Tag Archives: storytelling

Post #16 – CIER – Centre for Indigenous Environmental Resources

 

http://www.yourcier.org

 

CIER describes itself as a “…national First Nation directed environmental non-profit organisation…”. Their goals are to help develop sustainable communities and contribute to a healthy environment. They offer quite a variety of free publications with research related to their areas of focus, including protecting land and water, building sustainable communities, and their corporate reports. Their website also features a blog and links to workshops such as this one:

http://www.yourcier.org/watershed-planning1.html

The section on their current projects is particularly compelling and inspiring. For example, the Shared Future project is designed to “Bring forward stories of reconciliation and healing in intersectoral partnerships under the umbrella of renewable energy conservation, efficiency, and development.” Its project page has download links for the initial plan as well as the subsequent updates, and also the following video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RObUofPiN8&feature=youtu.be

Overall they have a wide variety of information and resources on current issues and initiatives.

 

Post 3- Orange Shirt Day

http://www.orangeshirtday.org/

Hearing Phyllis Webstad speak to students in SD28 just over a week ago was inspirational. Hearing her read and share her story, listening to the students asking questions, and hearing about her hopes for Orange Shirt Day and the possibility of being a holiday with Jesus (Christmas) and a Queen (Victoria Day), was inspirational. If you haven’t already checked out this website, I highly recommend it, but if you ever have a chance to listen to Phyllis share her story, you do not want to miss out.

Post 2- Burn Your Village to the Ground

This video was shared with me around Thanksgiving, a holiday that often celebrates colonization and brings about stereotypical images of when the  “Pilgrims and Indians sat down together”. The truth about what happened after the Europeans arrived and colonization began is shared in this song. The uncomfortable feeling this song gave me helped me realize that I have not done enough in my own teaching surrounding the truth of what has happened to our First People.

Module 3 Weblog – Laurie Campbell

At the beginning of Module 3, there was a question that guided much of my thinking as I worked my way through the course material.  “Indigenous peoples are diverse, but they share the common experience of being colonized by western and imperialist powers. Can technology be useful in supporting Indigenous communities’ efforts to de-colonize values and thoughts?”

Many of my links have something to do with how technology may be useful to the First Nations people of Treaty 7 as they relate to the Catholic Church and the Calgary Catholic School System post-TRC (Truth and Reconciliation).

 

  1. Blackfoot Language & Culture (3-year Program of Studies, Alberta Learning)

http://www.learnalberta.ca/ProgramOfStudy.aspx?lang=en&ProgramId=684282#

This site lays out the curriculum for the three-year high school Blackfoot language and culture program.  It outlines the general and specific learner outcomes for all three courses.  The curriculum was written in 1993 and unlike other language and culture programs in the Alberta, it contains sections on Community Services (drugs and alcohol abuse), Employment, and Social Responsibility.  Within this website, there is no mention of who authored the curriculum, or whether these authors are themselves indigenous.  Would the topics of study be different if this curriculum was written today?  Interestingly, there is a section on native contributions to technology in the 30-level course.

 

  1. Alberta Teachers’ Association – Indigenous Education and Walking Together

https://www.teachers.ab.ca/For%20Members/Professional%20Development/IndigenousEducationandWalkingTogether/Pages/WalkingTogether.aspx

This “Walking Together: Education for Reconciliation Professional Learning Project” is a site put together by the Alberta Teachers’ Association to “support teachers to increase capacity in foundational knowledge of First Nations, Metis and Inuit as outlines in Alberta Education’s new Teaching Quality Standard”.  There are a number of workshops available as well as other resources available through the ATA library.

 

 

  1. New Alberta Teaching Quality Standards (TQS)

https://education.alberta.ca/media/3739620/standardsdoc-tqs-_fa-web-2018-01-17.pdf

Being implemented this school year and next, the new Alberta TQS document outlines the responsibilities that Alberta teachers have in and out of the classroom.  Now grouped into 6 main sections, this document outlines how teachers are expected to foster effective relationships, engage in career-long learning, demonstrate a professional body of knowledge, establish inclusive learning environments, adhere to legal frameworks and policies and most relevant to ETEC 521: Applying Foundational Knowledge about First Nations, Métis and Inuit.

 

  1. Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops – The Church in Canada and Indigenous Peoples

http://www.cccb.ca/site/eng/church-in-canada-and-world/catholic-church-in-canada/indigenous-peoples

This site points out that approximately 25% of all indigenous peoples in Canada identify themselves as Catholic.  According to the 2011 Canadian Census, 39% of Canadians as a whole identified themselves as Roman Catholic (down from 45.3% in 1991).  There is a short discussion of Catholic Missionaries from the 17th to 19th centuries, including a description of the evangelizing process as “uneven and limited.”  “If there were bishops and missionaries championing aboriginal rights, there were also theologians and Church leaders defending colonial exploitation. While some missionaries attempted to protect and understand native cultures, others failed to value native beliefs and customs as seeds of the Word of God.”

 

  1. The Digital Blackfoot Storytelling Project: Methodological Approaches to Child-Centred, Community-Driven Research

http://crytc.uwinnipeg.ca/index.php/2016/01/28/the-digital-blackfoot-storytelling-project-methodological-approaches-to-child-centred-community-driven-research/

I haven’t been able to find a link to the actual Digital Blackfoot Storytelling Project, yet.  This site is an invitation to a public lecture by Dr. Erin Spring from the University of Lethbridge.  It will be interesting to track this one down and see how technology was used in this case to tell Blackfoot stories.

(Entry 5) Book: Across Time and Tundra: The Inuvialuit of the Western Arctic

Book:  Across Time and Tundra: The Inuvialuit of the Western Arctic

I recently (re)discovered this hardcover book that I’ve owned for a number of years but never had the opportunity to read (we moved and I recently found it in a box).  Describing the life of the Inuvialuit people (the Inuit living on the delta of the Mackenzie River), this visually stunning book includes some previously unpublished photos and artifacts of the Inuvialuit people in addition to first person narratives from one of the authors (Ishmael Alunik), and traditional Inuvialuit stories from elders.  Of particular interest is the last section of the book that describes what the Inuvialuit believe they must do in order to continue to survive in a colonial, changing world.  If for no other reason other than to become more aware of this previously threatened Indigenous group, this book is quite an interesting read.

Link:  http://www.publications.gc.ca/site/eng/252793/publication.html

Alunik, I, Kolausok, E, & Morrison, D. (2003). Across Time and Tundra: The Inuvialuit of the Western Arctic. Vancouver and Gatineau: Raincoast Books and Canadian Museum of Civilization.

Module One Resources – Scott Pike

For my Module One contributions, I was initially focused on resources that attempted to preserve oral traditions and stories essential to Indigenous learning.  I feel I was successful in finding a sample of such resources, but the #next150 site was the resource that stood out for me, not for its ability to preserve stories, but because of its innovative blend of technology and social media employed for the purpose of spreading awareness and understanding of Reconciliation.  This is something I would be able to use in my teaching almost immediately.

 

First Nations Pedagogy Online

https://firstnationspedagogy.ca/about.html

As described on the website, First Nations Pedagogy Online is an “online resource that builds on research, consultation, and community-based activities. This site provides best practices and support for online learning initiatives that are intended for Indigenous students, Elders, educators, curriculum developers, and educational leaders.”

The site appears to be a hub for various resources concerning indigenous education. Provided are various summaries of indigenous education best practices, and a portal to a forum that provides members the opportunity to share thoughts and experiences regarding indigenous education.

 

Indian Horse

http://www.indianhorse.ca/en/education

This site serves a promotional vehicle for both the movie Indian Horse, based on the Richard Wagamese book of the same name, as well as general awareness and education for the Reconciliation movement. The #next150 section is of particular interest, as it combines social media with a series of initiatives that challenge the audience to “push [thinking and understanding] of Indigenous issues forward.”

 

Four Directions Teachings

http://fourdirectionsteachings.com

 

This site is a multimedia showcase of indigenous oral teachings, specifically from the Blackfoot, Cree, Ojibwe, Mohawk, and M’ikmaq nations. It is an interactive experience, combining animation and audio, which relates foundational stories, teachings and customs. Teacher resources are provided.

 

Our Voices

http://www.ourvoices.ca/index/about

From the website, “the OurVoices.ca website is intended to provide access to a wealth of audio material on the history and culture of the People of Canada.” The site is an archive of recorded stories and interviews from Louis Bird, aboriginal scholar and storyteller. The site provides hundreds of hours of audio documenting Cree oral traditions, and is provided in English and Cree.

 

The Legends Project

https://www.cbc.ca/radio/ideas/topic/Tag/Legends

 

The Legends Project is a series of podcasts created and presented by CBC Radio, which tell foundational stories from several nations. According to the site, “CBC Radio’s Legends Project compiles traditional oral stories, legends and histories of Canada’s Inuit and First Nations, gathered in communities across the country.” Some of the featured nations include: Blackfoot, Mi’kmaq, Shuswap, Inuit, and Ahtahkakoop.