Tag Archives: Aboriginal People

Module 1 Post 5 – News Article

My mum forwarded this interesting Globe and Mail article to me this week, as it’s obviously related to our course thus far!

Link: “Native Youth Claim Their Future Through Technology”

The article is part of a series the paper is running called “Rich Country Poor Country”, and looks at the disparity in income and standard of living in Canada between a variety of groups. The author, a contributor to the paper named Gabrielle Fayant, describes growing up very poor and the impact this had on her and her peers – but then goes on to describe how she is using technology as a platform for programs that effect change.

For those interested, the video linked within the article goes into greater detail about the wealth gap, and this article (link: http://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/out-of-sight-out-of-mind-2/ ) from Maclean’s I read a few months ago lays it out even more plainly.

Four Worlds Centre for Developing Learning

This is a site (http://www.fourworlds.ca/index.html) I found while looking for more information on Lee Brown. Brown belongs to the organization, Four Worlds Centre for Developing Learning. Four Worlds promotes “learning and action for sustainable development.” One interesting thing for me was the international focus of the organization, reminding me (as a Canadian in BC) that challenges to indigenous people are a world wide problem.

Trevor Price

Hulquminum Language Sites

This is a collection of websites devoted to preserving Hulquminum. Some are easier to use than others but I think they all serve a useful function – recording and preserving knowledge of the language. Although they are attached to school boards and a university, the material is produced by FN people and the sites seem like great reference tools. I know some of these voices. This is sort of my answer to Craig Howe, “Cyberspace is No Place for Tribalism.” It’s not a perfect way of doing things, but it’s effective to a point.

http://abed.sd79.bc.ca/

http://www.sd68.bc.ca/?page_id=1452

http://www.firstvoices.com/en/HULQUMINUM

http://web.uvic.ca/hrd/salish/

Trevor Price

ref: Howe, C. (1998). Cyberspace is no place for tribalism. Wicazo Sa Review, 19-28.

Inuit Broadcasting Corporation

This site (http://www.nac.nu.ca/index.php) was very interesting as a demonstration of how media and technology can be used to further the cultural interests of First Nations people. Instead of being buried by the technology, the Inuit have used it to represent and spread their culture. What a great opportunity to learn and help for everyone involved in the project. What a great resource for those receiving the IBC broadcasts. This is a “new media” model that makes the users the media providers.

Trevor Price.

Module 1 Post 3: Educational Programs & Instititutions from Hare Reading

While reading through the chapter by Jan Hare (Learning from Indigenous Knowledge in Education), I made a point of pursuing links into various programs and educational institutions mentioned. This list isn’t comprehensive but represents what I was able to find about each, and may prove as useful pushing-off points for our future research:

The Settlement Agreement on Residential Schools
Website link: The United Church of Canada

Aboriginal Head Start Program
Government Link: On Reserve
Government Link: Urban & Northern Commission

Indian Control of Indian Education
Document Link: “Over a Decade Later”
Document Link: Chiefs Assembly on Education

Online Link: First Nations University of Canada

Module 1.5 – Infusing Lessons with Aboriginal Knowledge

I actually went looking for examples of ways that indigenous/aboriginal/first nations knowledge has been transposed or infused into the traditional classroom in Canada or elsewhere, but didn’t get far. I did find several examples of ways that indigenous teachings can be included in teacher training:

UBC’s NITEP
OISE at University of Toronto

Manitoba does have some resources for the actual integration of “aboriginal perspectives” into curricula, but I am not sure if that integration is mandated, suggested, or if this is simply provided information to be used at will.

Module 1.4 – Residential Schools

I wanted to get a little more background on the experience of living in a residential school from the voice of those who lived it, so I went to YouTube in attempt to find a video. I ended up watching this TV Ontario Special which examined the past and present (although at this point the video is already fairly dated) of aboriginal schooling.

Module 1.2 – Tribalism

As an antithesis to Howe’s “Cyberspace is no place for tribalism”, I wanted to highlight this interesting journal article I found which appropriates the language of indigenous people to discuss the potential sociocultural benefits of being part of a “tribe” in the online world:

An Online Community as the New Tribalism: The World of Warcraft

In particular I was drawn to the concept that the authors of this paper would feel the best way to describe the building of an online world or community would be “tribalism” when World of Warcraft happens to have its own nomenclature for this type of group already in place (“guilds”) which would have probably been more natural terminology for an article of this sort. This article discusses the social benefit to the use of joining an online “tribe”. That alone makes one think of the significant cultural appropriation taking place, that articles writing about something as (relatively speaking) insignificant could feel comfortable taking the language of enormous swaths of people to explain the experience of community/online world-building.

I think it also brings up some thoughts about the way in which we see ourselves in online communities, like this? Is there space for indigenous internet users to actually build tribal spaces online that feel authentic?

1.1 – Freedom Ride – Blood Brothers

In Media Worlds – Screen Memories by Faye D. Ginsberg I was intrigued by what the videos referred to as the Blood Brothers Series would be like. This short clip below offers a strong perspective about the degree of racism and disconnect Aborigines in the 60’s must have faced.

Clip from Blood Brothers – Freedom Ride by Rachel Perkins