Tag Archives: STEAM

Women in Tech- or Lack Thereof (Mod 2-Post 3)

Thinking about the recent initiatives set forth by the BC government to recruit and train British Columbians in skilled trades, I wondered if there was an for technology training specifically for Indigenous peoples. It was here where I found out about the 2.2 Million invested into Indigenous skills training for the tech sector.

The Bridging to Technology program was created by the First Nations Technology Council and when reviewing the team making up the council I was pleasantly surprised to see a team full of women. However, I was disappointed to find the board of directors consisted of only men. This was a stark reminder of the gender gap in authoritative roles that women of all ethnicities face.

As the CNET article highlights, the tech industry is already male-dominated:

And this is for white women. The statistics get worse if you’re a woman of a minority. According to a study done by Michelmore & Sassler (2016), “Black women, Latina women, and Indigenous women especially, earn less than white and Asian American women” (Rao & Lunau, 2017).

The dominance of men over women in higher paid, higher power positions is a trend in most sectors but is especially pronounced in the tech sector. As Blanche (2016) highlights “The problem is when diversity programs focus on “women” as a whole, they often fall into the trap of prioritizing the majority: White Women”.

If we truly want to make our tech industry more diverse, we need to analyze the barriers that Indigenous women face specifically. Grants for an example are a start, but while I did find technology grants for women, I was unable to find grants dedicated specifically to Indigenous women

References

Blanche, A. (2016, December 20). Diversity in tech too often means ‘hiring white women.’ We need to move beyond that. Retrieved October 15, 2017, from https://www.recode.net/2016/12/20/14013610/gender-diversity-women-race-age-geography-initiative

Michelmore, K. & Sassler, S. (2016). Explaining the Gender Wage Gap in STEM: Does Field Sex Composition Matter?RSF: The Russell Sage Foundation Journal of the Social Sciences 2(4), 194-215. Russell Sage Foundation. Retrieved October 15, 2017, from Project MUSE database.

Rao, A., & Lunau, K. (2017, April 04). You Can’t Close the Gender Gap in Science and Tech Without Equal Pay. Retrieved October 16, 2017, from https://motherboard.vice.com/en_us/article/4xeevp/stem-science-technology-women-pay-gap-equal-pay-day

Indigenous Girls and Technology (Mod 2 Post 2)

For our final research assignment, Kathryn, Sara and I have decided to look at the relationship of technology and STEAM learning and Indigenous girls. We were drawn to focus our research on girls because of the unique differences they have in learning compared to boys as well as the fact that Indigenous girls, already from a marginalized community, are even more vulnerable as they face gender bias and stereotypes in a male-dominated technology industry. In our research of current programs and initiatives in place, we found “Native Girls that Code” . The goals of this program are:

Build leadership of women and the capacity of women-led projects and organizations
Build the capacity of our youth to develop strong identities through Indigenous knowledge and stronger supports for their education
Advance the preservation and revitalization of traditional Native knowledge through environmental justice programming that focuses on following the original teachings of Mother Earth

This program has found a way to incorporate STEAM learning with place-based learning that connects the girls with the land around them.

The success of this program but shows the promise and capability of integration between Indigenous girls and technology and could pose as a model for other similar programs.

Weblog 2

http://www.nsi-canada.ca/2012/03/im-not-the-indian-you-had-in-mind/

I’m Not the Indian You Had in Mind by Thomas King is a spoken word short featuring the author and two Indigenous actors. The actors are dressed as any North American does in the 21st century. This is contrasted with old “cowboy and Indian” western movie scenes playing in the background. Shots of the stereotypical Indigenous person riding horses or shooting bows and arrows emphasizes the disparity between real Indigenous people and their stereotyped big screen counterparts. The props used, like the cigar store Indian, add to that message, that the Indian you have in mind, is not a real person.

http://www.npr.org/2017/06/20/533653471/sherman-alexie-says-hes-been-indian-du-jour-for-a-very-long-day

Sherman Alexie Interview on NPR about his recent memoir of growing up on reserve. The interview also includes a reading of a chapter. Sherman Alexie is often seen as the voice of the Native American. His writing is funny, heartbreaking, honest and accessible for students. His book “The Absolutely True Diary of Part Time Indian” is a favourite among students, and has also landed on several banned book lists for its raw language and sexuality. I always recommend this book in spite of some people (mostly parents) who are uncomfortable with the topics included in the novel. It is a realistic portrayal of how 14 year old boys think and talk to each other. Because of the popularity of the novel Sherman Alexie is often go to voice of Native writers. He responded to this by saying

“I really hope that like 10 or 12 Native writers, fiction writers, non-fiction writers, really launch into the national consciousness …” he says. “So I don’t have to answer all the questions, so I don’t have to get invited to all the conferences. Share the burden of being a public figure Indian! Come on, people! Hurry up, finish your books!

The following links are to documentaries created by Indigenous women. These are excellent examples of Indigenous women using technology and art to express and consider cultural issues.

Headdress

http://www.cbc.ca/shortdocs/shorts/headdress

In “Headdress” a young woman, JJ Neepin, recreates a portrait of her grandfather. JJ Neepin and her photographer, Nadya Kwandibens, discuss the significance of the headdress. The cultural appropriation of headdresses has been debated lately has celebrities and concert goers have been spotted wearing them at outdoor festivals, the debate also surfaces as Halloween approaches. As she puts the headdress on Neepin says she can feel the weight-physically and metaphorically. This is a short doc (under 6 minutes) that would be a great way to start a conversation about cultural appropriation of the headdress.

Four Faces of the Moon

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWe–sysNkk

“Four Faces of the Moon” is an animated short film by filmmaker Amanda Strong. The character travels through time to witness history and colonization of Indigenous people. The film centres around the decimation of the buffalo as a means to terminate the Indigenous people that depended on them for survival. I want to focus my research on Indigenous women and their involvement in STEAM. This film is a great example of a woman involved in the creative and technical side of filmmaking.

The Oak Legacy

http://www.cbc.ca/firsthand/episodes/the-oka-legacy

“The Oka Legacy” is a documentary about Oka crisis in the 90s and focuses on the role women played in the protests and the impact it had on young aboriginal girls, some of whom went on to be leaders in Idle No More. I was a child during the Oka Crisis and remember hearing bits about it, but did not ever really understand what is meant. Watching it now I was shocked. The tensions between the Mohawk and the town didn’t shock me, but the violence did. This would be an interesting film to watch with students now and compare and contrast what they see with current issues and protests in Canada and the United States.