Author Archives: Tina Gordon

First Nations Tech Council article

This is an interesting article published by Stephen Hui last week in the online magazine, “Georgia Straight”. The article outlines how the First Nations Technology Council would like to help British Columbian First Nations people to gain technology skills and be more prepared to work in a wide variety of fields including the oil and gas industry and for social media companies who have offices in Vancouver. The author recognizes that having an increased number of people working in tech fields could be beneficial both for the First Nations people, but also for others to become more educated about First Nations issues.

Considering the relevancy to this course, I found the timing of this article to be perfect to share!

Language Nest Handbook

This is a direct link to the “Language Nest Handbook for B.C. First Nations Communities“. This resource was created by the First Peoples’ Cultural Council. A “Language Nest” is the creation of a pre-school First Nations Language immersion environment. By targetting very young children, whose brains are in the high intensity zone for learning language, it is felt that a greater level of success can be achieved. Also, starting young helps to ensure that the language may continue on to become a fluid part of life. Elders are involved in the program to provide language immersion through nuturing, play, and conversations. Teachers and support staff work together with the Elders to meet the needs of the learners. In this way, the Language Nest program is truly a program that incorporates the community.

Language Revitalization Initiative

This site, a piece of the “First People’s Cultural Council, focuses on “How to begin an Indigenous Language Revitalization Initiative”. This site proposes a number of questions to get the thinking started and then outlines the 9 stages necessary for successful implementation. This is an excellent outline for springboarding a positive program.

First Nations – Land Rights and Environmentalism in B.C.

This site provides an overview of the First Nations Land Rights and Environmentalism in B.C. from the perspective of the First Nations people. I have chosen to focus on the “Kwakwaka’wakw” people, under the “Fishing” heading, as this is the focus group for my research. The site provides a very detailed overview of the various First Nations bands that make up the coast of B.C. and a passionate perspective on the exploitation of natural resources by the provinces non-indigenous peoples.

Reversing Language Shift: Can Kwak’wala be revived? – interesting article

This is a link to an interesting article entitled Reversing Language Shift : Can Kwak’wala be revived? This article reviews different attempts, world wide, to revitalize language. It then identifies the most useful pieces of these methods and how they might be used to help save Kwak’wala on Vancouver Island, B.C.

First Voices

First Voices is an interactive language learning site designed to introduce the user to a variety of First Nations languages across Canada. The user can select various regions and find out information about the area, hear samples of the language, and even view a limited art gallery. Created in British Columbia, most of the examples provided are from the coast of B.C.

Kwakwala Language Site

As my proposal is specific to using technology to support the revitalization of the Kwak’wala language, I started looking up existing resources .

This site provides a quick snapshot overview of Kwak’wala and also links to many Kwakuitl resources. Kwakuitl is a subdivision of Kwak’wala.

Tech Ties: Merging Oral Culture, Language Lessons and Today’s Youth

Oral culture societies kept identity and tradition alive by sharing history and recording important events through stories and song. In this way, lessons were taught, virtues were embedded, and spirituality was strengthened. Colonization led to the demise of many Indigenous languages. As a result, the very foundation of the culture was jeopardized.

Today, a concentrated effort is being made in many Aboriginal communities to revive traditional languages, song, dance, and return to the roots of the culture. As a result, oral culture societies are coming back to life. One such group is the Laich-kwil-tach peoples of Campbell River, who have been working hard to teach Kwak’wala, the traditional language of their people, to the youth of the city. Unfortunately, despite concentrated efforts, participation among both Aboriginal and non-Aboroginal youth remains slim and inconsistent.

In an effort to appeal to more youth and increase their cultural education, how can technology be used to help record and revitalize the oral culture and language of the Laich-kwil-tach peoples?

To investigate this topic it is important to:

1) identify steps already taken to revitalize the language / culture

2) identify challenges

3) research existing ideas

4) explore and apply current technology as a means of recording and sharing traditional language and culture

Native Women’s Association of Canada

The Native Women’s Association of Canada is a site dedicated specifically to supporting the needs of some of the most vulnerable and victimized; aboriginal women. This site contains current events, information and news, as well as policy outlines for a large variety of areas, including education.

There are a lot of items in the news about the victimization of aboriginal women in British Columbia. Between 1981 and 2012 at least 1181 aboriginal BC women either went missing or were confirmed killed. Investigations into these atrocities are ongoing.

For people interested in learning more about support the aboriginal women of Canada, this site may prove invaluable. This includes supporting in the research of education for aboriginal women.

Assembly of First Nations

The Assembly of First Nations is the national body representing the interests and rights of Canada’s aboriginal people. On this site you will find a wealth of information, including the Charter of the Assembly, policies, news, and updates from the National Chief, currently Perry Bellegarde,

The AFN site is crucial for anyone interested in current events for Canada’s Aboriginal peoples around education, politics, treaties, housing, and almost any current events topic.