Author Archives: catherine steeves

Module 4, Post 5 – Digital Activities

Following the Ginsburg article, I was wondering what other initiatives there were supporting First Nations self-representation in the digital realm.

First Mile is an organization that shares stories of First Nations in ICT. They also conduct research into digital issues.

http://firstmile.ca/

There are also several initiatives to create digital stories about a variety of First Nations experiences. This website focuses on the experiences of men:

http://www.oralhistorycentre.ca/projects/ininiwag-dibaajimowag-first-nations-men-and-inter-generational-experiences-residential

And this one on women:

http://www.pwhce.ca/program_aboriginal_digitalStories.htm

Catherine

Module 4, Post 4 – Bioregional Education

One of the themes that has presented itself is the connection to land and environment. This is an important aspect to incorporate for culturally responsive education.

The Salmon Nation has a number of resources for bioregional education, including essays on a number of topics. They also have an extensive section with links to other websites.

http://www.salmonnation.com/index.php

Resources for Rethinking has a variety of resources like lesson plans and units for teachers wanting to teach sustainability.

http://resources4rethinking.ca/

Catherine

Module 4, Post 3 – Indigenous Knowledge Systems

The Alaska Native Network had very interesting curriculum documents which incorporated Indigenous knowledge systems. I wanted to know if there were similar resources with the same ideas.

This article provides information about how to teach using medicine wheel principles. It elaborates more on the circular process of learning (introduce, explore, apply, generalize, etc).

http://www.cea-ace.ca/education-canada/article/teaching-medicine-wheel

Four Directions Teachings uses audio-visual presentations to teach about Indigenous philosophies and teaching methods.

http://www.fourdirectionsteachings.com/

Catherine

Module 4, Post 2 – Teaching Resources

One aspect that has come up in the discussions is the point that many people would like to improve our practice but are at a loss when it comes to finding resources or information to help us expand our ideas.

This website is designed specifically for educators looking to expand their knowledge about First Nations, Inuit, and Metis worldviews. Their mission is to help teachers infuse these worldviews into teaching. This is a beautifully designed website, and absolutely packed with information.

http://www.learnalberta.ca/content/aswt/

The Yukon First Nations Education Resource has curriculum type documents including lesson plans and teacher guides.

http://www.yesnet.yk.ca/firstnations/index.html

Catherine

Module 4, Post 1 – Story Resources

One of the main themes for all of the different curriculums has been the importance of culture and history, and using stories to teach and help students connect with information and develop their skills. I was interested to see if there were resources for incorporating some of the oral history that has been documented.

This site has videos of different stories, plus teaching resources and information about including First Nations pedagogy into a classroom.
http://firstnationspedagogy.ca/

This website discusses oral culture, including drums and music, and also has a companion site for dancing. Along with printed information there are pictures, audio-visual clips, interviews, etc.
http://www.native-drums.ca/index.php/Home?tp=a&bg=1&ln=e

This is part of the archives of Canada and includes documents that have recorded some traditional stories. Only the documents are included in the site, no extra information.
https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/stories/020020-1100-e.html

Catherine

Module 3, Post 5 – Health and Wellness Organizations

The other aspect I was interested for my final project was Health initiatives. So I have also looked into organizations that provide information about health and wellness.

This organization provides a holistic approach and is focused primarily on healing physical and mental issues from residential schools. They fund a lot of different projects as well as publish documents relating to these concerns.
http://www.ahf.ca/links

This organization works to make public health care more inclusive for all indigenous people. They mix together traditional knowledge with scientific processes such as case studies to help improve public health care.
http://www.nccah-ccnsa.ca/318/How_We_Work.nccah

Catherine

Module 3, Post 4 – Environmental Issues

After the March Point video, I was interested to see what types of organizations provide information about environmental concerns from an indigenous viewpoint.

This website focuses on mining. They seek to provide more information about the mining industry and is Aboriginal run.
http://www.aboriginalminerals.com/

This website is a First-Nation directed environmental organization that works to provide solutions to environmental problems. It is a very extensive website, it includes sections on water, food, biodiversity, as well as youth and a section explaining why Indigenous knowledge is important.
http://www.yourcier.org

This website is an organization that brings together other groups and individuals who are interested in environmental issues. They use traditional values to address environmental issues.
http://www.fnen.org/

Catherine

Module 3, Post 3 – Youth Organizations

The videos also made me wonder what types of organizations are available to provide programing and positive environments for Aboriginal youth.

AYO! is a youth volunteer group that provides relationships with local businesses, organizations, and media. They are looking to provide opportunities for aboriginal youth.
http://www.ayomovement.com/

The Canada World Youth has leadership programs for all youth, but they also have a specific section for Aboriginal youth. It follows their leadership principles but is also focused on Aboriginal culture and knowledge.
http://canadaworldyouth.org/apply/programs-for-aboriginal-youth/

The NFB has an Aboriginal Perspectives section which has a youth section. In this section is a number of different organizations for Aboriginal youth.
http://www3.nfb.ca/enclasse/doclens/visau/index.php?mode=theme&language=english&theme=30666&film=17894&excerpt=612112&submode=about&expmode=1

Catherine

Module 3, Post 2 – Youth Productions

I really enjoyed the videos that we watched in this module. I love the idea of youth being able to explore their culture and create something that can be shown to a wide audience. I wanted to see what organizations were out there to support these types of endeavours.

This website is based in the United States but their Resources Section contains links to a whole bunch of other organizations in the US, Canada, and Mexico.
http://filmcatalog.nmai.si.edu/organization/5/

I’ve just featured two of the organizations below, otherwise I would just be reproducing the page.
Going M.I.L.E.S. (motivate, inspire, lead, empower, succeed) promotes positive artistic environments for Aboriginal youth. They have a mentorship program with Aboriginal artists and they promote a variety of the arts, including traditional Aboriginal arts.
http://www.goingmiles.org/

This organization travels around Quebec with their film making equipment to engage youth and help develop media skills as well as positive life skills. Their mission is to help combat isolation and suicide while helping to develop artistic and technical skills while using the creations to help bring awareness to Aboriginal issues.
http://www.wapikoni.ca/home

Catherine

Module 3, Post 1 – Youth and Decolonization

Youth and Decolonization

I was interested in decolonization efforts supporting First Nations youth. I found this interesting article about a comic that works to open a discussion about suicide prevention.
http://www.heretohelp.bc.ca/visions/first-responders-for-young-people-vol3/aboriginal-superhero

There is also a good website for First Nations youth from Quebec and Labrador. Most of the general information is in English but some of the event posting information is in French (for example the June 12 event on Decolonizing Street Art).
http://www.fnyouthnetwork.com/

Catherine