Category Archives: Archive

Reconnecting to Language and Culture, and the Path to Reconciliation

1. The link below is for the Reconciliation Canada website. The “About Us” section tells its audience that the idea around Reconciliation Canada was “born from the vision of Chief Dr. Robert Joseph, Gwawaenuk Elder.” Reconciliation Canada provides information and resources to help engage individuals, groups, and communities in discussions and experiences related to reconciliation with the purpose of “revitaliz(ing) the relationships among Indigenous peoples and all Canadians.” This website offers “Programs & Initiatives,” suggestions for how to “Get Involved,” “News & Events,” “Resources,” how to “Contact” them, and how to “Donate.” I found the resources section especially helpful from the perspective of an educator because it provides resources to access the topic of reconciliation from a variety of sources and instructional strategies, including videos, impact stories, useful links, shareable documents, and toolkits.

Specifically, one video I felt was very powerful was a TEDxEastVan talk by Chief Dr. Robert Joseph which shared a message of hope for reconciliation and that “we are all one.” Chief Dr. Joseph’s message was clear, that reconciliation is “for all of us,” and he questioned and then discussed what reconciliation would look like in the future. The talk can be found at: http://reconciliationcanada.ca/chief-joseph-speaks-at-tedx-eastvan/

The Reconciliation Canada main website information is:
Reconciliation Canada. (n.d.). Retrieved 18 October, 2016, from: http://reconciliationcanada.ca/about/about-us/

2. The next link is to an article in a chapter of a virtual textbook, AFMC Primer on Population Health. The section discusses the profound impact of colonization, specifically the impact of residential schools, loss of language and culture, and western values and laws forced on Indigenous populations in Canada, and the lasting health effects that are the consequence. In addition to this, the significant differences between Indigenous healing practices and western medicine, as well as the potential for integration of these two is touched on.

Indigenous people’s health in Canada. (n.d.). AFMC Primer on Population Health, The Association of Faculties of Medicine of Canada Public Health Educators’ Network. Retrieved 20 October, 2016, from: http://phprimer.afmc.ca/Part1-TheoryThinkingAboutHealth/Chapter3CulturalCompetenceAndCommunication/Indigenouspeople146shealthinCanada
(License: Creative Commons BY-NC-SA)

3. The following link is for the National Collaborating Centre for Aboriginal Health (NCCAH) which was established in 2005 by the Government of Canada and is one of six National Collaborating Centres for Public Health in Canada. The NCCAH is hosted by the University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) “as part of its dedication to First Nations and Aboriginal programming” and is funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada.

When looking at the site, I focused on the “Setting the Context” section. One link that provided a good overview for anyone interested is “An Overview of Aboriginal Health in Canada” which can be found at: http://www.nccah-ccnsa.ca/Publications/Lists/Publications/Attachments/101/abororiginal_health_web.pdf

This overview is essentially a factsheet which provides a good overview of and statistical representation of First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples in Canada. The overview touches on a number of significant issues affecting First Nations populations, and the information referenced in the overview is quite up-to-date with references as recent as 2013.

NCCAH home page:
National Collaboration Centre for Aboriginal Health. (n.d.). Retrieved 28 October, 2016, from: http://www.nccah-ccnsa.ca/en/

4. I found the next link interesting as it appeared to attempt to address the issue of developing early education opportunities for First Nations children, which seemed to connect well with the “Stepping Forward” video that we watched in Module 3 – Week 8. The website states, “the Government of Canada established Aboriginal Head Start to help enhance child development and school readiness of First Nations, Inuit and Métis children…” However, I believe this link could potentially act as an interesting debate piece. While the website asserts that the goal of the program “is to support early child development strategies that are designed and controlled by communities,” I question whether the governing body (in this case, the Government of Canada) will allow that development to be based around First Nations culture and language, or if western education strategies will actually be targeted through development/learning outcomes prescribed by the government. Interestingly, the programming outline lists “education” and “culture and language” as two separate components.

First Nations & Inuit Health: Aboriginal Head Start on Reserve. (2011). Health Canada. Retrieved 28 October, 2016, from: www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fniah-spnia/famil/develop/ahsor-papa_intro-eng.php

5. My final link is to a news article that connects directly to the issues shared on the “Stepping Forward” video watched in Module 3 – Week 8. While the article deals with a current issue and has only been published within the last few days, the issue itself brings the reader back to the days of residential schools. The article reveals that the government of Nunavut is investigating a report of at least one teacher threatening punishment and actually disciplining a student for speaking their language, Inuktitut, in school. The article discusses the fact that there are fewer than 200 Inuit teachers and over 400 non-Inuit teachers currently teaching in Nunavut, which contributes to the lack of language and cultural understanding in the territory.

Sahar Zerehi, S. (2016, Oct. 29). No Inuktitut in school rule evokes painful memories of residential schools. CBC News. Retrieved 30 October, 2016, from: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/no-inuktitut-school-rule-evokes-residential-school-memories-1.3824596

Additional Reference used in above notes:
NunavutEducation. (2012). Alluriarniq – stepping forward: Youth perspectives on high school education in Nunavut . Retrieved 26 October, 2016, from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bh36hsFE8n4

Getting Technical

Tunison, S. (2007). Aboriginal learning: A review of current metrics of success. University of Saskatchewan, Aboriginal Education Research Centre, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and First Nations and Adult Higher Education Consortium, Calgary, Alberta. Retrieved from http://deslibris.ca.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/ID/218414

This document investigates the definition of success in learning for aboriginal students, provides indicators of success and then provides recommendations for educators. The author puts significant focus on the ‘learning spirit’ that “emerges from the exploration of the complex interrelationships that exist between the learner and his or her learning journey” (Tunison, 2007, p.10) prior to discussing pedagogy and technology.

Crossing Boundaries Aboriginal Voice. (2005). Aboriginal voice national recommendations: From digital divide to digital opportunity. Ottawa, ON. Retrieved from http://deslibris.ca.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/ID/241099

Although these recommendations include elearning, they also include recommendations around egovernment, cultural and linguistic preservation and sustainability. From what I gather, the recommendations were presented to a government agency but I was unable to find any follow up papers. The paper has some valuable points on elearning and information and communication technologies in aboriginal communities.

Kawalilak, C., Wells, N. (Little Mustache), Connell, L., Beamer, K. (2012). E-learning Access, Opportunities, and Challenges for Aboriginal Adult Learners Located in Rural Communities. College Quarterly, 15 (2).

This is a very relevant and fairly recent study done by Bow Valley College in Calgary done using research methods respectful of the communities that they were researching. The authors discuss four themes that surfaced in the study: “1) Building Capacity: Onsite Education, 2) Success Factors: Needs and Perspectives, 3) Relationships and Learning: The Human Factor, and 4) Technology: Bridges and Barriers” (Kawalilak, Wells, Connell, Beamer & Kate, 2012) and provide 12 specific recommendations based on these themes.

O’Donnell, S., Walmark, B., Hancock, B-R. (2010) Videoconferencing and Remote and Rural First Nations, in White, J., Peters, J., Beavon, D., Dinsdale, P. (eds) Aboriginal Policy Research Volume 6: Learning, Technology and Traditions. Toronto: Thompson Educational Publishing: 128-139.

Though video-conferencing seems to be used less since the publication of this article it has some interesting and useful comments that could certainly be transferable to other technologies in online courses (i.e. Skype, Google Hangouts, Blackboard Connect, Adobe Connect). The article is based on the premise that face to face contact is valuable to aboriginal students, a premise that has plenty of support. It explores the various functionalities of video-conference technologies with aboriginal students.

Using Digital Platforms To Build Political Consciousness And Positivity

This Weblog, I decided to look at Instagram accounts, a podcast, and website by Indigenous artists, media producers, activists, and all of the above at the same time 🙂 I think it’s a great example of the themes touched upon in this week’s films, and a look at how people engage with digital platforms from culturally, socially, and politically specific locations.

A Tribe Called Red: https://www.instagram.com/atribecalledred/

This group has been gaining national and international attention over the past several years because of their unique blend of musical genres (often pow wow music blended with electronica) as well as their amazing musical collaborations.

Steven Paul Judd: https://www.instagram.com/stevenpauljudd/?hl=en

An amazing artist, activist, and speaker whose artistic humour cuts right to the bones of many of the political issues facing Indigenous communities in North America.

Moontime Warrior: https://moontimewarrior.com/

Erica Violet Lee is an Indigenous Feminist and community organizer who uses social media and websites to share her political work and view. She was involved in Idle No More and offers cutting critiques of the current political landscape.

Kent Monkman: https://www.instagram.com/kentmonkman/

Monkman is one of my favourite contemporary visual artists. His work disrupts the normative and taken for granted understandings of history and the present through his alter ego, Miss Chief Testicles, who appears as a character in many of his paintings and installations.

Métis In Space: http://www.metisinspace.com/

Two witty women (re)consider the genre of science fiction using a decolonial analysis.

Indigenous Intellectual Property

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.
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.
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.
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
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.

Module 3 Literacy Journey Continuing

What is First Voices ? http://www.firstvoices.com/

“FirstVoices is a group of web-based tools and services designed to support Aboriginal people engaged in language archiving, language teaching & culture revitalization”. It offers materials in over 60 languages as well as in May, 2016 launched a keyboard which can be downloaded in Mac or Android to offer Indigenous youth the ability to type and communicate in their own language! This was a request I just had in our own school district so I am thrilled to find this and look forward to hearing about it’s possible success.

2. This guide, found at http://portal.acc-society.bc.ca/literacy/storytelling contains information concerned with promoting literacy and language development in young Aboriginal children. Links to many online resources are available, as well as resources from the Aboriginal Childcare Society are available to borrow or purchase. Links to programs such as PALS, teaching information on literacy and language for young children and a link to the First Nations language building guide in BC are some of the many resources found here.

chrome-extension://mloajfnmjckfjbeeofcdaecbelnblden/http://www.ecdip.org/docs/pdf/CLLRNet%20Feb%202008.pdf

This paper summarizes what is currently known about language and literacy development for Aboriginal children under the age of 6 in Canada. Although I am focusing my literacy research on school aged children, the background of speech –language development and its relationship to literacy later on is integral. We must be aware that Aboriginal children often do not speak in traditional home dialects of English or French, but that these dialects be recognized and respected, not looked at as speech impediments or learning disabilities. Again, this one won’t link directly but needs to be copied and pasted into your browser.

http://mje.mcgill.ca/article/view/8949/6943

This article is a qualitative research study of Indigenous youth in public education in Canada. Background research describing the difficulties facing aboriginal youth in our public school system is outlined, highlighting poverty, effects of residential schools and difficulties in the relationships between Aboriginal families and the schools. “Accordingly, the present study focuses on a qualitative exploration of the perspectives of small groups of Aboriginal students (Grades 4 through 8) as well as teachers at their schools, regarding facilitators and barriers to school success, including self-concept and academic aspirations. Although this is a small study, capturing the views of a few students and teachers, it is novel in terms of its multi-reporter approach as well as its focus on the voices of Aboriginal students that are rarely heard in the research community”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tswVV2YkjKA

Its Not an opinion: It’s A fact (You Tube), looks at the facts surrounding Indigenous people in Canada, mostly in percentages rating the differences between Native and non-Native Canadians in everything from poverty rates, school completion, job opportunities and incarceration statistics. The film ends with the statement, ”There is hope”. Hope, I believe, lies in the relationships between First Nation Canadians and non-First Nations Canadians, relationships which are gaining strength through reconciliation, understanding and an improved BC Curriculum. It was heartening hearing the stories of youth in the videos at the end of Module 3.

Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ) – Traditional Knowledge in Digital Media

Sanikiluaq, NU Country Food - Berries (image from http://www.najuqsivik.com/gateway/countryfood/, licence for educational purposes)

Country Food – Berries (image from Najuqsivik DayCare Gateway Project, licence use for educational purposes)

This weblog continues from Module 1’s overview websites that included IQ in the curriculum, and Module 2 Traditional Knowledge in Cyberspace. In this Module 3 Weblog, I have curated Inuit digital media projects.

11. Najuqsivik Daycare

Najuqsivik Daycare in Sanikiluaq, NU, runs more than just a daycare, but also the community access program and community TV channel. In 2006, Najuqsivik received Canadian Heritage funding to showcase Sanikiluaq and Inuit Culture. The topic pages include: soapstone carving, country food, camping, traditional medicine, with beautiful images. There is also 27 short Quicktime movies of ranging in topic from seal skinning, doll making to housing.

12. Inuit Cultural Online Resource

Inuit Culture Online Resource, funded by Canadian Heritage, was designed to introduce Canadian school age children to Inuit culture. There is a written narrative that covers a broad range of topics including: Inuit history, modern vs traditional life. There are 11 short videos on topics including: throat singing, drumming, games and making bannock. Teachers will be interested in the teaching resources, which include colouring sheets.

13. Nipiit Magazine

Nipiit tags itself as Canada’s Inuit Youth Magazine. There are 10 issues that are written in both Inuktitut and English. The articles are written and photos are by Inuit youth around the country; they report on community news, school projects, health and lifestyle.

14. Avataq

Avataq is a cultural website for the Nunavik region of Canada. Avataq represents Inuit living culture and can be viewed in English, French or Inuktitut. The website is organized around different themes and projects on Inuit life and culture, both in the past and present. They also have a photo achieve.

15. Katiqsugat, Inuit Early Learning Resources

Katiqsugat provides materials for early childhood education. There are a variety of learning materials and resources for teachers.

Cultural Insight and Resources

The sites that I have explored and discovered this module are a bit eclectic. The area I would like to explore for my final project deals with film but I find that there are limited sites available regarding First Nations Film. I am still looking. I did, however, discover a number of sites that provide greater insight into different Indigenous groups and resources that can be used in the classroom.

Connecting Traditions: Explore Tsimshian Pre-Contact Life http://sd52.bc.ca/abed/tsimshian/tsim_index.html

This was a really interesting site to explore. I think that it would be a wonderful site to use with students to find out more about the Tsimshian culture. It provides a lot of information and is interactive which allows individuals to explore at their own pace. I like how it incorporates audio, video, images and interactives within the site. The information is quite comprehensive but easy to understand. I think that it would be great to use with students so they can gain some insights into Tsimshian culture.

Four Directions Teaching http://www.fourdirectionsteachings.com

This site looks at a variety of First Nations groups across Canada and tells stories and teachings for the different groups. The site explains the connection that exists between the different groups despite the noted differences. I found that it provided a wonderful overview of regional differences between the Indigenous groups within Canada. It should be noted that West Coast Canada is not included in this site. One other thing that should be noted is the information is provided in both English and French.

Where are the children http://wherearethechildren.ca/en

This site provides a wealth of information about residential schools in Canada. It does not sugar coat anything and has a disclaimer that some of the content in the videos is quite difficult. I have not watched all the videos in the collection but the few that I did watch are quite powerful. You see the lasting impact that residential schools had on people.

Native Drums http://www.native-drums.ca/index.php/home/?tp=a&bg=1&ln=e

This site is another one that can be used as a teaching tool. It has interactives, videos and articles that can help to provided deeper understanding into Indigenous culture. The site focuses on Native drums and has a number of videos and interviews which discuss the importance of drumming in Native culture. The part that I found most useful in the site what the downloadable teacher resource kits. They have collections of myths, legends with guided questions. There are articles explaining oral tradition and belief systems; included are also guided questions, assignments and rubrics. This all can help to develop activities in class.

First Nations Art Installations

I really enjoyed this video. It was inspirational to see the young artists explain the elements of their culture and how they are working together to express their cultures. One of the artiest explains their goal which is to inspire Aboriginal youth. Although the video is very short I thought that it fit nicely with this week’s videos – these First Nations Artists are expressing themselves through traditional art but they have provided their own modern twists as well.

Traditional Ceremonies and Traditional Cooking!

My web hunting has yielded a couple of gems in this module. Two regarding ceremonies, one regarding Métis cooking, one regarding the education of educators, and one last compilation resource that I am not sure about (I would love some feedback on the last one; mishmash, or valuable?)

This video on the Sundance Ceremony shows the preparation that is involved in this ceremony from multiple perspectives. It also includes elements of history and how they have impacted the way ceremonies are hosted and celebrated today.

This video is about the Blood Tribe of South Western Alberta. Though the piece itself is dated, it speaks of the divide between past and present generations and the ways each has known, and currently knows, the world. This includes the shift in culture from attending Sundance camps to attending rodeos instead. It also may be something to consider the two above documentaries in comparison to each other. How do the different groups experience the Sundance ceremony? How are the perspectives shown the same/ different? Why might that be?

This Métis cookbook could be such a great piece of enrichment for an Aboriginal studies course of unit! It contains history in the form of an introduction and as personal recollections distributed throughout the book. It offers a large variety of recipes from wild game to breads to jellies. It also offers a comparison of traditional preparations versus how one might prepare a similar dish today. In addition, it contains nutrition information throughout.

This website is a compilation of resources. It contains categories on a large number of things; from relevant or related news articles, recipes, genealogy, the pow wow circuit, obituaries, and classified ads. However, I am having trouble identifying the authenticity of this site. I am hoping for some perspectives on this one!

5 links on decolonization and its link to education

Cultural Connection and Tech Make School More Relevant for Indigenous Teens. Retrieved from https://www.teachontario.ca/community/explore/teachontario-talks/blog/2016/03/07/cultural-connection-and-tech-make-school-more-relevant-for-indigenous-teens

The article displays two projects undertaken by a high school teacher in northern Ontario to encourage indigenous students’ engagement in school. Through the projects, students were connected with the indigenous communities. Indigenous heritage was worked into their subjects with the help and involvement of their communities. The project was successful and it showed that building relationship with Indigenous students is an important factor in getting them engaged. What I found very interesting is that the Lakehead District School Board to which this school belongs, has created an Elder-Senator Protocol to assist school staff to understand how to engage elders’ help for school activities.

What works? Research into Practice. Retrieved from http://fneii.ca/Toulouse.pdf

This is a paper written by Dr. Pamela Rose Toulouse on Integrating Aboriginal Teaching and

Values into the Classroom. It is based on the claim that raising indigenous students’ self-esteem is a key factor in their success at school. The article lists strategies on how to create and nurture educational environments that honours the indigenous culture and language. It stresses that meaningful representation of indigenous people’s contributions and innovations should be incorporated in schools.

Charles Clarke success story – Aboriginal Human Resource Council. Retrieved from https://aboriginalhr.ca/en/resources/success-story/charles-clarke

This site has many success stories of indigenous youth. However, the one that struck me the most is the story of Charles Clarke. From having picked up the identity of the school clown at the elementary school, through a life of addiction, and finally being stabbed at the age of 21, he finds his identity after a six-week treatment at a center on Six Nations reserve. His healing happened through teachings of aboriginal people and made him find his spirituality. He eventually went back to school and went on to post-secondary education.

Aboriginal Education in Timmins. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiffbeMPusY

This is an interview about aboriginal students in Timmins. All three interviewees talk about lack of confidence being a major issue for indigenous students. These are some of the issues raised:

First Nations schools are federally funded and they are underfunded. This causes a gap between students’ levels when they come to city schools from reserve schools.
Bringing the culture into the school and classroom makes the students proud and increases their self-esteem.
The way education was used to oppress people has affected many parents to not value education. Some even protect their children by not sending them to school.
Now, there is a process called Education Jurisdiction, where First Nations people will have more control over funding and more control as to what programs are run to better meet the need of the students.
First Nations people are just beginning to be empowered, but it will take time.
To gain self-esteem, the history of aboriginal people has to be taught in schools since there is still racism and stereotype out there.

Aboriginal Education. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2DZC5Cezs1o

A debate on challenges of aboriginal people to get higher education and closing the gap between aboriginal and non-aboriginals college/university attendance. Many issues are discussed, including the following:

There are many barriers such as remoteness of reserves where families are (lack of family support), financial barriers (Metis don’t get any funding), and culture shock from moving from reserves into large cities.
To apply for scholarship, students need to write an essay but this goes against their humble culture. (I found this point interesting. It shows how the western education system does not understand the indigenous values yet)
Non aboriginal students should also learn about the aboriginal history. Aboriginal ways of knowing should be taught in public schools.
There is no mechanism for a long term planning.

Global and Local Musings

I’ve been listening to a lot of Canadaland recently in an attempt to become more Canadian. Often they’ll deal with indigenous issues. While the hosts are not indigenous, they will invite indigenous leaders in media, culture and politics to contribute. They focust mostly on Canadian media and have a series dedicated to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. A few of the recent shows are:

http://www.canadalandshow.com/podcast/indigenous-media-roundtable/

http://www.canadalandshow.com/podcast/mmiw-what-justice-means/

I’m looking into how China manages the media to show its own indigenous groups. In particular the Uighur population in west sitting above Tibet. This Muslim, Turkic population is largely ignored in the international media in comparison to their neighbours to the south. One culture source I’ve looked into that provides an indigenous perspective in Canada is:

http://rpm.fm/

Recently a friend who is a journalist focusing on Burmese issues shared a video on his Facebook feed. It involves the Shan people who make up a large area of North Eastern Burma/Northern Thailand and Western Laos and their fights against a mega dam led by Australian developers and the government of Burma. The Burmese government is famous for selling off its resources without qualm which reminds me of home.

Drowning A Thousand Islands (English version)

The river represents their culture, history and livelihood. While many of the people have been forcibly removed by military, they would like to have their land to go back to were conditions to change. The group Action for Shan State Rivers, appears to be run by Shan people and the documentary focuses Shan sources and opinions.

The connection I draw to Canada in this is in regard to: https://ricochet.media/en/1420/indigenous-tar-sands-treaty-could-be-trudeaus-worst-nightmare

It appears in Canada that we have more visible indigenous voices. We have treaties and associated land claims. Do they matter in the end? The constant urge of Canada to export energy whether it’s LNG or oil. Generally this destroys the environment of lands that are supposed to belong to indigenous people and be under their control.

http://www.canadalandshow.com/podcast/hat-trick-deceit-first-nations-lng-project/