Tag Archives: First Nations

Learning About Walking in Beauty: Placing Aboriginal Perspectives in Canadian Classrooms

http://crrf-fcrr.ca/en/component/flexicontent/334-crrf-research-reports/23526-learning-about-walking-in-beauty-placing-aboriginal-perspectives-in-canadian-classrooms

This report was prepared by the Coalition for the Advancement of Aboriginal Studies (CAAS)
for the Canadian Race Relations Foundation. A long-time supporter of the Coalition for the Advancement of Aboriginal Studies (CAAS), Tim Thompson (Mohawk, Hotinonshón:ni) has said that the time has come for our curricula and our classrooms to prepare us for “our beautiful walk together.” Walking in Beauty is a concept he presented at a 1998 meeting about how to improve Aboriginal Studies secondary school curriculum in Ontario.

In 2000-2001, the CAAS conducted a national Student Awareness Survey, measuring awareness, attitudes and knowledge of facts about Aboriginal Peoples’ histories, cultures, worldviews and current concerns. Five hundred and nineteen young adults (460 Canadian, 35 Aboriginal and 24 Newcomer students in first year university and college courses across Canada) responded to this 12-page survey. This report shares their answers.

Groundwork for Change

http://www.groundworkforchange.org/

This website aims to help non-Aboriginal Canadians learn about Indigenous issues. It curates information — articles, videos, maps and links — meant to help non-aboriginal people learn about and connect with First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities. They have many simple drop down menus at the top of the site such as: Learn the Lingo, Learn the Basics and Learn Issues. There are other sites listed under each of these topics for you to read and learn from. It seems like an excellent source of information.

mediaINDIGENA Podcast

This podcast by mediaINDIGENA discusses James Daspchuk’s book Clearing the Plains: Disease, Politics of Starvation, and the Loss of Aboriginal Life, and Canada’s Aboriginal policy of displacement through starvation.

“Western Canada lost a third of the population within six years.”

The mediaINDIGENA site is a a multimedia, interactive e-magizine which is a collection of works by 10 Aboriginal bloggers.

Statistics Canada – Aboriginal Youth Data

Stats Can

The Statistics Canada (Stats Can) website is useful for anyone gathering statistical data for their research project.  Although this data was generated in 2011 from the National Household Survey, it is still relevant and accurate (as we all know Stats Can generates quality data).  This data is separated into three categories, Aboriginal (First Nations people), Metis, as well as Inuit (which would be useful for narrowing your research).  Interestingly, Stats Can indicates that the information compiled is incomplete as some groups did not participate in this survey or the survey was incomplete due to natural disasters such as forest fires.  So while the information gathered is quality data, it may not reveal the entire aboriginal community experience in Canada.

To access this website, go to: http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/nhs-enm/2011/as-sa/99-011-x/99-011-x2011001-eng.cfm#a9

Ronaye Kooperberg (Module 3 – Post 1)

Government of Canada: Panel on Research ethics

The Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans is a joint policy of Canada’s three federal research agencies (relating to Health, Natural Sciences and Engineering and Social Sciences and Humanities). This is the 2nd edition (dated 2014) which now includes a chapter on “Research Involving the First Nations, Inuit and Métis Peoples of Canada”. Chapter 9 is intended to provide a framework for the ethical conduct of research involving Indigenous peoples. Although it sounds dry, it is actually a pretty interesting read.

 

First Nations Child & Family Caring Society of Canada

www.fncaringsociety.com

This non-profit organization was developed in 1998 at a national meeting of the First Nations Child and Family Services Agencies.  First Nations Child & Family Caring Society of Canada provide care and resources to aboriginal children, families and youth.   They also promote equity and social justice movements to help aboriginal youth make a difference in their own future.

3.3: Indigenous Feature Film Production in Canada: A National and International Perspective

Study can be found at this website

This is a large study by ImagineNative Film and Media Arts Festival that examines Aboriginal film production in Canada. This study makes the case that First Nations’ stories represent a huge untapped resource in Canada. Canada’s film industry has not yet fully explored the stories of indigenous peoples. Not only are these stories important to our collective identity as Canadians, but they also enormous commercial potential.

Aboriginal Perspectives

Module 2 – Post 4

The diversity and richness of Canada’s Aboriginal peoples present challenges and opportunities for teachers since educators are required to include Aboriginal perspectives in their lessons. There are currently over 600 recognized First Nations governments or bands in Canada and the First Nations, Inuit and the Metis constitute Canada’s Aboriginal peoples. This Aboriginal Perspectives website contains information that will will teachers in including the different perspectives in their lessons.

The following is an excerpt from their website:

 

  • “We have used video material featuring Aboriginal people and cultural activities as a base for constructing teaching resources and we invite teachers to use these resources. We also encourage teachers to use this video material to construct their own lessons.
  • We have conducted workshops with teachers from grades 3 to 6 to help them include an Aboriginal perspective in their mathematics lessons. On this web site are the lessons, background material on the Aboriginal themes for the lessons, and a description of the material in the kits that the teachers received at the workshops.
  • Included is a collection of Aboriginal games which provide a rich source of material for the construction of lessons.”

http://aboriginalperspectives.uregina.ca/introduction.shtml

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)