Tag Archives: indigenous knowledge

The need for supporting Indigenous students from the top down and the ground up. (Mod 4- Post 1-5)

Watching the interview with Tim Michel sparked my ideas for discussion for Web Blog Module 4 because the connections he made about the lack of understanding and foresight surrounding Indigenous post-secondary education connects with the area of my group’s research about Indigenous students in STEM/STEAM education and careers. Michel mentions that a career fair, he witnessed universities continually asking prospective students to sign up to their mailing lists.  He realized after discussion with many of the Aboriginal students that about 40% didn’t have an email, couldn’t access e-mail, or didn’t have access to a computer at home. It seems there is still quite a disconnect between post-secondary education and our indigenous communities.  We can commend many Canadian universities for reducing barriers Indigenous students face, one of which is financial, by providing substantial scholarships and bursaries to help financially support Indigenous students.  Moreover, the government of Canada “To ensure that First Nation and Inuit students have the same opportunities for success as other Canadian students… …will increase funding to the Post-Secondary Student Support Program by $90 million over two years, beginning in 2017–18.”  This is in addition to “[t]he current budget for the Post-secondary Student Support Program is $340 million which supports approximately 23, 000 First Nation and Inuit Students.”

For more details click here

However, the focus on providing financial means is a bit like putting the cart before the horse if we are unable to support Indigenous youth completing high school with the checklist of requirements, or even at all.

The Canadian labour market is critically understaffed in many technological fields.  So much so, that many fortune 500 companies are hiring students before they even graduate and starting them with a six-figure income.  Yet despite this, universities are finding lower enrollments in STEM/STEAM courses like computer science. (CBC News)

In an article by Ellie Bothwell from Times Higher Education, she discusses how Canadian Universities can bring more Indigenous Peoples and knowledge. In her article, she notes that “Aboriginal people are the fastest-growing demographic in Canada. More than 1.6 million people – or 4.9 percent of the country’s total population – self-identify as indigenous, according to the 2016 National Household Survey, representing a 42.5 per cent increase since 2006.”

Universities need Indigenous peoples. To help fill out a workforce in STEM/STEAM careers is just one of the many reasons why.  But not enough is being done prepare and provide skills for Indigenous students.  A report by Randstad looks at Canada’s technical shortage and addresses the need to expand the talent pool to more individuals.  Randstad notes: “Statistics for STEM skills among Aboriginal people are even more discouraging. In 2013, 10 percent of the total working-age population of Aboriginals had a university degree compared with 26 percent of the non-Aboriginal population. Making up 3.7 percent of the adult population, only 2.6 percent of people with a post-secondary degree are Aboriginal. Clearly doing more to promote the study of STEM-related disciplines among the Aboriginal population is necessary. As the study points out, the inclusion of people with diverse perspectives, experiences, and ideas creates a wider talent pool with deeper assets. ” (p. 5).

What we can see in statistics is reiterated in the academic research and literature and that is the need to couple Indigenous knowledge with 21st-century learning in order to increase the success rate of Aboriginal learners. As Munroe, Borden, Orr, Toney, and Meader (2013) write that it’s essential “to ensure that Aboriginal children maintain their cultural identity while achieving their formal education” and  “that schools that respect and support a child’s culture and language demonstrate significantly better outcomes for students” (p. 319).

Click the following articles for more on culturally response education.

Munroe, Elizabeth Ann; Lisa Borden,; Anne Orr,; Denise Toney,; Jane Meader,. “Decolonizing Aboriginal Education in the 21st Century.” McGill Journal of Education (Online). McGill Journal of Education. 2013.

Nicol, C., Archibald, J., & Baker, J. (2013). Designing a model of culturally responsive mathematics education: Place, relationships and storywork. Mathematics Education Research Journal (Springer), 25, 73-89.

That’s why programs like ANCESTOR (AboriginNal Computer Education through STORytelling) are not only successful but essential.  Students at LÁU,WELNEW Tribal School in Brentwood Bay have animate stories that hold meaning to them and in return, produce outstanding results. As their teacher notes: “Translating arm and arrow movement into animation involved an incredible level of problem-solving and I’ve seen it spill into other parts of his education such as improvement in math. He has turned into the classroom problem-solver,”. For more information on the ANCESTOR project, review the link below.

Weston M., Biin D. (2015) The Ancestor Project: Aboriginal Computer Education Through Storytelling. In: Isaías P., Spector J., Ifenthaler D., Sampson D. (eds) E-Learning Systems, Environments and Approaches. Springer, Cham

 

 

Dana’s Contributions to Module 3

Victoria school district Aboriginal cultural facilitator honoured with music award

Anyone who knows Sarah Rhude knows that receiving an award is not something she sought or yearned after.  I talked to my friend and colleague, Jenn Treble, the trouble maker who nominated Sarah, as she was photocopying endless sheets of music for her students, last week.  Jenn informed me that the photo of Sarah was snapped after tears decided to run down her face, due to the emotional wave that the ceremony impacted her with.

Three years ago, Jenn decided that she wanted to introduce Indigenous music into her practice and she asked for Sarah’s help.  Baby step after baby step, since then, has now led to SD61’s permission to the teaching of three Indigenous songs, that were created for the purpose of the project.   All students in Jenn’s band classes, Grades 9 through 12, learn, practice and perform these songs.

Last year, a Grade 12 Metis student asked Jenn, in front of the class, why she was “singling out” Indigenous culture, when there were so many other cultures represented in class. Was he embarrassed? Had he been “colonized to the point of no return”?  I am not sure, although I know the student extremely well– he was one of my top math and physics students! It was a non-Indigenous Grade 9 student who spoke up and said, “Because we do not live on Scottish territory.  If we did live in Scotland, we would undoubtedly learn about Scottish music.  But we live on Lekwungen territory… that is why.”

Enough said.

Why Gord Downie’s ‘beautiful’ work can’t stand alone

My guess is that this will not be the only Hip post this week. I am a Hip fan, although I “only” saw three live shows. Good friends of mine saw well over 20 shows and their now deceased cat was named Gordie.

There were many online pieces to choose from over the week, but I went with this interview from CBC’s, Q, recorded on December 7, 2016. The subject was Jarrett Martineau, and Indigenous art scholar and creator of the Indigenous music platform, Revolutions Per Minute. Martineau acknowledges the significance of Downie’s work, and simultaneously underscores the importance of continuing with activism surrounding language preservation and authentic forms of reconciliation.  Marineau also mentions how celebrities can bring “different communities together by having them all meet in the middle.”   #ThirdSpace

In Canada, white supremacy is the law of the land

You cannot simply reform your racist state by enacting a few more programs and delivering a few more services. It is embedded in the very nature of Canada and requires a completely new deal. But first, to truly understand where we have landed today, we have to continue retracing a bit further along the sad road that brought us to this place. ~Arthur Manuel

Described by some as the Nelson Mandela of Indigenous rights in Canada, Arthur Manuel passed away earlier this year.  The above quote was taken from an excerpt from his recently released book he co-authored with Grand Chief Ronald Derrickson, “The Reconciliation Manifesto, Recovering The Land, Rebuilding The Economy.”

Those of us who appreciate history will appreciate this piece. We have touched on some of this history in our ETEC 521 journey, however, Manuel’s perspective offers a dose of reality, that lacks the sweetener.

For what it is worth, when I visited the Human Rights Museum in Winnipeg last summer, I was impressed with the ample amount of “Canada’s dirty laundry” that was put out for public viewing. This piece does not attempt to hide our soiled knickers, either.  If the rest of the book is like this excerpt, it will be one “kick ass” manifesto!

Non-Indigenous B.C. artist defends work despite calls for authenticity

If you have been monitoring my posts, I listen to a lot of CBC. Perhaps I should be branching out more with my searches, however, when I hear or read something that is recent and relevant, it really resonates with me, as it allows me to think about historical relevance and how it influences our now.

This column, written by the new host of CBC’s Reconcile This, Angela Sterritt, highlights issues of cultural appropriation and intellectual property rights. The artist in question is from England, and has been “blending” Indigenous art forms with non-Indigenous. The article points out that even though the artist is well-meaning, she is indirectly taking money from Indigenous communities that rely on sales of authentic crafts and artwork. An interviewee continues by saying that “the art market is only so big and we are the most vulnerable demographic, so it kind of stings a bit.”

The History of  Dia de Los Muertos & Why You Shouldn’t Appropriate It

“Dear white people, … You arrived at the Dia de los Muertos ceremony shipwrecked, a refugee from a culture that suppresses grief, hides death, … celebrates it only in the most morbid ways — horror movies, violent television — death is dehumanized, without loving connection, without ceremony. You arrived at Dia de los Muertos like a Pilgrim, starving, … and the Indigenous ceremonies fed you … [And] like Pilgrims you have begun to take over, to gentrify and colonize this holiday for yourselves.” ~Aya de Leon

Indigenous peoples worldwide have been fighting off the ramifications of cultural appropriation. This article is a short, history of the cultural relevance of the holiday and why white folks need to stop morphing it into a pathetic excuse to drink excessively and where inappropriate costumes at Halloween parties.

Typically, the comments sections within online pieces are filled with the worst verbal diarrhea know to our species. I came across this comment, however.  She nailed it:

“Alana Sterling I truly believe that it IS okay. Cultural appreciation is wonderful. But there is a big difference between cultural appreciation and cultural appropriation.

My old high school is thinking about having a day of the dead themed prom. In my opinion that is cultural appropriation because the school is majority white and from experience I know that a lot of them are prejudice and are very outspoken about their feelings on Mexican immigration. Its a small high school in the south.
Cultural appropriation to me is when you want the culture but not the people.
I think if you wanted to throw an actual day of the dead party it would be great look up customs and traditional food and music. That’s appreciation, but if you just want an excuse to wear pretty colors and “sugar skulls” then that’s appropriation. Some people might jump on you for it but to me that’s not really that bad, if you want to throw a day if the dead themed party that’s cool you just need to have respect for your Hispanic brothers and sisters.”~Ayleen DeLeon

 

Filling in the Gaps- When Students Become the Teachers (Mod 2-Post 5)

BC has recently revamped its curriculum and one of the main new components is the focus on Canada’s Indigenous Peoples. However, the teacher training and educational resources to support this new curriculum are not all in place.  This article from the Tyee Newspaper is a reminder that sometimes the best sources of knowledge and teaching can come from the students.  While I would never advocate putting a child on the spot to talk about their heritage in front of the rest of the class, if a student is willing to share his/her personal experiences and ideas on a subject, it often has a much more impactful and intrinsic connection with the students (and teacher) receiving this teaching.

https://thetyee.ca/News/2017/09/05/Bumpy-Start-for-BC-First-Peoples-Curriculum/

Module 2 Weblog- Kathryn Williams (née Gardner)

My research topic has changed and developed since the last weblog. On my Module Two entry I am looking more at Indigenous students and STEM subjects. My research is currently focused on barriers to Ingenious students being successful in STEM subjects and programs and initiatives that are trying to provide solutions to these obstacles.

How Native Kids see Science Differently – Interview with Megan Bang

http://crosscut.com/2016/10/how-native-kids-see-science-differently/

In this interview with Megan Bang, an Associate Professor at the University of Washington, the discussion focusses on the Science curriculum and on education not being culturally responsive. She argues that the Science taught at schools is not based people’s communities and that it especially isn’t related to Indigenous communities at all. The interview also discusses STEM subjects being more middle class and the shift that needs to occur to see more Indigenous students interested and successful in these subjects.

 

Karlie Noon- Employed by the CSIRO’s Indigenous STEM Education Project

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BuFrnm3RytA

http://www.sbs.com.au/yourlanguage/api/radio/player/podcast/764971?popup=1&node=627133

http://blog.ungei.org/karlie-noon-interview/

Indigenous woman Karlie Noon was the first Indigenous woman to graduate university in New South Wales, Australia, with joint degree in Mathematics and Physics. She went on to obtain her Master’s in Astronomy and Astrophysics. She had a disadvantaged upbringing and didn’t engage with school. An elder, however, tutored her in Mathematics once a week and that is how she found her potential in the subject. Karlie believes in the benefits of mentorship. She now works for CSIRO’s Indigenous STEM Education Project. If you Google her name, there are numerous articles, videos and podcasts that let you know about her and I’ve just included a few examples. In a great deal of the content, Karlie also discusses Indigenous people as the first scientists and explains this with great passion.

 

STEM.I.AM Initiative – Australia

http://www.stemiam.com.au/programs/

STEM.I.AM is an Australian program aimed at increasing the number of Indigenous students studying STEM subjects at university. The initiative is directed towards students in grades 5-12 and the exciting programs range from coding and robotics workshops to establishing community-led coding clubs. STEM.I.AM “encourages Indigenous kids to go to school, stay at school and learn and engage with STEM through the fun of coding and robotics.”

 

Improving Science Education for Native Students: Teaching Place through Community by Megan Bang, Douglas Medin and Gregory Cajete.

http://groups.psych.northwestern.edu/medin/documents/BangMedinCajete2009SACNAS.pdf

In the article the authors state, “Science classrooms are often the sites at which Indigenous children are implicitly and explicitly told they the knowledge of their people, their histories, and their ways of developing knowledge of the world are a myth, informal of outright wrong.” Cajete argues that Indigenous Science is about knowing place and that everything is related. I chose this article because the authors outline ‘effective science learning environments’ and how to foster them; I always find practical examples helpful for my own teaching practice.

 

Science from a Native Perspective: How do we Educate for a Sustainable Future? Interview with Indigenous Science Scholar Gregory Cajote

http://www.inmotionmagazine.com/global/cajete/gregory-cajete-int2015.html

In this interview, Gregory discusses his personal experiences of being as an Indigenous child in New Mexico; being successful at Science in school but then also being told different explanations by his grandmother at home. Even at a young age he sensed “a conflict of these two ways of looking at the world.” Cajote’s educational journey and his explanation of ‘Native Science’ is a topic that both very much interests me and one that I am hoping will feature in my final project.

Finding New Voices (Mod 2- Post 1)

Last year I had an “aha” moment during a professional development session when we were shown the conflicting viewpoints of the Iranian hostage crisis through Google searches. The difference from Canadian Google versus Iranian Google was profound.  Depending on which country you searched from, you would have two entirely different accounts of the event.  As a history teacher, I’m aware that all history is biased and will vary depending on who writes it, however in this day and age, I was shocked to see such a stark difference from the same platform provider.

At the beginning of each year (being a teacher my “New Years” is September 1st) I make a personal finance, fitness, and intellectual goal for myself.  This year my intellectual goal is to “challenge my confirmation bias”.  I feel that I have always been a person open and respectful to others ideas, however, I’ve become more self-aware that my sources of information are from limited sources.

A recent revelation pertaining to this was after watching a Vice HBO Episode titled: ‘Post-Truth’ News & Microbiome.  In this discussion, it showed Parallel Narratives of Twitter data surrounding journalism and Clinton/Trump supporters.  Following only Clinton or Trump was an indication that your information circles only covered either left wing or right wing topics. As Vice puts more eloquently “[the] support had an effect on a user’s information flow as people seemed to cut themselves off from users who supported a different candidate.”

For more information on Vice’s story and Electome’s Analytics click here

If “following” is seen as supporting, then it will be difficult to break this segregation of information for fear of reprisals from peer groups.  But maybe this is what we need.  Following Trump and his supporters may help to bridge the gap in our understanding of each other.  While I think (at least I hope) that the same degree of polarization does not exist between Canadians and Indigenous peoples presently, I wonder, are we making an effort to truly understand and “follow” each other?

Bringing it back to our topic; focusing on my goal and engaging in this course has made me analyze my current practices. How can we break free from our singular narrative bubble and actively seek Indigenous community members both locally and nationally to “Follow”?  Indigenous Tweets and other platforms of the like might be a good springboard to find new sources of information.  Moreover, reviewing and reiterating our current practices for searching for literature. Pivoting from UBC summons and Google Scholar to Indigenous databases and Index’s such as the Indigenous Peoples North America and iPortal: Indigenous Studies Portal databases.  Searching through these ‘new’ mediums I found significantly fewer ‘hits’ for the subject matter I was looking for, however, what I gave up in quantity I found in quality with literature that was reflecting a new perspective.

Entry #3 – University of Saskatchewan Indigenous Studies Portal Research Tool

(http://iportal.usask.ca/)

The iPortal is a database that contains both freely accessible and licensed resources (text and visual) connected primarily to the Canadian context of Aboriginal peoples, but also expanding to include a broader North American context as well. The range of resource types is broad, including but not limited to archival documents, photographs, e-books, websites, field notes, and artwork. The database is fully searchable or can be browsed through categories such as Spirituality or Economic Development. A project created in cooperation with many individuals and organizations, this database is a valuable resource for finding various resource types relevant to the Canadian Aboriginal context.

Entry #1 – Saskatchewan Indigenous Cultural Centre

(http://www.sicc.sk.ca/index.html)

The stated goal of the SICC’s online presence is to enable access to information about Saskatchewan First Nations. Their website offers cultural and linguistic information and multimedia pertaining to the eight main First Nations groups in Saskatchewan, as well as information about upcoming events and programs, and a catalogue of hard copy resources that are available to order. Subdivided under each cultural group, they also offer many links to further sources of information. The SICC is affiliated with the Federation of Sovereign Indian Nations, and as such, the information and resources contained within the site have been shared from an authentic First Nations perspective of representative value. This site is a useful place to gain an understanding of provincially-relevant cultures and to expand upon such research through their further connections.

Module 1 -1 – Teaching the Teachers

 

One resource that I have come back to numerous times is the First Nations Steering Committee website http://www.fnesc.ca 

From their site: “FNESC works at the provincial level to provide services in the areas of research, communications, information dissemination, advocacy, program administration and networking”. Their mandate is:  “to facilitate discussion about education matters affecting First Nations in BC by disseminating information and soliciting input from First Nations.  The primary goal is to promote and support the provision of quality education to First Nations learners in BC.”

As a non-indigenous person educating in the British Columbia school system, I would like to get the correct information to share with our students. FNESC provides resources, research, and professional development opportunities.

Particularly helpful as a middle school classroom teacher are the Learning First Peoples Classroom Resources. http://www.fnesc.ca/learningfirstpeoples/  which provide  support B.C. Mathematics, English Language Arts, Social Studies, and Science curriculum. The First Peoples Principles of Learning (below) are also located in every classroom in our school where educators use them to guide their teaching.

 

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Module 4: Place and Displacement

  1. Knowing the Land Beneath Our Feet

Knowing the Land Beneath Our Feet is an Augmented Reality tour of the land on which sits the University of British Columbia. Upon watching the creators’ video, we see their intention is to educate and provide the opportunity to connect with the land (unceded Musqueam land). Links below include Eleanor Hoskins blog post entitled “Place Based Learning Technologies” as well as detailed background information about Knowing the Land Beneath Our Feet. Is learning truly place-based when it is virtual? Can one truly connect with the land when it isn’t a real environment? Could augmented reality help people who feel displaced to connect to place – from a distance? Could the creation of such a virtual tour help Aboriginal youth articulate and develop their knowledge of place?

 

http://ets.educ.ubc.ca/place-based-learning-technologies/

http://fnis.arts.ubc.ca/research-resources/knowing-the-land-beneath-our-feet/

http:/thetalon.ca/knowing-the-land-beneath-our-feet-ubcs-indigenous-histories-and-presence/

 

  1. First Mile

First Mile promotes and supports ICTs in rural Aboriginal communities across Canada. The site has a “Community Stories” section which highlights digital developments in these communities, from global citizenship workshops, to how communities are using social media, to physical connectivity. These community stories could serve to inform other participating and nonparticipating communities of potential uses for ICTs in their community. The site also hosts published research related to rural Indigenous communities, technology, and the challenges they may face. It isn’t surprising to see that different challenges are faced and addressed differently depending on the community. Is willingness to welcome digital technologies a major factor in these projects?

http://firstmile.ca/#home

 

  1. Modern Science, Native Knowledge

In contrast to Tim Michel’s thoughts in his interview for week 12 where he indicates that Indigenous people are and feel displaced, this video produced by The Natural Conservancy, emphasizes how the Heiltsuk people feel a direct connection to and responsibility for the land (The Great Bear Rainforest). This is interesting given the detrimental effects of colonization on the Heiltsuk. Jessy Housty articulates the importance of place when it comes to identity, “we don’t make sense anywhere else in the world, this is our place and we have a responsibility to take care of it”. Like when Dr. Walsh (below, see post 4) discusses using multiple ways of knowing to conserve the environment, this too is emphasized, in particular the knowledge of the Heiltsuk people. Is it fair for this responsibility to lie on Aboriginal people, specifically in the preservation of the Great Bear Rainforest? Isn’t it at risk as a result of colonization?

 

  1. Australia’s Biodiversity: Indigenous Perspectives

Dr. Fiona Walsh, explains the interconnectedness between biodiversity, place, and Aboriginal people in Australia. As an elementary school teacher, who has taught “biodiversity” for a number of years from an exclusively Western perspective, the way Dr. Walsh explains the relationship between humans and plants, from the perspective of using as much knowledge from multiple sources (western science, aboriginal knowledge), provides a good example of how to approach the BC curriculum with Indigenous worldviews authentically. As environmental concerns grow, place-based learning and indigenous worldviews seem to be at the forefront, Dr. Walsh echoes this, suggesting the more knowledge we have, the better equipped we will be to conserve the environment.

 

  1. Aboriginal communities embrace technology, but they have unique cyber safety challenges

 

The digital divide in rural aboriginal communities and in lower socio-economic communities is one thing, but there are other challenges that arise in communities that may not have the digital fluency that is required in order to use the internet/devices safely. This article highlights some of the challenges in security and protocol when people in Aboriginal communities have access to a limited amount of technology. This article reminds us that things like cyber safety, money, online passwords, texting, etc. are all products of western society.

 

http://theconversation.com/aboriginal-communities-embrace-technology-but-they-have-unique-cyber-safety-challenges-69344

 

MODULE 2 WEBLOG

The following are resources on research and initiatives that include a focus on Indigenous learners and higher (post-secondary) education, including an experiential activity that can be used as a teaching tool:

Ball, J. (2007). Indigenous learners online: The future isn’t what it used to be! Presented at 4th International Conference on Indigenous Education.

This publication is dated, but still relevant to my research interests in post-secondary education, online learning and Indigenous learners. The author (one of the researchers in UVic’s Early Childhood Development Intercultural Partnerships mentioned below) addresses the need for online learning technologies and innovative instructional design to support Indigenous post-secondary education.

KAIROS Canada. (n.d.). KAIROS Blanket Exercise.

The Blanket Exercise is a “teaching tool to share the historic and contemporary relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in Canada.” This site has a video and more information about incorporating this exercise into your teaching. The facilitated exercise (taught as a workshop) typically ends with a debrief via a talking circle.

University of Victoria. (n.d.). Early Childhood Development Intercultural Partnerships.

This University of Victoria (UVic)-associated program of community-university research related to early childhood development in Canada and globally provides links to their research projects and publications (including presentations and media resources), some of which are Indigenous focused. You’ll also find links to external resources with an Indigenous focus, e.g.,  child and youth care organizations, programs at the University of Victoria, etc.

University of Victoria School of Child and Youth Care. (n.d.). Indigenous Initiatives.

This webpage highlights courses, programs and specialization streams related to child and youth care practice in Indigenous contexts. Additional resources at the University of Victoria are also highlighted, including a link to all programs (undergraduate and graduate level) with Indigenous content, some of which are delivered via distance/online.

Walton, P., & Byrne, R. (2014). Developing an online survey to identify learning preferences of Indigenous online learners. Proceedings of MAC-EeL 2014: International Academic Conference on Education and E-learning.

This is an article about a survey identifying the learning preferences of Indigenous online learners. The authors, from Thomas Rivers University, presented their findings at the International Academic Conference on Education and E-learning in Prague (unfortunately, I’ve been unable to locate further information on this).