Author Archives: MeaganVandekerckhove

Indigenous, Ecology, and Technology

  1. One of the sources I looked at was a document put out by the United Nations and discusses the ecological effects of climate change on Indigenous Peoples around the world. While this doesn’t directly relate to my paper topic, I found it an interesting read to see how drastically these cultures are affected. In seeing how affected these cultures are, you can also see their connection and dependence on the land, something that is often “overlooked” in the modern world http://www.un.org/en/events/indigenousday/pdf/Backgrounder_ClimateChange_FINAL.pdf
  2. The second source I looked at was directly related to my final research topic. https://www.ischool.utexas.edu/~vlibrary/edres/pathfinders/ajohnson/pathfinder.html It is called “A New Understanding of Culture and Communication: The Impact of Technology on Indigenous Peoples” by AJ Johnson. I found this to be a helpful source as it ask some of the key questions surrounding the preservation of Indigenous culture through technology and provides links to sites that attempt to provide an answer.
  3. This was another source that directly relates to the preservation of culture through technology. Its called DiPLO and discusses some of the initiatives being undertaken to use technology constructively and positively in Indigenous Cultures around the world. “Although current trends show that modern technology can put certain cultures at risk, the same technology can be used to solve the problem. In fact, strategic use of the tools at our disposal will not only help to preserve less-represented cultures, but also help promote them to the entire world.”
  4. Another source I looked at tied the theme for this module together with my paper topic. It is called Muiniskw Spirit. It tells the story of “THE LEGACY OF MUIN’ISKW – TRADITIONAL ECOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE.” It is written from the perspective of an Indigenous individual and discusses how “many have found that indigenous philosophies offer some of the most profound insights for cultivating the kind of sustainable relationship we need with the Earth, and the spiritually integrated perception of Nature needed to address what has now become a global crisis of the ecology.” I question the authenticity of this source as it doesn’t explicitly state the credentials of the authors. In reading through this site it made me think of the article we read in Discussion #6 about Blue Snake, an individual masquerading as an Indigenous individual. That being said though, this has the potential to be a great example of how Indigenous cultures can use technology to preserve and share their traditional knowledge.
  5. The last source I looked at was called AMN (Aboriginal Mapping Network). This source shows how technology can be used to map traditional knowledge. “Digital cartography offers exciting opportunities for recording indigenous knowledge, particularly in contexts where a people’s relationship to the land has high cultural significance.”

Indigenous Intellectual Property

  1. The first source I looked at for this module was UNESCO – Teaching and Learning for a Sustainable Future: a multimedia teacher education programme. I looked at the Indigenous Knowledge and Sustainability lesson module. It has six activities to teach teachers about Indigenous knowledge, providing them with definitions and background information. This source also compares Indigenous education to the formal education system.
  2. The second source I looked at was called Word of Mouth. It is about Indigenous Knowledge from the peoples of Africa and how it is in danger of being lost: “Indigenous knowledge is local, mostly traditional knowledge covering medicine, agriculture, religion, rituals and many other spheres of every day life. It still plays a major role in many African countries today, is usually transmitted orally from one generation to the next and is therefore in danger of being forgotten. This section focuses on the exploration, research and recording of indigenous knowledge, and the improved access to it.” I found this to be a good source for my research paper as it talks about Indigenous peoples outside of Canada to help round out my paper. It also has many different articles and sources to access around Indigenous knowledge, the oral tradition, and using technology to preserve culture.
  3. The third source I looked at was an academic paper written by Jane Hunter from the University of Queensland titled The Role of Information Technologies in Indigenous Knowledge Management; “Indigenous Knowledge Centres (IKCs) are being established globally, but particularly in Australia, Africa, Latin America and Asia. The capture and preservation of Indigenous Knowledge is being used to revitalize endangered cultures, improve the economic independence and sustainability of Indigenous communities and to increase community-based involvement in planning and development.” This was a good source for me to look at because it directly relates to my research topic on the role technology can play in the preservation of Indigenous cultures. It talks about what has already been tried and how successful those strategies were.
  4. The fourth source I looked at is a brief article on how technology can help preserve language. One of the strategies that is discussed is digitizing stories to be read to children in Indigenous languages. So far they have some stories in four languages: Maliseet, Mi’kmaw, Ojibwe and Cree. There are multiple partners involved in this project and they believe that “part of the success of this is that the First Nations communities and elders are helping drive this, so they have ownership of it. I think one of the things that’s missed in the education system over the years is a lot of our First Nations communities and indigenous people weren’t part of the solution. They weren’t part of what goes on in designing curriculum” (Brent Tookenay, CEO of Seven Generations Education Institute.) http://tvo.org/article/current-affairs/shared-values/how-technology-and-education-can-help-preserve-aboriginal-languages
  5. The fifth source I looked at was called Cultural Survival. I specifically looked at an article about how computers and technology can be used to preserve language.

Self Representation

For my research topic, I have chosen to look at how First Nations groups might use technology to preserve their cultures and change they way they are perceived and portrayed in today’s society. I focused my search for module 2 keeping this topic in mind.

  1. The first source I found is a Masters Paper from Athabasca University. It is titled The Perpetuation of Native Stereotypes in Film and is written by Kimberley Kiyawasew.  In this paper, Kiyawasew talks about some of the stereotypes of Native Peoples that are portrayed in the film industry. She then goes on to talk about First Nations Filmmakers and how they are changing the storylines and making films that “reflect a truer representation of Native people” (Kiyaywasew, 2014, p.1). These films are challenging the stereotypes that have been previously established by the media and film industry and are a way that First Nations groups are representing themselves to the world in an authentic way.
  2. My second source doesn’t necessarily connect with my research topic but thought it was worth sharing. My friend Carolyn Roberts has created a website, complete with lesson plans around Indigenous education. On this site, she include online and print resources to use in the classroom. She is from the Squamish Nation Indian Band but her ancestors came from the N’Quatqua Band in D’Arcy BC. Because of her background, I trust this to be an authentic source of information and some might find it useful to their studies. http://www.carolynroberts.net/about-me
  3. The third source that I looked at was called Reconciliation Canada. “Reconciliation Canada, an Indigenous-led organization, began in September 2012 with a bold vision to promote reconciliation by engaging Canadians in dialogue that revitalizes the relationships between Indigenous peoples and all Canadians in order to build vibrant, resilient and sustainable communities. A vision based on a dream held by Chief Dr. Robert Joseph, Reconciliation Canada’s Ambassador, to witness tens of thousands of people of every culture and faith walking together for a shared tomorrow.” On this site, you can learn about programs and initiatives surrounding Reconciliation, as well as many online videos and resources on this topic. As this is an Indigenous-led organization, I believe it to be an authentic source of information and shows Indigenous cultures using technology to represent themselves.
  4. The fourth source I looked at was Animikii. They are an Indigenous-Owned technology company based in BC on Coast Salish Territory; “Our technology enables our clients to maximize their social and cultural impact by making effective use of web-based technology. By connecting people with technology we believe that this will build a stronger identity for Indigenous people.” This is a great resource as it shows how technology is being used to represent and connect Indigenous cultures. It also has links to websites that they have created for various clients, providing access to authentic sources of information.
  5. The fifth source that I looked at was the First Nations Technology Council. “The First Nations Technology Council has been mandated by the First Nations Summit, BC Assembly of First Nations and the Union of BC Indian Chiefs to address the technology related needs of BC’s First Nations communities.” One of the goals of the First Nations Technology Council is the “revitalization and preservation of language and culture,” which fits in with my research topic.

The Local and the Global

  1. The first resource I have looked at focuses on Residential Schools and Truth and Reconciliation. It is a compilation of youtube videos that was put together by my school district (SD no.27 Cariboo-Chilcotin, BC). Most of the videos collected are about our district and the First Nations groups there. This is a good resource because it has interviews from locals that survived residential schools, as well as videos about Orange Shirt day and what our district is doing now in attempt to right the wrongs that have been done. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnbQ4Kwu6HFTVb6EHoaYwfA 
  2. The second resource that I looked at was a blog post from the Christensen Fund. https://www.christensenfund.org/2012/09/05/digital-technology-for-indigenous-empowerment/ This post talks about how technology was used to empower indigenous cultures around the world. How they used things such as cameras to document their culture and show the world how they actually live, their language, their customs, etc. rather than waiting for someone on the outside to inaccurately portray them. This blog post fits with my initial research paper idea, in that I wanted to know what impact technology can have in helping to preserve indigenous cultures and if they would be receptive to this. According to this post, one of “Ethiopia’s most isolated tribes – the Mursi” are excited about what technology can do to preserve their culture.
  3. The third source that I looked at was the Ethnos Project. They are  “a research initiative and resource database that explores the intersection of Indigeneity and information and communication technologies (ICTs).” The post that I was reading was title “The Impact of Digital Technology on Indigenous Peoples” (http://resources.ethnosproject.org/the-impact-of-digital-technology-on-indigenous-peoples/) and it gave an overview of some of the resources related to this topic, as well as a list of other resources. I found this a valuable resource to bookmark for my research paper as it not only provides additional sources to look at, but it also talks about the positive and negatives of Indigeneity and technology.
  4. The fourth source that I looked at was a wiki page made by UBC students in ETEC 510. I have some reservations about this source as to the authenticity of the information provided; it is their shared knowledge from research that they have done. That being said, I think that it is a good starting place as it touches on many aspects of Indigeneity and Technology, and also provides a lists of the resources that they used to make the site that I can then go to and look at myself.  http://etec.ctlt.ubc.ca/510wiki/Indigenous_Cultures_and_Globalization
  5. The fifth source that I looked at was a journal article written by Rebeka Tabobondung, University of Toronto titled “Indigenous Perspectives on Globalization: Self-Determination Through Autonomous Media Creation.” This article touches on how Indigenous peoples can use technology to self publish and preserve their culture, as well as regain “control of media representations of themselves” (p.2). While this is an interesting read about how Indigenous peoples can create an image for themselves in the digital world, I question the authenticity of the author as it is not know their credentials on this topic. http://www.nvit.ca/docs/indigenous%20perspectives%20on%20globalization%20self-determination%20through%20autonomous%20media%20creation.pdf

I hope that one or more of these resources can be helpful to you on your travels!

-Meagan