Tag Archives: Aboriginal

Module 3- Post 5- Equality for All

The more I learn about the history of First Nations in Canada and the continuing inequality of present day education, the more I realize the responsibility we all have as educators in breaking the cycle. I am amazed by the number of ignorant people who don’t seem to understand or care about the reasons why so many First nations students are struggling in today’s system. However, it is heartening to learn about the people who do care and the programs that are in place in order to make a difference to future generations.

Here are some resources that I have recently come across that I think are useful to learn more about Canadian History and it’s continuing effects on First Nations Peoples today.

The following video that looks like it was published by a student at Nicola Valley Institute of Technology (The Home of Aboriginal Post- Secondary Education in BC) provides statistics about the differences in education rates and employment between Aboriginals and Non- Aboriginals.

It’s Not an Opinion, It’s a Fact: Aboriginal Education in Canada

In the article found in University of Regina’s Degrees Magazine. James Daschuk talks about the book he has written titled, Clearing the Plains about the damage done by the Canadian Government during the time of John A Macdonald’s national dream.

Daschuk, James. Clearing the Plains (pages 39-40). Degrees, The University of Regina Magazine, Volume 26, no.2, fall/winter 2015. retrieved July 12th, 2015. http://www.uregina.ca/external/communications/assets/docs/pdf/degrees-magazine/dm-fw2014.pdf

In this recent video; Trudeau, Mulcair blast Harper’s record on First Nations issues (July 8th, 2015) both NDP and LIberal Candidates promise more for Aboriginal Communities than has been delivered by Stephen Harper’s Conservative Govt. Time will tell.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/news-video/video-trudeau-mulcair-blast-harpers-record-on-first-nations-issues/article25348074/

Module 3 Post 5: Entry into an Aboriginal Community

Based on this suggested reading article by Kowalsky, Verhoef, Thurston, & Rutherford, I wanted to explore more into resources that exist for non-Aboriginal peoples who wish to enter into an Aboriginal community (for research or otherwise).

I went on an endeavour to find other resources to work in conjunction with the article provided in our course, and while I was able to find a small collection of sites or documents – I questioned their authorship. They were either Canadian Government sponsored, related to a consumer product, or the authors did not appear to be of Aboriginal ancestry in any way. Perhaps my bias is too strict, but one of my goals has been to find resources that are authored by Indigenous peoples themselves, rather than by outsiders to the communities. So far I was able to find the article linked below:

Journal Article: Cultural Competency – Working with Aboriginal peoples: A non-Native perspective.

While the author states that she is not an Aboriginal in the title, I appreciate that the article is written from a perspective similar to my own but is non-governmental or company-connected.

I will endeavour to find further material related to this topic, but of course if anybody reading this has any suggestions I’m wide open to receiving them!

References

Kowalsky, Laura O., Verhoef Marja J., Thurston, Wilfreda E. and Rutherford, Gayle E., “Guidelines for Entry into an Aboriginal Community“, The Canadian Journal of Native Studies, 16 (2), 1996, 267-282.

Vinkle, Erin. (2012). Cultural Competency – Working with Aboriginal Peoples: A non-Native Perspective. Native Social Work Journal, 8(August), pp. 129-142.

Module 3 Post 4: Decolonization.org

I found this site, Decolonization.org , when searching through resources about Urban Indigenous groups. I found the link to this blog post from March, and then followed through to the rest of the blog – which appears to be a community-centred extension of the online, peer-reviewed open access journal of the same name.

The most recent issue of the journal was released in May of this year, and includes a number of interesting sounding articles for academic purposes. Meanwhile, the blog seems to take a more ‘VICE’ style approach to Indigenous issues, with a recent focus on hip-hop and music. I look forward to sifting through both resources!

Module 3 Post 3: Canadian Teacher’s Federation – Aboriginal Education

The Canadian Teacher’s Federation includes on their website this page about Aboriginal Education, that includes a number of links, resources, and news releases about Aboriginal Education initiatives. It appears to be regularly updated – one recent post from June 19th describes an “educational toolkit” that the CTF will develop alongside Indigenous groups about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, which will be launched at the upcoming (July 17th) CTF Annual General Meeting. The site is relatively small, but I look forward to exploring it and checking out any resources provided regarding the toolkit.

Module 3 Post 2: Project of Heart

Project of Heart

I have seen the project in a couple of different videos or spots around the web, and here is the website for the project! I deeply wish I had taken advantage of this last term, when I was teaching Grade 10 Canadian History here in Ontario. The website introduce the project as:
“Project of Heart” is an inquiry based, hands-on, collaborative, inter-generational, artistic journey of seeking truth about the history of Aboriginal people in Canada. Its purpose is to:

Examine the history and legacy of Indian Residential Schools in Canada and to seek the truth about that history, leading to the acknowledgement of the extent of loss to former students, their families and communities
Commemorate the lives of the thousands of Indigenous children who died as a result of the residential school experience.
Call Canadians to action, through social justice endeavors, to change our present and future history collectively”

The site also includes teaching resources, blog posts showcasing work done by schools nation-wide, and social justice actions that can be taken (although it appears some of those haven’t been updated in a while). I definitely plan on returning to this project and including it in my course resources in the future.

Module 3 Post 1: Community Events (Ontario)

As I continue along on my journey through this course, and towards my final project, I’ve been looking for live events that I could attend this summer, that are relatively geographically close-by. Lucky for me, I have quite a few options! Here is a list and description of local events taking place around the Toronto area that I hope to attend and experience:

July 10 – 26 & August 7 – 9 (to coincide with the Para/Panam Games): Aboriginal Pavilion @ http://www.alppavilion.ca/

From the website: “The Pavilion will bring together Indigenous peoples from across the Americas to celebrate, share and learn through our exciting programming…At the very heart of the Aboriginal Pavilion is the Cultural Village which will consist of four traditional houses. Each one representative of a specific Indigenous community or a collective of individuals from an Indigenous group or region. The traditional houses are a visual and symbolic representation of Indigenous peoples coming together for the purpose of providing a rich experience that’s culturally appropriate, educational, and enriching.”

Summer-long: Ontario Pow Wows @ http://calendar.powwows.com/events/categories/pow-wows/pow-wows-in-ontario/ (I’m hoping to make it to the Oshweken Pow Wow with family!)

August 12 – A Tribe Called Red in Yonge & Dundas Square (group touring info @ http://atribecalledred.com/tour/ If you don’t know their music, do yourself a favour and check them out (e.g. in this commercial for the ParaPanam Games!)

Are there any events you guys are planning on hitting up this summer?

Module 3.4 – CIHR Institutes of Aboriginal People’s Health

The Canadian Institutes for Health Research have an institute dedicated to Aboriginal Health. I was interested in this initiative specifically because it is run by a self-identified First Nation member scientist, and focuses on funding and organizing research related to Aboriginal issues. Also important, they emphasize traditional aspects of wellness (a holistic approach supported by the medicine wheel) and are interested in investigating meaningful reasons and interventions to increase Indigenous lifespan in Canada.

I think that dedicated funding and a commitment to funding Indigenous researchers is a first step to encouraging medical students and researchers to pursue their interests in Indigenous medicine.

Module 3.1 – Intercontinental Cry

Intercontinental Cry is a magazine/web journal that serves to “amplify the voices and strengthen the efforts of Indigenous Peoples around the world” due to the significant lack of representation of Indigenous people in news media.

What I was particularly interested in at this point was the fact that this website is very focused on using Indigenous writers to speak on their own experiences. Much of the academic literature on Canadian First Nations, Aboriginal, Inuit, and Metis populations is written by white researchers, probably due to their familiarity with the publication cycle and their access to services that help them to gain publication. Fortunately a resource like IC helps authors with potentially less access to traditional streams of publication to have their voices heard, amplified, and shared with the world via the internet.

I think this could be a useful resource particularly at the high school level, for students to read and reflect on the impact of Indigenous voices on the Web.

Module 2 Post 5: Aboriginal Programming

For National Aboriginal Day, the CBC is hosting a variety of Aboriginal television programming, much of which is hosted at the following link: CBC – National Aboriginal Day

One program I viewed this evening was a documentary called “Trick or Treaty?” (link to the NFB), made in 2014 by Alanis Obomsawin, which discusses Treaty No. 9 – signed over a century ago under false pretences – perhaps especially because of the manipulation of oral information. The documentary emphasizes that the government manipulated what was said to the Chiefs who signed the treaty, who would have had a very different understanding of the magnitude of what was orally agreed upon, in order to gain their signature. It’s an interesting film that lays bare the exploitive actions taken by Canada to have this treaty agreed to and the actions that have been taken by Indigenous groups (and non-Indigenous, e.g. as a workshop led by a white educator is woven throughout the film) against it, especially in recent years.

Module 2 Post 4: ETEC 510 Wiki – “Indigenous Cultures and Education”

ETEC 510 (Design of Technology Supported Learning Environments) through UBC (which I am also currently enrolled in), has an ongoing wiki project where students contribute in various ways. I recently found an entry that has been contributed to by many students since 2008, titled “Indigenous Cultures and Education“. It has a number of sections about different facets of this subject, and an extensive reference list from which learners can explore.