a website that describes the funding and support it gives to sustaining First Nations Libraries within Northern Ontario. It’s nice to know that funding for First Nations libraries can come from a Provincial source and not totally dependent upon Lottery Gaming monies.

From the website…”The First Nations Library Service is a specially funded service of OLS-North. The main goal of the First Nations Library Service is to help First Nations, through special funding programs and consulting services, to establish and maintain public libraries. We provide special training and on-site consultation opportunities for First Nation Public Libraries in our service area.”

Thanks.

-Regen

This site, Crystal Atlantique, outlines a research project on ethnomathematics.  The three main goals of the research are stated as:

1. What mathematics is already present in the disenfranchised cultures (both traditional and modern)?
2. What conflicts exist between the everyday mathematics in these cultures and Western school mathematics?
3. How can this mathematical knowledge be incorporated into the learning and teaching of mathematics in school setttings?

The research progress states that the first year was dedicated to conversations with a mathematics teacher and five elders from Mi’kmaq community.  The tone of the site is respectful and includes other disenfranchised cultures (such as franophone communities).  There are also valuable links within this site to work done by David Wagner, an associate professor at the University of New Brunswick, on ethnomathematics.

As I search deeper into what information is available on the internet connecting mathematics and Indigenous people, I am made increasingly aware of the positive results found by applying ethnomathematics principles to mathematics instruction.  Helping students become aware of the depth of mathematical ability and the authentic prevalence of mathematics within their cultures is very powerful.  This site is one example of this type of research.

Module 2 – Manny’s Weblog continued…

In continuing with my theme on video production and broadcasting within Canadian indigenous communities, I have located the following resources that may aid me in my final paper.

1) Indigenous Independent Digital Filmmaking Program

This program has been offered by Capilano college of North Vancouver for the past decade. It allows aboriginal students to receive training in all elements of filmmaking and express these from an aboriginal perspective. The Aboriginal film and television production sector is growing at a rapid rate. This program seeks to equip students with the skills required to pursue a career in this industry.

2) Indigenous film timeline – australia.gov.au

This government website has many links and information related to conflicts that arose between settlers and the Aboriginal populations across Australia. It has a wonderfully chronicled timeline that dates back to the 1920’s. There are many links to documentaries that can be downloaded or viewed online. It is very illustrative and contains a large database of information on aboriginal film. There are links at the bottom that have examples of indigenous and non-indigenous filmmakers work.

 3) Indigenous arts network (IAN)

This site boasts many examples of media produced by Canadian aboriginal artists. You can also select your province of choice and bring up local examples in many different media formats. The art presented on IAN is represented by the Nine Circles designed by the Association for Native Development in the Performing and Visual Arts – ANDPVA, namely; theatre, writing, film and video, music, new media, dance, craft and design, visual art and communication.

4) The Vancouver International Film Festival (VIFF)

The VIFF occurs annually and highlights some of the works created by local artists that have received notoriety in the filmmaking world. I recently had the opportunity to take my students downtown Vancouver to watch the movie “Iran Job.” Luckily the editor was in the audience and he described to our students how he was able to make the movie in a country were filming cultural norms was outlawed. I immediately thought of the subject matter in ETEC 521 and the commonalities between cultures not wanting their traditions being recorded by outsiders.

5) Government website – First nations peoples of B.C.

This is an excellent site for those wanting to know the specifics of First Nations demography in B.C. It is a primary source of information and I am thinking that it must be updated on a regular basis to ensure accuracy. There are links to research articles and case studies that focus on aboriginal education. Great website if you need factual data on local first nations populations.

I think I have enough resources on the filmmaking portion of my final project but will focus my last two weblogs on the broadcasting and distribution networks in indigenous cultures. After sifting through the vast amounts of information, I can hopefully try to narrow in on a single topic for the final assignment. Feedback is always welcome…

Thanks,

Manny