Tag Archives: Computing

Mod#2-Post#5:The Future Imaginary

After completing the first module I realized that the current technology productions are in conflict with Indigenous culture. The questions that I had in mind: How is it possible to change that? How can an Indigenous led-space exist? How can engines and system be coded from an Indigenous worldview? Here I came with the core idea of my project: There is an urgent need for Indigenous people to be part of the future of this industry. It’s a mission that’s crucial not only for Indigenous people, but for anyone who wants a better, more inclusive technology.

Inline with the aim of my project inquiry, in the following TEDX (2013, September 30) production, Jason Lewis talks about the future imaginary for Indigenous communities (see the Initiative for Indigenous Futures [IFF] if you wish to know what this talk relates to). He warns that the lack of representation in technology sector (i.e., design and development) would lead to future made for Indigenous people rather than with them (7:13) and he adds that Indigenous absence from the technology world “implies at best lack of importance and at worse lack of existence” (7:26). These threats made him to work in collaboration with his colleague Skawennati Tricia Fragnito to create Aboriginal Territories in Cyberspace (ABTEC), which hosts the Skins workshops, where indigenous youth engage with the technical and creative aspects of digital media so “they become creators of technology rather than just consumers” (8:35). He emphasized that the importance of such effort is to “seed” into the Indigenous youth minds that they are also capable “to bend complex technology to their own ends” (9:08). He draws the attention that technology structures and systems reflect their builders’ perspectives and “affect us all” (12:57), and that “native people need to get involved in the building of these structures” (13:05). By that, Indigenous participants can increase the assumptions (epistemological/ cultural) upon which the technology systems are based and also the involvement will enable the indigenous people to “colonize some that future imaginary for [themselves]” (13:16). He ends his talk by stating that he asks his students to keep in their minds three questions while designing the future: “Whose past? Whose Present? Whose future?”(14:46), which I believe a message for youth to enact the future with and through their own identities/histories/cultures.

Here is a link to publications of Jason Lewis: Jason Edward Lewis — publications (jasonlewis.org)

Reference:

Mod#2-Post #2: Ethnocomputing

One of the main approaches to Culturally Relevant Teaching (CRE) in computing is called ethnocomputing. Tedre, Sutinen, and Kähkönen (2006) argued that computing is not culturally neutral (i.e., culturally informed by the Western ideals). Thus, computing should be taught using techniques that consider the cultural context of the user. Ethnocomputing was born from this premise and suggests that computing principles should relate to the learners’ cultural framework (Tedre et al., 2006).

In the following video, Dr. Ron Eglash one of the pioneering researchers in ethnocomputing and heritage algorithms and also one of the primary contributors in CDSTs (Culturally Situated Design Tools, there are interesting activities related to the Native American beading and quilting in CDST site) talks about his research in the field of ethnocomputing and algorithms found in Indigenous and ethnic communities through their arts and crafts, architecture, dance and cultural rituals.

One important quote that stood out for me is “Science and technology are done differently in these Indigenous traditions than they are in Europe. Europe is all about economies of extraction so science and technology are specifically created for the purpose of extracting value and carrying it off elsewhere to a corporation or a colonizing nation. In these Indigenous cultures, their science and technology were developed for the purpose of preventing extraction and emphasizing sharing and the circulation of value in this unalienated state.“(PreparationTech, 2020, November 21, 15.45)

Some important recommendations that Eglash stated about how ethnocomputing is applied in teaching Indigenous youth : 1) Use non-coding activities to introduce youth to computing: weaving, quilting, beading, etc. (11.19). 2) Teach youth how Indigenous knowledge has powered today’s science and technology (14.26). 3) Teach students about the cultural background (22:43) (i.e., there is historical background in CDSTs before commencing with related programming / mathematical activities). 4) Provide students both the opportunities and agency in a context of social justice (31:55) (PreparationTech, 2020, November 21)

References:

  • PreparationTech (2020, November). #PreparationTech: Teaching Kids how coding is in hair braiding, quilting, weaving and Latin Music

    . Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mM3eMpgnjcE&t=54s

  • Tedre, M., Sutinen, E., Kähkönen, E., & Kommers, P. (2006). Ethnocomputing: ICT in cultural and social context. Communications of the ACM, 49(1), 126-130. https://doi.org/10.1145/1107458.1107466