Tag Archives: culture

Post 1 – Blanket Exercise

I participated in my first blanket exercise. I was killed by small pox. My co-worker was taken from her land and moved to a Residential school. Another colleague survived Residential Schools but later died due to the negative impact it had on her life.

These experiences are not our own, but were lived by us during our last Non-Instructional Day. The Blanket Exercise shares First People’s history from across Canada in a unique way. I began to better understand what it meant to be killed by a disease I had no control over, I watched people be removed form their land, to be taken to Residential schools. This experience is one I want to share with my classes in the future.

https://www.kairosblanketexercise.org/about/

Module 4 Weblog – Laurie Campbell

Module 4 Weblog

Laurie Campbell

In Module 4, I thought more about how we engage with other cultures as we examine our own cultural values. This was a hard one for me, as I’m not sure that I’ve spent the necessary time on introspection. One of the reasons I went into the MET program at UBC, however, is because of the time I’ve spent thinking about the value I place on STEM education for all students, including the indigenous students in my classroom. As a member of the “dominant” culture in southern Alberta, I think I will spend some time in this weblog looking at sites that promote science and technology learning for aboriginal students. Maybe this will be a way for me to reconcile my own cultural values with those of the Blackfoot students in my school. Aboriginal students in Canada seem to be missing out on some of the opportunities available to other students for STEM education. Perhaps one of the reasons STEM education is sought after in my (fairly affluent) school is because it is seen as a way for students to ‘get ahead’ and out-compete others for future job opportunities. I’m oversimplifying, but perhaps the value my culture places on individualism and competitiveness has something to do with the success some students have in STEM education, whereas someone from a more collaborative, community-valuing culture may not place the same emphasis on STEM. I’m sure my own prejudices are showing here, and I’m not at all sure that my wild guesses are even appropriate, but I’m hoping these links will show that STEM activities are indeed compatible with indigenous ways-of-knowing and of value to ALL learners, including aboriginal students.

InSTEM – Indigenous Youth in STEM

https://actua.ca/en/programs/national-aboriginal-outreach-program/

I stole this link from Domenic Maggiolo (thank you!) in our course. InStem is “… a customized, community-based approach to engaging First Nations, Métis, and Inuit youth in locally and culturally relevant STEM education programs.” Actua received funding from the Government of Canada as well as Google and Suncor, among others. They describe themselves as “a national charity that is preparing youth to be innovators and leaders by engaging the in exciting and accessible STEM experiences that build critical skills and confidence” and advertise that they reach 250,000 youth each year. Their network members offer camps, workshops and clubs.

Actua – Coding the Future: What Canadian youth their parents think about coding

https://actua.ca/uploads/Actuas_Coding_the_Future_Survey_Report.pdf

I liked this paper, because of their focus on comparing parent values and child interest in coding, allowing us to see a snippet of cultural value transfer in action. They state that:

Over 92 per cent of students and parents believe that knowing how to use digital technology will be very or extremely important to their future careers.
There remains a socio-economic divide. Parents with a higher education and income regarded digital technologies and careers as more important than those with a lower education and income level.

Google’s Codemakers program launches in Iqaluit

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/google-s-codemakers-program-launches-in-iqaluit-1.3009996

This article highlights students in Iqaluit as they combine computer programming and throat singing. Students got to work with the music software and also with Nelson Tagoona, a “well-known beat boxer” known for pioneering “throat boxing”. This blend between high-tech and indigenous culture is an example of how youth can become more engaged when given the opportunity.

“Elders of the Future” Exhibit

http://www.uleth.ca/research/centres-institutes/institute-child-and-youth-studies/elders-future-exhibit

This was a photography exhibit in Lethbridge, Alberta, “created and curated by a multi-generational and multi-cultural team, including Blackfoot community members,” celebrating the resiliency of local Blackfoot communities through their family and child-rearing practices.

Aboriginal Science and Technology Education Program – Mount Royal University

http://www.mtroyal.ca/ProgramsCourses/FacultiesSchoolsCentres/IniskimCentre/AboriginalScienceandTechnologyEducationProgram/index.htm

Mount Royal University here in Calgary offers this program to indigenous students preparing for and studying in the Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Computer Information Systems degree programs. They offer, “…academic and personal advising, funding application support, tutorial support, cultural and social support, social events and coordinate visits from Elders and other community members”.

(Entry 5) Podcast: From soapstone carving to Second Life: Indigenous peoples in Quebec embrace tradition and technology

Podcast: From soapstone carving to Second Life: Indigenous peoples in Quebec embrace tradition and technology

This recording (podcast) invites you into the lives of a number of Indigenous people trying to integrate aspects of their culture into Quebec’s more dominant culture. From Inuit carvers and music makers to a new craft beer company, this podcast showcases Indigeneity ‘in action’ within Quebec.

LINK: You can find the recording on the cbc.ca/radio link below
From soapstone carving to Second Life: Indigenous peoples in Quebec embrace tradition and technology

October 31, C. R. ·. (2018, November 4). From soapstone carving to Second Life: Indigenous peoples in Quebec embrace tradition and technology | CBC Radio. Retrieved 6 November 2018, from https://www.cbc.ca/radio/unreserved/from-soapstone-carving-to-second-life-indigenous-peoples-in-quebec-embrace-tradition-and-technology-1.4645198

Module 3 Post 5: First Nations Learners’ Engagement in Science Climate Justice in BC

Description:

This interactive and informational pdf guide on climate change and rising inequalities are highly recommended. When students view the world around and gain an appreciation of nature, they will develop an awareness of climate changes and issues which a teacher can use as a Segway to ponder on climate justice issues.

Teachers can refer to this handy Climate Justice in BC guide, which is divided:

Module 1: Introduction to Climate Justice

Module 2: Reimagining our Food System

Module 3: Transportation Transformation

Module 4: Rethinking Waste

Module 5: Fracking Town Hall

Module 6: Green Industrial Revolution

Module 7: Imagining the Future We Want

Module 8: Challenges to Change*

Module 8 is my personal favorite since students learn the inevitable challenges of social change, barriers faced and collective effort.

Action or personal choice Video: https://storyofstuff.org/movies/story-of-change/

Link: https://teachclimatejustice.ca/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/full_teachclimatejusticedotca.pdf

Module 3 Post 3: Searching for Native Stories about Cascadia Subduction Zone Earthquakes

Description:

A pdf document that highlights Native Stories about Cascadia Subduction Zone Earthquakes. It is a great summary of earthquakes along the Cascadia Subduction Zone and the relation to Native American stories, myths, and traditions

Link: http://www.pnwbha.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/SSA2001.pdf

Credits: Ruth S. Ludwin, University of Washington, Seattle, WA

Module 3 Post 2: The Northern Abalone in Haida Gwaii

Description:

Abalone is part of traditional foods of coastal First Peoples. This video provided stunning captures of an underwater perspective of the abalone populations. Students learn about the impact of marine ecology through First Nations’ approach to restoration of abalone. Students may also further research on uses of abalone such as carvings and masks in First Peoples culture.

Link: The Northern Abalone in Haida Gwaii

Published by: Haida Gwaii Marine Stewardship Group

Post 14: Cultural Continuity as a hedge against suicide in Canada’s first nations.

http://web.uvic.ca/~lalonde/manuscripts/1998TransCultural.pdf

In this article the authors identify how culture can help prevent the heartbreaking phenomena of First Nations youth suicide. From the abstract “Communities that have taken active steps to preserve and rehabilitate their own cultures are shown to be those in which youth suicide rates are dramatically lower.”

In terms of the readings we’ve done so far in this class, I think this directly pertains to the concern that focusing too much on cultural responsiveness may be somehow detrimental to Indigenous youth in terms of academic performance. Here we have an argument that, to the contrary, culture is an imperative factor for Indigenous youth to thrive in the most primal of ways: life and death.

This topic may be applicable to secondary and tertiary education. With the former, the educator would need to distill and present the findings of this article and others to explain some of the wider implications.

Additional resource:

Article about culture being used as treatment to mental health: http://learningcircle.ubc.ca/files/2014/05/Redressing-First-Nations-historical-trauma-Theorizing-mechanisms-for-indigenous-culture-as-mental-health-treatment.pdf

Article about healing through “interdependence” (culture, family, community): https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ555251.pdf

Post 3- Evaluated Resources

After the discussions around critically viewing Nanook of the North and how to teach students to critically evaluate what they are exposed to in order to determine the authenticity of the item, I was brought back to a session I attended at a workshop about BCERAC. This group critically analyzes and considers what is an authentic story, or book focussed on First Nations culture, traditions and history.

One of the requirements that was discussed in my workshop was what story is being told and who is it being told by. There are many books about Residential Schools that are written by people who did not experience first hand this part of history, or who have dramatized what occurred. The books that appear on the Evaluated Sources website are written by First Nations people and are factual, to allow the author to share their stories, not for someone else to profit off of.

https://k12.bcerac.ca/

Post 2 – Inuit Influence

After watching Nanook of the North and realizing how cultural representations, whether made by an outsider or by local people, can be great ways to share about a culture.

The APTN has recently begun to broadcast Anaana’s Tent, to help share the Inuktitut language.
There are many interesting activities that children can participate in with familiar songs sung in Inuktitut. This is a great example of sharing language and culture in a digital age.

http://www.anaanastent.com/en/home/index

Reconciliation and Reconnecting

Late with this blog post as well as my other discussions. Been occupied with visits to the hospital and then trying to catch up with what I missed. In any case, here are five resources. I checked posts by others, and I do not think I have any repeated sources, but apologies if I do.

http://www.orangeshirtday.org/resources–ideas.html

Probably would have been good if I posted this earlier, but this is a great resource for Orange Shirt Day, which is a day to remember the impact of Residential Schools in Canada. Orange Shirt stems from the story of Phyllis and her first day at residential school and promotes “Every Child Matters”. An important day for reconciliation.

http://numerocinqmagazine.com/2014/05/23/the-failure-of-reconciliation-taiaiake-alfred/

Speaking of reconciliation, this is a short post that links to a previous post as well as another video with Taiaiake Alfred. Taiaiake Alfred is an advocate for his people, with eloquent views on how to go about reconciliation and the complex ongoing social issues.

https://equityhealthj.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12939-016-0366-0

An article on indigenous young people in Australia. This is a literature review, but has a different conclusion to some of our first module readings. It is suggested that the internet and social media has given power to the people to set up their community and to build identity.

https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/028.nsf/eng/00536.html

Archived page from the Government of Canada that specifically states the need for digital literacy and moving from “inclusion” to ‘transformation”. In the article, the challenges to indigenous communities are clearly laid out and there is a reference to learn from “Australia’s program designed specifically for Indigenous communities”.

https://takayatours.com/

With all the focus on reconciliation and technology, it is important to keep in mind a large part of the aboriginal culture and the lens for learning: the connection to the land. Takaya tours is one of many tours available now in Canada that can help students that are typically in classrooms have the chance to experience and connect with the land.