Author Archives: Edenia Lai

MODULE 4 WEBLOG – EDENIA LAI

For the final weblog, I was interested in understanding how curricula has changed to support the role of place in the province of BC. Specifically, I also wanted to delve deeper into educational practices that have been introduced within the classroom.

Integrating Aboriginal Perspectives into Curricula (Manitoba Document)
Link: http://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/docs/policy/abpersp/ab_persp.pdf

This resource guide is targeted towards curriculum developers, teachers and administrators. What I appreciated most about this document was that it respectfully acknowledged that each Aboriginal culture expresses the same world view in different ways. The chapter that I most enjoyed reading about was on the topic of the medicine wheel. To briefly reiterate, the medicine wheel is ‘an ancient symbol that reflects values, world views and practices and is used to represent the interconnected relationships among aspects of life and to provide direction and meaning to an individual’. In the Kawagley and Barnhardt reading, we learned that indigenous education should begin with the five basic elements of the universe. After reading about this ancient symbol, I wonder if the medicine wheel could also play a role in the classroom similar to the five elements. Learning about powwows was also eye opening for me and a tremendous privilege.

Aboriginal Worldviews and Perspectives in the Classroom: Moving Forward (Document)
Link: http://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/education/administration/kindergarten-to-grade-12/aboriginal-education/awp_moving_forward.pdf

I’m pleased to have come across this document, created by the Ministry of Education in collaboration with a First Nations Education Steering Committee and Representatives from the Ministry Curriculum team. I’m trying to be careful and not focus on as many government resources in my website exploration, but this document echoed many of the themes in the Kawagley and Barnhardt and Scollon readings which included:

  • An emphasis on the role of the teacher to find out local protocols when introducing local materials
  • A need to incorporate Aboriginal history, experience, stories, imagery and ecology in teaching practices
  • Providing opportunities for students to engage with locally developed resources and local knowledge keepers

Participant testimonials, thoughts and suggestions by Aboriginal students were situated throughout the document which were a challenging reminder of the needs that still exist.

Voices of Wisdom (Video)
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbxCtmteQ-U

The wisdom and narratives of elders are shared in this video and is intended to inform educational practices in the classroom. In short – wow. These stories were a powerful reminder of the importance of teacher training on the themes of history, spirituality, ceremonies and traditions and most importantly: respect. I learned that each elder has a different gift and the importance of storytelling in the classroom.

Research Monograph: Principles to Valuing the Aboriginal Learner
Link: http://www.oise.utoronto.ca/deepeningknowledge/UserFiles/File/FNMI_-_Research_Monograph_11_-_Aboriginal_Perspectives_Toulouse.pdf

The monograph explores the relationship between self-esteem and educational attainment. The seven principles to valuing the Aboriginal learner include respect, love, bravery, wisdom, humility, honesty and truth. The last principle – truth, was humbling to read. To elaborate, truth is described as ‘the process of coming to terms with how things really are and developing a plan for change’. Teachers play a critical role in change and as such we need to be accountable to students and their communities to ensure that clear and measurable outcomes are being met.

Aboriginal Perspectives: A Guide to the Teacher’s Toolkit (Elementary and Secondary Audience)
Link: http://www.oise.utoronto.ca/deepeningknowledge/UserFiles/File/UploadedAmina_/AborigPerspectGuide_Toolkit2009.pdf

An electronic resource created by educators in Ontario who have expertise in bringing Aboriginal themes and perspectives into the classroom. The resource is broken up into two parts, the first section lists the expectations in the revised curriculum that contain Aboriginal perspectives (separated by grade and subject) and the second section contains teaching strategies for instructors to incorporate in the classroom. The guide was practical but simplistic. A more robust description of each strategy can be found here on the ministry website: http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/aboriginal/toolkit.html.

 

MODULE 3 WEBLOG – EDENIA LAI

Module three has focused on the topic of decolonization. I admit that the readings and videos that I’ve delved into this month have admittedly been both anger inducing and very touching all at once. The stories of youth in particular were uplifting despite the heavy material of the topic. Overall. I think the learnings speak to a journey of reconciliation and compensation that is still ridden with challenges. In sum, there’s still work to be done and we must work diligently towards it.

On this note, I was inspired to look into the work of organizations (including the government) and institutions that are working towards culturally responsive models of education in our schools.

B.C Principals and Vice Principals Association (BCPVPA)
Link: http://bcpvpa.bc.ca/about-the-association/

The BCPVPA is an independent professional association dedicated to helping administrators provide educational leadership in their schools. Members have access to resources and services to promote student excellence in the classroom. I was drawn to the number of resources on the website speaking to readings and references on the topic of indigeneity and education. In particular, I was also very interested to see that the organization had partnered with the UBC Faculty of Education to publish a book speaking to Aboriginal education enhancement agreements, curriculum development and change, policy and research just to name a few. In sum, leading educational change is a topic that isn’t discussed enough in our schools, therefore an association with a mandate to support administrators in their push forward for positive change through learning, knowing and sharing is in my opinion a step in the right direction.

Thompson Rivers University Handbook for Educators of Aboriginal Students
Link: https://www.tru.ca/__shared/assets/Handbook_for_Educators_of_Aboriginal_Students39099.pdf

In my search for educator resources, I stumbled upon the TRU website. To quote directly from the website, TRU supports roughly 1,000 Aboriginal students on its Kamloops campus therefore they self-publicize to be the ‘university of choice’ for aboriginal students. TRU emphasizes a focus on student strengths and aims to incorporate aboriginal culture, history and knowledge in their curriculum, research and classroom activities. In addition to having an office for aboriginal education, I was very pleasantly surprised to see that they have established protocols and even an aboriginal service plan. Furthermore, TRU has created a handbook for educators of aboriginal students that speaks to effective and innovative educational practices and supports (WOW!). I sum, I was very impressed to see that TRU is working to support a teaching and learning environment that advocates for aboriginal students and in tandem, equips its staff to do so as well.

First Nations Education Steering Committee
Link: http://www.fnesc.ca/

The mandate of the FNESC is to provide services, communications, advocacy, program administration and networking, however most importantly, it aims to share information about government policies and initiatives that impact First Nations learners. In my search for resources, I was very interested to learn about the activity of steering committees across the province and their work in partnership with schools at both the K-12 and post-secondary level. In short, I was tremendously impressed and inspired by their accomplishments which include the development of innovative curriculum at the secondary level and the establishment of the BC Aboriginal post-secondary education and training partners group. Publications and reports also live on this website, namely one of great interest to me titled “How Are We Doing?” Aboriginal Performance Data to monitor the performance of Aboriginal students in the BC public school system.

UBC CTLT: Indigenous Initiatives
Link: http://indigenousinitiatives.ctlt.ubc.ca/

Closer to home, I was (embarrassingly so) surprised to learn that the CTLT or the Center for Teaching, Learning and Technology routinely develops and offers programming, resources and consultations focused on indigenous engagement in curriculum, pedagogy, classroom climate and professional development. For staff in particular, there are opportunities to engage in six prominent projects that all focus on building a shared awareness of indigenous topics. The projects also provide an accessible starting point for the university community to learn about Aboriginal cultures, politics and histories.

Information about the six projects are outlined at the following link: http://indigenousinitiatives.ctlt.ubc.ca/research-resources/

University of Victoria Aboriginal Student Transition Handbook
Link: https://www.uvic.ca/services/indigenous/assets/docs/Aboriginal%20Student%20Transition%20Handbook%20Final.pdf

The UVic Aboriginal Student Transition Handbook was created out of a desire to address questions and concerns of indigenous students as they enter into post-secondary study or are preparing to graduate. The handbook contains the views of indigenous students and was created in collaboration with research partners and a steering committee. As I read through the document, I was grateful to see that there was content speaking to culture shock, a topic that we’ve touched upon this module and staying connected to community and culture. Although the audience of the handbook are indigenous students, I really felt that this resource is a necessity for advisors as well. To elaborate, it’s important for advisors to understand the transition to university from the student perspective. If there’s an area that we can improve on, I would say that we (the school) can do a better job of anticipating the challenges that students will face so that they can focus on their studies and being well.

MODULE 2 WEBLOG – EDENIA LAI

Module two focuses on the theme of stereotypes and the commodification of indigenous social reality. As I reflected on the readings this week, I was inspired to look into the tools that have been used for indigenous self-representation and their impact, both positive and negative on indigenous communities.

Indigenous Corporate Training
Link: https://www.ictinc.ca/blog/value-of-engaging-with-indigenous-communities-via-social-media

An interesting website I stumbled upon was Indigenous Corporate Training (ICT). ICT offers hundreds of articles, videos and e-books that share knowledge and information to make as it describes ‘the world a better place for both indigenous and non-indigenous people’. What led me to the site was the article titled ‘The Value of Engaging with Indigenous Communities via Social Media’.

The article speaks directly to the many benefits of using social media tools (Facebook, Twitter etc.) by indigenous communities that have bandwidth. Many of the benefits raised have already been touched on therefore I won’t outline them here. Interestingly enough though, the author points to the role of social media in promoting community transparency. Suggesting as such, that each indigenous community should have a community engagement strategy that incorporates the use of social media (the article assumes rather naively that all indigenous communities have bandwidth). In fact, the website offers a training session focused on how to create an indigenous engagement plan!

Creative Spirits Website
Link: https://www.creativespirits.info/#axzz4kO6NXpIp

I admit I went down the rabbit hole when I found this website. As an online database, Creative Spirits offers a multitude of resources (indigenous movies, online articles, printable worksheets etc.) to support individuals in their exploration of indigenous culture. Many of the statements advertised on the website were focused on bringing awareness to hidden Aboriginal successes that mainstream media ignores, including a litany of articles focused on the role of social media in promoting education and health. Of notable mention is the role of social media in preventing isolation, suicide and self-harm.

CBC News (Politics)
The Canadian Press. (2012, July 11th). Aboriginal social media shapes race for national chief. CBC News. Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/aboriginal-social-media-shapes-race-for-national-chief-1.1282129

The topic of Aboriginal politics is a subject matter covered frequently by the CBC. However I wanted to bring the following article forward as it pertains to this week’s reading. The article highlights the role of social media in supporting the political race of candidates in Canada and its effect on building a more engaged community of voters. To clarify, the article highlights how social media is bridging the gap of space/time for political community engagement. Historically, campaigns leading up to a vote have been conducted by phone, print media or in person. However new media (Twitter and Facebook) and the creation of the APTN are giving candidates additional avenues of communication. All around, I found this article to be a fascinating read.

Literature review: Colonialism is bad for your health…but indigenous media can help.
Parker, C. J. (2016). Colonialism is bad for your health… but indigenous media can help. Fourth World Journal, 14(2), 27-35.

I was interested in the role of social media as it pertains to the promotion of health and well-being after reviewing the Creative Spirits website. Courtney Parker has written an excellent literature review of institutional barriers that can contribute to poor health (For instance, communication and language barriers that result from ineffective translation services which can impact both patient care and treatment). Parker advocates for indigenous media as being an essential service in communities. Social media in this light is not optional, but a requirement for healthy and thriving indigenous communities.

The portrayal of Indigenous health in selected Australian media
Goodman, J., Daube, M., & Stoneham, M. J. (2014). The portrayal of indigenous health in selected australian media. International Indigenous Policy Journal, 5(1)

The literature I’ve read to date has portrayed media as having a positive and impactful role in building social cohesion, community life and health and well-being initiatives in indigenous communities. Therefore it was an eye opening read to review Jodie Goodman’s article on the media’s role in portraying consistent and crushingly negative portrayals of indigenous health in Australia. After reading the article, I was very keen to understand how these stereotypes can lead to a decreased quality in care of indigenous people by health professionals across the country.

Module 1 Weblog – Edenia Lai

Hare states that indigenous knowledge represents the local and culturally specific knowledge of a people that’s dynamic and adapts over time and place (2011). Hare’s statement really resonated with me, because it tells me personally that indigenous communities can find spaces (and uses) for technology that’s not only respectful of cultural tradition, but thoughtful and meaningful to the educational needs of its people.

On this note, the answer to whether cyberspace is culturally neutral is a big one, mainly because the question continues to draw debate and resistance. Ironically however, we haven’t talked yet about concerns around its implementation. For example, is it even feasible to bring high speed internet to rural indigenous communities if there isn’t consensus around its use? I bring this concern forward because the cost of ICT implementation is as one can anticipate, very costly to establish in rural communities. In this respect, I wondered about rural indigenous communities that have benefited from ICT implementation. These stories are important, because they highlight the advantages that technology can bring to indigenous communities as well as the role it can have in strengthening the relationships we have with indigenous peoples living in rural areas.

As I researched this topic, I came across several journal articles/websites of interest speaking to the impact that technology has in health promotion/education and service delivery (care) in indigenous communities. I’m still debating on a topic for my research paper, however at the moment I’m quite interested in continuing my understanding and exploration of technology as it pertains to these two areas.

First Nations Health Authority
What is eHealth? (2017). Retrieved from http://www.fnha.ca/what-we-do/ehealth

Described as the first province wide health authority of its kind in Canada. In 2013, the FNHA assumed responsibility for all programs and services previously controlled by Health Canada’s First Nations Inuit Health Branch Pacific Region. The vision of the FNHA is to “transform the health and well-being of BC’s First Nations and Aboriginal people by dramatically changing healthcare for the better”. Technology is at the center of the authority’s vision in redesigning the health service delivery model that’s currently supporting indigenous communities across BC.

Tripartite Committee on First Nations Health Annual Report
Together in Wellness – 2015-16 Tripartite Committee on First Nations Health Annual Report. (Apr 5, 2017). Retrieved from http://www.fnha.ca/Documents/2015-2016-Together-In-Wellness.pdf

The document highlights changes and improvements made to the delivery of health services serving First Nations and Aboriginal people’s in the province of British Columbia. Specifically, the implementation of telehealth and electronic health records have been identified as a key priority in addressing barriers to health care access and delivery in rural Aboriginal communities.

Impact of ICT on Social Capital in Aboriginal Communities in Canada
Mignone, J., & Henley, H. (2009). Impact of information and communication technology on social capital in aboriginal communities in canada. Journal of Information, Information Technology, and Organizations, 4, 127.

This journal article highlights the impact of ICT on social capital in First Nations, Inuit and Metis communities. Interestingly so, social capital has become a notion for measuring the impacts of ICT in communities (creating greater access to essential services such as education, training and health care in indigenous communities).

Aboriginal communities urged to develop own solutions to youth suicide (CBC article)
Aboriginal communities urged to develop own solutions to youth suicide. (Apr 23, 2007). Retrieved from http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/aboriginal-communities-urged-to-develop-own-solutions-to-youth-suicide-1.650383

The CBC article speaks to the lack of health care services available in remote aboriginal communities to prevent youth suicide. The article suggest that part of the problems stems from the differences between traditional and western approaches to healthcare.

First Nations Technology Council
About Us. (2017). Retrieved from http://www.technologycouncil.ca/about-us/our-mandates

I stumbled across the First Nations Technology Council and was fascinated by their mission. In summary, the FNTC works to build an awareness of what it considers to be a critical need of technologies in First Nations communities. Acting as a convener between government, industry, academic and First Nations communities, the FNTC focuses on advocating for the promotion of technology in four main areas (digital skills development, connectivity, information management and technical services and support). After viewing the site, I wondered if there were opportunities for the FNTC to be involved in the conversation around health service delivery in indigenous communities