Tag Archives: Canada

Idle No More

Idle No More is an ongoing grassroots protest movement, founded in Canada in December 2012 by four women: three First Nations women and one non-Native ally. The purpose of the movement is to oppose unilateral and colonial legislation, to support empowerment in order to build sovereignty & resurgence of nationhood, and to pressure government & industry to protect the environment. In a short number of years it has become one of the largest Indigenous mass movements in Canadian history, and has become, to some degree, an international indigenous movement.

The movement makes use of the internet through it’s website as well as its social media channels:

Here is a a short documentary about the Idle No More movement

Links

Musqueam: A Living Culture

The Musqueam: A Living Culture web site provides information about the Musqueam people, their language, territory, history, and present information about educational tours and local events. The educational tours are a great idea for classrooms tours or groups of (12+) people.

The site also features some great educational videos from the Musqueam Nation’s YouTube channel. Here is the featured video which discusses some of the history and traditions of the Musqueam people.

Featured image by jamesabbott1963 (CC BY 2.0)

. . . of survivors Module 2.3

So this link is to another book (Hey I am a librarian) and the write up about this book calls it a, “must have for every school library” (see the last paragraph of the summary).

The title of the book is actually “Residential Schools: With Words and Images of Survivors.” The “of survivors” part struck me, because it is only those ones who are left to tell the tale . . . and if it is not told, then it becomes something we miss out on learning from.

From the goodreads webpage http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23841530-residential-schools 09 04 15

From the goodreads webpage http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23841530-residential-schools 09 04 15

Success Stories Module 1.4

Only perused this site a little so far mostly because it is a government site and it is 2012. I am however, interested in finding out what they think “a success story” is, and what makes it one. Hare had discussed the success of the Aboriginal Strong Start program and wondered if these were connected.

Screen Shot 2015-09-26 at 10.40.45 PM

From https://www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/eng/1339438481408/1339438518261#toc

Indigenous Youth Art

imagineNATIVE

After our readings this week, I went exploring to view more Indigenous art, in particular art created by younger generations.  This website provides a glimpse into up-and-coming media art which examines multiple genres (political, sociological and futuristic).  Artists featured on this website are creating a dialogue which reflects the voices heard of Canadian indigenous populations. This website provides a introductions about new artists, new productions and upcoming events. ImagineNATIVE also provides links to artist websites and to festival information celebrating indigenous art.     (Module 1 – Weblog Post 1)

http://www.imaginenative.org/home/node/2768

Bringing the Story of Native Canadian Culture into the Classroom

 

aanda_wl1

https://www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/eng/1302868012055/1302868605384

Being a teacher of small children I wanted to check out what was being offered to Canadian teachers to help them include native studies in their classroom.  Usually, government websites are confusing and not that helpful but I found this site to be a refreshing change.  It includes lessons for children at all levels and I feel that, as a teacher, I would like to introduce into my classroom to ensure that my students have experience with at least the basics of native culture in Canada.  I thought that the lessons were well thought out and constructed and children would find them a solid first step in understanding one of the important cultures that formed what we now call Canada.  I personally downloaded the PDFs to use in my own classroom.

Points of Reference Module 1.2

So being a teacher-librarian at 2 elementary schools, means one facet of my work is providing points of connection between what is known and what is not known. One of the ways I have introduced children (who are amazingly understanding and amazingly myopic–aren’t we all?) to the concept of “other” is through First Voices. The sound of communication between individuals in a people group is one way children understand “same, yet different.” First Voices has two apps that you can download for 2 of the languages of First Peoples of BC. Their requests for “how do they say . . . .?” are fast and furious because they understand the fundamental part communication plays.

Same, Same and Different is also the title of a great children’s book if you have any more room for reading.

1.4: National Indigenous Media Association of Canada

National Indigenous Media Association of Canada

This organization represents Indigenous broadcasters in Canada. Their mandate includes helping Indigenous broadcasters reach areas with weak ICT infrastructure and advocating for Indigenous broadcasters in front of legislators and regulators. One of the more interesting resources available on this site is a timeline of this history of Indigenous broadcasting in Canada. The site also outlines in great detail Canadian policies for Indigenous broadcasting. These policies are quite detailed, covering topics such as what constitutes  “native programming” and “native music”?

Module 4 Post 1

The Canadian Cancer Society’s Page on First Nations’s Healing

This website offers Cancer patients information on traditional First Nation’s healing, including topics like the ceremonial use of tobacco and smudging.  I found it particularly useful because the website goes to great paints to speak respectfully whilst still indicating that the use of traditional healing has not been scientifically studied.

I see this as an opportunity for researchers to examine the use of traditional healing methods that look at the whole human (medicine wheel) for treatment, instead of simply treating the body (chemo), and to examine biomarkers of disease or whole health outcomes (e.g. death rates) for those treated using traditional methods plus evidence-based western medicine.  Many traditional healing methods have recently shown themselves successful in clinical trials (e.g. massage therapy & acupuncture), and I suspect that there are likely elements of traditional healing that will hold up to scientific rigor and help to support their use in broader populations.

Module 3.4: Aboriginal Forestry Initiative (AFI)

Post 4: Aboriginal Forestry Initiative (AFI)

http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/forests/federal-programs/13125

When considering ways in which to bring culture and meaning into classroom lessons, I decided to research issues pertaining to ecosystems and aboriginal connections. On the Government of Canada website I found the Aboriginal Forestry Initiative (AFI), which is focused on enhancing Aboriginal participation in sustaining Canada’s forests. The site includes data and statistics of Aboriginal participants (could be used in a mathematics or business course) as well as details on the projects currently being conducted (could be used in a social studies, science, or English class).