As many of you may likely know already—unless you have stumbled upon this website by act of coincidence—this site is the location for our final group project in a UBC course called ENGL 470A – Canadian Studies.
This class focusses on awakening students to many of the injustices and imbalances in Canadian Literature. We parsed literature, images (and in my case even Alien movies), and other depictions of Indigenous Culture to separate it from the overbearing colonizing effect. We discussed the effect of orality over written literature and it is in this concept our group hopes to continue our research. This website and its content was created by Freda Li, Charmaine Li, James Long and Arianne LaBoissonniere. For more on the individual content creators please visit the team page.
As a group we hope to discuss the many problems that arise in the media representation of First Nations. Some of us, using our personal interests in education, extended this exploration into the effect of using media to educate Canadian youth. We’d like to explore changes we can use to ultimately change the racially unrested landscape of Canada through the production of media.
I have attached a video that makes me ashamed and proud at the same time. This is a CBC-National story about a young man who is attending a private school that focuses on Indigenous culture, he is so passionate and accepted it gives me hope. Yet at the same time, he is the first European student and the respected News Organization CBC “neglected” to capitalize both Aboriginal and Indigenous.
While stories like this are important and Europeans/Canadians learning about Aboriginal culture is remarkable the lack of respect is evident. Furthermore, as a group we find that the focus on what Aboriginal culture was is often misleading to the general education level students, many place these practices in the past and struggle to understand that the Culture is alive is not outdated and historical. The second video I have attached is a tourism advertisement but shows how the Indigenous culture is current and relevant.
Through proper early education and adjustments to popular media we hope to change the future of Canada to not merely be “tolerant”, not only “multicultural”, but truly allow integration without segregation and assimilation. No road to the future is a easy one, but perhaps the rocky road will lead to a better land for our grandchildren.
For a more detailed explanation of our research interests please visit the about page.
Works cited
National, The. “Learning indigenous[sic] culture” Youtube video. CBC Television. 30th may 2015. Accessed July 17th 2015. Web.
North-Wright Airways. “AMAZING Aboriginal Culture alive and thriving in Deline, Northwest Territories, Canada!” Youtube video. 14 Mar 2014. Accessed July 17th 2015. Web.
Paterson, Erika. “ENGL 470A Canadian Studies: Canadian Literary Genres May 2015.” ENGL 470A Canadian Studies Canadian Literary Genres May 2015. University of British Columbia Department of English, n.d. Web. 24 July 2015.
Hi,
I think the intervention your group has chosen is great. Using the media as a medium for changing the stereotypical perspective around First Nations people is a viable solution, and your steps to making it a reality are practical. Television viewing has increased in recent years, and children especially are spending a greater deal of time partaking in it. Altering depictions of previously stereotyped groups could be a functional early intervention. I look forward to reading your future posts.
Hi Landon!
Our group thanks you for your comment, welcome to the conversation! I love that you commented on the practicality of our groups intervention project, because it is definitely a driving point for our goals. Oral history comes in many different forms, and one of them is mass media and the role of television and film! Our group is really interested in thinking of real ways that we can change the future landscape of Canadian literature from a modern perspective that acknowledges how big of a role media plays in the lives of the next generation. Like you said, it works as an “early intervention” that seeks to change the stereotypical perspectives around First Nations people and culture. Have a great day and come back to visit soon!
Hey!
I think the idea that your group has chosen is great! With these ideas it can show that if we transfer the correct information to others that everyone will have the same understanding and there won’t be so many different disagreeing opinions. I agree with your thoughts on the first video, it is great to see someone so happy and passionate about something like this. But at the same time they should be showing all the other people that are passionate about this too!! Can’t wait to read more about it.
Hi Kathryn!
Thanks for your comment, our group welcomes you to the “conversation”! We do believe that incorrect information and education is a main factor that plays into the dichotomy that separates native and non native cultures in our society. By creating an intervention solution that aims to change education at the earliest stages through education and media, our group hopes to create a more welcoming and encompassing landscape for the future of Canadian literature. Thanks again and come back to visit again soon!
Hi there,
Great topic. It is similar to my topic. I’m also excited to see a shift in education. It is about changing the conversation!
I am a tad confused, as I read that you wanted us to read your about page, yet this also has a lot of the components that Erika asked for in the about page. It seems a bit chaotic to have to visit two different pages. Why not put them on the same page?
I also thought your picture up top could be bigger so that it would fill up the whole cover art spot. Just my thoughts!
Thanks for initiating and reminding us of the problem of indigenous representation in education specifically. I’d be interested to see what you all think of my project that focuses on digital literacy.
And if you’re interested, Marlee Kline is a phenomenal resource when it comes to looking at how Law is biased toward First Nations moms – specifically in conjunction with custody battles. Made me think of this. Might be totally off base from your topic. http://digitalcommons.osgoode.yorku.ca/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1726&context=ohlj
All best,
Hannah
Hi Hannah!
Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment, we welcome you to the “conversation”!! Thank you for your suggestions, we will definitely take them into consideration! We look forward to engaging with your group and the similarities our projects draw as the conference goes on. Please feel free to engage in our dialogue once things get rolling!
Hi,
I find this topic quite interesting. It’s almost laughable how white-washed the media is… Racial minorities are so often represented by white actors that it’s hardly even newsworthy anymore.
The second video you’ve linked is great to see. I love hearing the language and seeing images of people living and thriving in their community!
I’m looking forward to seeing how you intend to approach the goals you’ve outlined in your “about” section. They all sound incredible in theory, but how can we really reach those goals?
I’m excited to see the discussions that come out of this intervention. Thanks so much for choosing to explore this topic!
Hi Melissa!
Thanks for commenting, we welcome you to the “conversation”! I agree….its crazy that we have become numb to the lacking portrayal of racial minorities in television and film. Its sad when it no longer shocks because it has become so commonplace. I think that when it comes to reaching our ideas that sound so great but daunting in theory, we will have to consider the best avenues for creating change. We believe that attacking these issues from the standpoint of our education system, and the very fact we chose media in general, we have the best chance at creating change that will have contact with people through avenues that have a constant role in our lives. Television and film have become their own literary form, an oral history in and of itself, and we believe that by initiating change in these areas of our culture, we can create some foundational changes. Feel free to come back and join in on the dialogue once our annotated bib dialogue gets going!
Media is often used in as a way to perpetrate stereotypes, so it’s only right to use it to fight that.
Love what you guys are doing.
It’s really shocking how much racial propaganda is in movies depicting “exotic” areas. In Egyptians movies dark people are shown as inferior to their white counterparts, even though historically pharaohs were all black and most of the slaves were white.
Although it has been used as a means of propaganda, media should be used to lay light on the truth.
Boom!
You hit the nail on the head. Current media can be highly damaging and/or depicts cultures as only existing in “the past”.
I think that representation on screen and behind the screen is important to create change in the media.
Hi Guys!
Love your idea. I was just wondering what kind of media you were interested in producing? On the subject of tv and film, it costs a lot more money than a mass produced textbook and also the people funding the project have a say in what is being portrayed and used in the production, which is much to blame for the Indian and cowboy fantasy. As a person engaged in First Nations performance I really appreciate this idea. Children do tend to pay more attention to media. I also wonder whether it is a way to get them further interested in things such as indigenous literature and research.
The comment about the Egyptians is interesting, such different beauty standards for such different cultures.
Great work!
Tai
I think you have identified one of the main issues we hope to address. Everyone who funds or works on a piece of media affects the final project, and I think that a circular relationship of media and education will produce people more prepared to create better represented media.