The below videos and writings are centered around the concept of place based birth. I feel like this is a very important addition to the analyses on how western medicine has contributed to colonizing practices by dismissing practices outside the sphere of linear fragmented scientific method approaches to healing. In addition exposing these biases, these films and writings also serve as great examples of how Indigenous media can help to decolonize the notions of western supremacy. It is also a great example on how, through appropriate cross-cultural exchange, how western medicine can benefit from acknowledging the expertise of Indigenous medicines and healing.
Category Archives: Module 4
Module 4 Post 3 (Washington Post Series: This is Where My Mobile Technology Begins))
In this three part series, the Washington post investigates the true cost of our high tech devices. Specifically, the authors,
I think that this is a very important aspect of module 4’s conversation because it places the usage or reclamation of Indigenous constructed media side-by-side with the origins of these tools. In other words, can something both promote decolonization and colonization.
Here are the links to the three articles:
Module 4 Post 4 (Qallunaat! Why White People Are Funny)
This documentary/mockumentry examines how white culture has tried to document the ‘other’ through lack of understanding and cross-cultural exchange. It does this by reversing the traditional roles of subject and documenter – an Inuit community tries to understand white culture by using the same methods that western documenters used on them to falsely represent their cultures.
To me, by re-appropriating the methods of settler culture, this film strongly comments on how traditional usages of media have served to subjugate and misrepresent Indigenous people and communities.
Module 4 Post 5 (ABC Indigenous Australia)
ABC Indigenous Australia is an offshoot of Australia’s major ABC network. ABC’s aim is to provide a platform for which Indigenous creatives can develop, be supported and fund their initiatives. Founded in 1987 and inspired by the former works of the Indigenous Programs Unit, ABC Indigenous Australia’s mandate is to provide a Indigenous voice to mainstream and primetime broadcasts.
What I find interesting about this project is that even though the organization boasts an Indigenous voice, it’s products are not fully autonomous Indigenous productions. As such, it puts into question the motives and intended audience. In other words, are these productions meant to entertain and educate primarily white audiences – if so, is this appropriate?
Below I have posted two clips and press from the highly recognized sketch comedy series ‘Black Comedy‘.
Black Comedy: the ABC makes a bold foray into race relations
BLACK COMEDY: THE BEST OZ SKETCH COMEDY IN YEARS
https://nit.com.au/nakkiah-lui-serve-new-abc-comedy/
Module 4 weblog – Katie
For this weblog, I wanted to look more closely at Inuit place-based knowledge to coincide with this module’s emphasis on ecological knowledge. Because part of my paper will examine the use of digital storytelling, I want to make sure I have a better understanding of how placing information on the internet can expose information to commodification by outsiders. Even though I may not cover this in my paper (taking Dr. M’s advice on ensuring I have a clear focus and that my paper works within a part of the whole!), I wanted to explore this concept a little further.
The above article focuses on traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) in adaptation to climate change in the Canadian Arctic. It focuses on Inuit relationships with the Arctic environment, including hunting knowledge and land skills, and examines their roles in adaptation to biophysical changes that affect subsistence hunting.
This project researched and investigated potential climate change impacts on Inuit health. It found that comprehensive and meaningful research outcomes depend on taking a systemic and trans-disciplinary approach that engages local citizens in project design, data collection, and analysis.
Digital storytelling: Implications for health research and policy
This policy document is based off the research done in the Changing climate, changing health, changing stories project mentioned above. It led me to the YouTube channel I discuss below.
This channel features videos created from the IlikKuset-Illingannet/Culture-Connect program running in Rigolet, Makkovik, and Postville, Nunatsiavut, Labrador. The program united youth and mentors in each community to learn culturally-based skills. The channel contains many digital storytelling videos made in the Rigolet Storytelling & Digital Media Lab.
The ITK is the national Inuit organization of Canada and stands for “Inuit will be united”. They work to improve the health and well-being of Inuit, which includes research, advocacy, public outreach, and education on issues affecting the Inuit population.
Entry #20: Government of Saskatchewan – First Nations, Métis, and Northern Citizens
https://www.saskatchewan.ca/residents/first-nations-citizens
This government website provides information organized into sections on federal benefits and rights, applying for Indian Status, the Duty to Consult of the provincial government, education, business information, help for Aboriginal victims of crime, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, a directory of First Nations and Métis contacts, community initiatives, tax programs, hunting and fishing rights, and treaty land and entitlements. This resource provides the government perspective on their governance of these tenets of First Nations and Métis life while providing relevant information for First Nations and Métis use of government systems and services. Each page is further subdivided into relevant categories of information, including links to any government policies or forms and common questions about the topic. In order to more fully understand the nature of Indigenous – non-Indigenous interactions and dynamics in Saskatchewan, it is important to look at the tone set by the government and the role they play in contemporary successes and challenges.
Entry #19: Saskatoon Health Region – First Nations and Métis Health Services
https://www.saskatoonhealthregion.ca/locations_services/Services/fnmh/service/Pages/Resources.aspx
This website contains information for First Nations and Métis peoples regarding medical services available in the Saskatoon Health Region. Through online brochures, contact information, and links to other Saskatoon Health Region services, visitors to the site can access mental wellness telephone assistance, information about chronic disease management, and how to find an advocate to support oneself in the health care system. The face-to-face services provided by the department are also communicated, as well as how to access them. Because of the impoverished living conditions facing many First Nations and Métis people in Saskatchewan, this website is a much needed resource to help Indigenous peoples in Saskatchewan access necessary medical information, treatment, and support. Links on the site connect to other departments of the health region and external helplines.
Entry #18: Thunder Radio
http://thunderradio.mfnerc.com/
Thunder Radio is an online podcast channel of the Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre that is focused on First Nations education in Manitoba and in Canada as a whole. There are currently 16 episodes on the online channel, covering topics including Indigenous Literature, Indigenous Knowledge, and Virtual Learning on Reserves. This resource provides glimpses into current topics in Indigenous education through the eyes of Indigenous educators, students, and other contributors. The list of official podcast followers is online, so there is also the potential for listeners to connect with one another across communities. This oral medium is important for stimulating discussion regardless of time and place, enabling listeners to engage with the information as if they were being told a story or conversing with someone right in front of them.
Entry #17: Saskatchewan First Nations Natural Resource Centre of Excellence
The Centre of Excellence was created by the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations with the intention of supporting First Nations communities in Saskatchewan in “creating opportunities for the innovative, sustainable and environmentally responsible development of the natural resources within their lands and Indigenous territories.” The work of this centre speaks to the importance of holistic learning, collaborative relationships, and sustainability in the First Nations worldview. Their work captures some of the main issues facing First Nations people in Saskatchewan, namely, environmental protection, educational engagement, and economic livelihood. While the site does not link directly to external resources, it does provide a listing of the centre’s partners, including Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada, Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technology, and The National Energy Business Centre of Excellence.
Entry #16: CBC News – Saskatchewan Graduation Rates
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/sask-grad-rates-1.4302374
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/sask-indigenous-graduation-rates-1.4148401
These two articles from CBC examine the trends in graduation rates in Saskatchewan. With Aboriginal student graduation rates lower than non-Aboriginal students, other issues raised for discussion include social circumstances and budgetary constraints. Engagement has been identified as a key element to providing a higher quality of education for First Nations and Métis students. These articles help to explain some of disparity in postsecondary attendance rates, and subsequently, opportunities for advancement for Aboriginal youth. The articles also link to similar articles from slightly different perspectives regarding the graduation rate research.