Tag Archives: #indigenouseducation

Module 4 Post 5: Bear Witness

Description:

An excellent visual description and video on trophy hunting of Grizzly bear on BC’s Central Coast. I particularly appreciated the strong emphasis on the relationships between bears, people, and land. Place-based knowledge is central to understanding this important issue. Teachers should preview this 20 min video to ensure content is age-appropriate.

This my last post, but not the end of my journey. I wanted to share this as my last post because Conservation and Sustainability are personally important to me. Conservation and Sustainability present on-going issues that we, as a society must tackle in order to better our shared world. There is so much to learn from Indigenous ways. For instance, Bear Witness highlights the working collaboration between First Nation guardians and local researchers.

Link: http://www.bearsforever.ca/

Credits: Central Coast First Nations Bear Working Group.

Overview Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=NDg24d8fF1Q

My favorite video on Ursula: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXfJiWZce88

 

 

Module 4 Post 4: Man Turned to Stone, T’xwelátse

Description:

An informative site on how teachers can use stories in their classes. Teachers may share the importance of storytelling which can be seen as continual dialogue that is passed down from Elders. Storytelling is often used to share community viewpoints, perspectives, and shared values.

Link: http://www.srrmcentre.com/StoneTxwelatse/15Sqwelqwel.html

 

Module 4 Post 2: Sierra Club of BC. Education Learning Resource: Climate Change

Description:

A pdf document by the Sierra Club of BC on Climate Change. I like the keywords (see below) that were defined the beginning. This helps students start their learning on this important topic.

The Climate Change activity was fun and engaging as students make daily life connections. They eventually develop positive and realistic ways they can help with climate change. A student of mine used this activity as an inspiration for an inquiry-based lab on water pollution.

Link: http://sierraclub.bc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/climate-change-learning-resource.pdf

Module 4 Post 1: Aboriginal Curriculum Integration Project

Description:

The Aboriginal Curriculum Integration Project created a website with an abundant amount of information and a series of videos. The sections include sharing our stories, our land, skills, and trades, games and recreation.

I particularly enjoyed the Science resource (see below) on “relating electrical energy to power consumption”. Students begin by watching an informative video on how hydroelectric power impacts our local environments.

Another engaging lesson I liked was on “factors that affect productivity and species distribution in aquatic environments”. Students completed a graphic organizer while watching a video on government policy and human activity’s effects on BC rivers.

Link: http://acip.sd79.bc.ca/category/science/

Credits: SD 79 Cowichan Valley

English Resource: http://acip.sd79.bc.ca/category/english/

Science Resource: http://acip.sd79.bc.ca/category/science/

PE Resource: http://acip.sd79.bc.ca/category/physical-education/

Social Resource: http://acip.sd79.bc.ca/category/socials/

POST #5 – CTF Survey on Teachers’ Perspectives on Aboriginal Education in Public Schools in Canada

In 2015, the Canadian Teacher’s Federation published a 35 page report on the survey results of the status of Aboriginal Education in Canada.

Some of the questions that were asked were:

  • Are you aware of any issues, content or perspectives being taught at your school that are related to Aboriginal
    people?
  • In your current teaching practice, do you incorporate any issues, content or perspectives that are related to Aboriginal people?
  • Indicate the extent to which you feel Aboriginal culture is represented in your school curriculum.
  • To what extent do you feel confident that you would have the knowledge base to implement curriculum expectations regarding Aboriginal content if you were required to do so?
  • Have you participated in any professional development activities to develop/enhance your knowledge and/or
    skills pertaining to First Nation, Métis, or Inuit history, cultural perspectives or contemporary issues?
  • Over the last 5 years, have you ever witnessed what you consider to be an example of racism against an
    Aboriginal person in your class or school?

You can download a PDF copy of the survey to dive into more detail below:

https://www.ctf-fce.ca/Research-Library/CTF-Survey-Teachers-Perspectives-on-Aboriginal-Education-Summary-Report-web.pdf

Chiapas Media Project

One of the very few organizations in Mexico that work in collaboration with indigenous communities to produce their own media, which has been a space mostly developed by the Autonomous Zapatista communities to tell their own stories, in their own languages and from their own perspectives. It is interesting to see the differences in media representations made by outsiders and indigenous communities in Mexico; indigenous people tend to “portray themselves as survivors involved in the next level of struggle and resistance to neocolonialism and globalization” (Halkin, 2008) in contrast to corporate media that promotes a view of Zapatistas as armed “guerrillas” interested in power.
The extensive documentation of the Zapatista Indigenous communities includes videos on women’s collectives, agricultural collectives, traditional healing, autonomous education, and the history of their struggle for land, which presents an example of indigenous resistance for other indigenous communities in Southern Mexico.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chiapas_Media_Project

The Politics and Poetics of Digital Indigeneity in Latin America

This post addresses some of the issues that had been raised in the previous modules, in relation to the nature of media constructions and the difference that technology makes to the concept of indigeneity itself, in the context of indigenous communities in Latin America.
It remarks the tension in indigenous self-representation online and what mainstream society expect from them, which is related to the determination from some media to ‘indigenize the internet by filtering concepts and practices through the lens of a ‘recognizable’, ‘traditional’ indigeneity” (Thea Pitman, 2017). The author emphasizes that he is not identifying this as a weakness, instead “it is a strategically essentializing tendency in indigenous self-representation” (Thea Pitman, 2017).

The Politics and Poetics of Digital Indigeneity in Latin America

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 4: Staying the Course, Staying Alive – Coastal First Nations Fundamental Truths: Biodiversity, Stewardship, and Sustainability

Description:

This book describes the 7 Fundamental Truths shared by the majority of BC First Nations. An insightful read that incorporates traditional teachings and oral storytelling. I learned from Heiltsuk, Namgis and Haida First Peoples perspectives on land and stewardship.

Link: http://www.biodiversitybc.org/assets/Default/BBC_Staying_the_Course_Web.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