Tag Archives: Inuit

(Entry 4) Website: Spirithorse: The Learning Circle

Website:  Spirithorse: The Learning Circle

This portion of the Spirithorse website provides (Canadian) teachers with a series of classroom activities designed to teach students about the history, language, culture and identity of Indigenous communities; (activities “focus on First Nations, Métis and Inuit culture, identity, and history”)(“The Learning Circle | Spirit Horse,” 2015).  Teachers can choose between curricular activities designed for the following age groups:  Ages 4-7, 8-11, and 12-14.  Each guide provides teachers with an explanation of how to approach each lesson/topic and is subdivided into culturally relevant topics.

Link: http://spirithorse.ca/learning-circle/

Reference
The Learning Circle | Spirit Horse. (April 20, 2015). Retrieved November 27, 2018, from http://spirithorse.ca/learning-circle/

(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

The Right to be cold

“It´s not just the Arctic ice, which recedes every year. Just as irreplaceable as is the culture, the wisdom that has allowed the Inuit to thrive in the far North for so long.” (Watt-Cloutier, 2015)

Sheila Watt-Cloutier, a highly recognized environmental and human rights advocate, shares her story who as an Inuk woman had raised her voice to explain how climate change is a human right issue that concerns to everyone. In her book “the Right to be Cold”, Watt-Cloutier expressed the connection between the Arctic climate changes and the survival of Inuit culture among resilience and commitment to their land. I found this book very inspiring and valuable to understand how Inuit and other Indigenous traditional education is responsive to the natural world.

https://www.cbc.ca/books/canadareads/the-right-to-be-cold-1.3969500

Inuit Knowledge and Climate Change

Here is a presentation of the Inuktitut language film: Inuit Knowledge and Land. This film is an approximation to Inuktitut´s land that explores the social and ecological impacts of Climate Change in the Arctic.
This film helps us to appreciate Inuit culture and expertise regarding environmental change and indigenous ways of adapting to it.

http://www.isuma.tv/inuit-knowledge-and-climate-change/movie

Post 1- Connections to the Land

Katjaqnaaq

“Katjaqnaaq, as much a feeling as an expression, reveals a depth of emotion and connection to a place of incredible beauty and significance. Uttered as a sigh, it can mean “ah – I am happy here, I am part of something.” As a joyful exclamation, it can mean “oh, what a beautiful place!” However it is used, it evokes connectedness to one’s surroundings and a sense of peace and meaning.” (Nunavut Parks and Special Places and the Government of Nunavut – Department of Environment)

 

This word and definition found on Nunavut Parks website is a powerful word for me. In Module 3 we have been discussing the role of elders and the connections to the land and how youth have been finding their own place.  This word sums up a lot of my feelings about Module 3. I am happy here, I am connected to my surroundings, and I am realizing how beautiful the online community and interactions I am having through ETEC 521 truly are.

Art and the language of culture

In the process of researching the culture and technology relation for the indigenous culture, I looked to language as a starting point in exploring culture, as culture is in language, and to lose the language is to lose a large part of the culture.  This led me to the article “The critical state of aboriginal languages in Canada” from 1998.  The article lays out exactly as the title describes, and expounds upon the inherent right, treaty rights, and the need for constitutional rights for aboriginal people to protect their culture.

https://search-proquest-com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/docview/230325665?accountid=14656&pq-origsite=summon

 

The loss of languages and culture in itself is a sad occurrence, but it is made all the worse with the fact that aboriginal youth has high suicide rates, some have 800 times the national average.   The article “Cultural Continuity as a Hedge against Suicide in Canada’s First Nations” explores the idea of cultural continuity protecting against suicide by providing the feeling of connection to land and community as well as identity and spiritual stability. It is stated that regions with preserved and rehabilitated cultures have dramatically lower incidences.

http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/136346159803500202

 

Knowing that culture preservation can be vital to youths places an urgency to teach it in the classroom.  A great resource is “The Learning Circle: Five Voices of Aboriginal Youth in Canada” from the government of Canada.  The downloadable PDF version contains five different perspectives of aboriginal children across Canada. This was created by synthesizing 15 interviews with three from each of five different communities.  The package serves to help understanding aboriginal relationship to the land, the challenges aboriginal youths may face, and draws some comparisons to other youth.  This is a class resource, with plenty of sources and activities for the classroom.

https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1329333584407/1534959534898

 

If the above resource is not enough, or perhaps there is a focus on the Inuit culture, consider checking out “Through Mala’s Eyes”.  This is a learning resource package. This fully structured 90 page package contains with activities and sources to learn about Inuit through following an individual, Mala.

http://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2011/ainc-inac/R2-240-2003-eng.pdf

 

Aside from language, art is a large part of most cultures, indigenous included.  The is less a teaching resource than an interesting bit of information I found when looking into how important indigenous art is to Canada.  According to statistics published in 2017 by the government of Canada, in 2015, Inuit visual arts and crafts earned over $33 million net income, and generated an additional $17 million in economic activity.  Those working in  performing arts contributed $13.4 million to Canada’s GDP.  The page goes further into a breakdown by region, type of art, employment, and economic impact.  Might not be particularly useful for teaching, but does put the importance of the indigenous culture through an economic lens.

https://www.rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca/eng/1499360279403/1534786167549

Walking on the Lands of Our Ancestors #1

Grade Levels: 9/10, 11/12

Subject Area: First Nations, Métis and Inuit, Social Studies, History, Language Arts, Art, Social Justice

This lesson is an experiential approach to Indigenous people’s history. I believe it can be modified for lower grade levels, especially as a followup to the Kairos Blanket Activity.  This lesson was written using a Indigenous pedagogical approach.

https://www.canadashistory.ca/education/lesson-plans/walking-on-the-lands-of-our-ancestors

 

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

POST 2 – How to talk about Indigenous people – David Loti

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEzjA5RoLv0

Visited 25 September 2018

 

Journalist Ossie Michelin provides a quick overview of the use of the terms Indigenous, First Nations, Inuit, Métis, and Aboriginal and encourages people to choose the term to “be as specific as possible.” One take away from this video is that Inuit means people; thus as Michelin says, “Don’t say Inuit people because that’s redundant.”

POST 1 – Robert Flaherty – Nanook Of The North (1922) [commentary] – David Loti

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlAAeptfnO0

Visited 24 September 2018

Mrs. Robert Flaherty speaks on her husband’s work in creating Nanook of the North. She mentions that he lived with the Inuit for six years. She says that his “only reason for making the film was [his] deep admiration for these people.” She states, “He knew his subject and loved it.”