Module 2 Web Blog- Andrew Shedden
Imagine Native Indigenous Film Festival
This website outlines the Imagine Native Film Festival. There are opportunities for Indigenous content creators to submit their work, networking opportunities and numerous other events. I feel that festivals such as Imagine Native are hugely important, because they are supporting independent media production. I believe that being able to work outside of corporate considerations allows artists to produce art that can be 100% pure to their vision.
Ontario Arts Council Indigenous Artists Grants
http://www.arts.on.ca/grants/priority-group/indigenous-artists
This site outlines the grants available to Indigenous artists funded through the Ontario Arts Council. These include multi-disciplinary artistic mediums, and also include travel and presentation grants. The Ontario Arts Council also offers grants to professional Indigenous Artists to be able to work in schools. These granting programs help support professional artists, and the artist development.
Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada Aboriginal Arts, Culture and Heritage
https://www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/eng/1100100012788/1100100012792
This site outlines some of the work that INAC does to help “celebrate, raise awareness of, and preserve Aboriginal arts, culture and heritage”. It outlines INAC’s art collection, as well as providing an artist directory. The site is rather dated looking, and is primarily text based but does provide several excellent resources.
Authentic Identity through Indigenous Art- Bianca Beetson Ted Talk
This is an excellent Ted Talk by Bianca Beetson. In it, she connects her individual identity as an Aboriginal Australian, with the history and culture of Australia itself. I feel that creation of art (regardless of medium) is so crucial to identity. There have been many studies supporting how artistic creation can be therapeutic. I also feel that the arts perform an important role in cultural creation.
Wawatay News
http://wawataynews.ca/
Wawatay plays an important role in isolated First Nation communities in the North. In many communities there aren’t the facilities or the equipment for video productions. Radio has a much lower cost and is easier to produce. In both communities where I have worked (Sachigo Lake and Kashechewan), Wawatay is listened to by many people in the community. Having the radio facility in the community also allows the Chief and Council to communicate directly with members, for instance during the evacuation in Kashechewan. Down south, radio is primarily controlled by corporate interest. In the north, radio still plays an important cultural function.