Tag Archives: Sustainability

Module 4 Post 3 (Washington Post Series: This is Where My Mobile Technology Begins))

In this three part series, the Washington post investigates the true cost of our high tech devices. Specifically, the authors, Todd C. Frankel and Peter Whoriskey look at how the extraction of lithium, cobalt and graphite have adversely affected the ability to subsist in three separate geographical areas.

I think that this is a very important aspect of module 4’s conversation because it places the usage or reclamation of Indigenous constructed media side-by-side with the origins of these tools. In other words, can something both promote decolonization and colonization.

Here are the links to the three articles:

Tossed Aside in the ‘White Gold’ Rush, 

The Cobalt Pipeline

In Your Phone, In Their Air

Entry #17: Saskatchewan First Nations Natural Resource Centre of Excellence

http://skfncentre.ca/

The Centre of Excellence was created by the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations with the intention of supporting First Nations communities in Saskatchewan in “creating opportunities for the innovative, sustainable and environmentally responsible development of the natural resources within their lands and Indigenous territories.”  The work of this centre speaks to the importance of holistic learning, collaborative relationships, and sustainability in the First Nations worldview.  Their work captures some of the main issues facing First Nations people in Saskatchewan, namely, environmental protection, educational engagement, and economic livelihood.  While the site does not link directly to external resources, it does provide a listing of the centre’s partners, including Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada, Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technology, and The National Energy Business Centre of Excellence.

Module 4 Contributions – Indigenous Peoples and Mining

Here again, a compilation of useful websites that address different perspectives on indigenous peoples and mining.

http://www.idlenomore.ca/
I should have posted this website way earlier. Idle No More calls on all people to join in a peaceful revolution, to honour Indigenous sovereignty, and to protect the land and water.  Idle No More has quickly become one of the largest Indigenous mass movements in Canadian history – sparking hundreds of teach-ins, rallies, and protests across Turtle Island and beyond. What began as a series of teach-ins throughout Saskatchewan to protest impending parliamentary bills that will erode Indigenous sovereignty and environmental protections, has now changed the social and political landscape of Canada.

www.culturalsurvival.org
Good website with lots of resources. Cultural Survival advocates for Indigenous Peoples rights and supports Indigenous communities’ self-determination, cultures and political resilience, since 1972. This organization has worked with Indigenous communities in Asia, Africa, South America, North America, and Australia, becoming the leading US-based organization defending the rights of Indigenous Peoples around the world.
Cultural Survival envisions a future that respects and honours Indigenous Peoples inherent rights and dynamic cultures, deeply and richly interwoven in lands, languages, spiritual traditions, and artistic expression, rooted in self-determination and self-governance.

http://www.fairmining.ca/fair-mining-code/
Another good website with lots of resources.  Fair Mining Collaborative joins with First Nations people and local communities in British Columbia in the quest to shape the future for families, land, water, and wildlife. Fair Mining Collaborative provides technical and practical assistance around the issues and impacts of mining. They spend time in communities to provide two-way knowledge sharing for strengthening local capacity to manage the full spectrum of mining concerns: mapping traditional resource inventories and raising awareness of social impacts; staking, permitting, exploration; and operation, closure and reclamation.

http://www.iied.org/mining-dialogues
IIED (International Institute for Environment and Development) is a policy and action research organisation, that promote sustainable development to improve livelihoods and protect the environments on which these livelihoods are built. They specialise in linking local priorities to global challenges. IIED is based in London and works in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and the Pacific, with some of the world’s most vulnerable people. IIED’s dialogue programme for artisanal and small-scale mining enables a wide range of stakeholders to come together and collaborate on empowering miners, improving governance and delivering a safer, more secure working environment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Swy0boCxEgY
Indigenous Peoples and the Sustainable Development Goals, a short video from the United Nations. They asked indigenous representatives at a recent United Nations forum why the Global Goals matter. I included this one because it present original voices in the topic of sustainability.

Research 5 links Exploring Arts, Culture, Indigeneity and Technology

The more I research into art, technology and indigeneity, the more intrigued I am with the topic. There are many layers to the topic and it is constantly evolving as culture is not static and there is not one set definition of what culture is. In addition, technology continues to evolve so more layers become added including commodification and differing world views on this.

http://rac.sagepub.com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/content/35/4/107

In the journal article, “Aboriginal theater: does ’sold out’ mean ’selling out’? “ The author discusses the disparity between Western Civilizations’ view of theater and the aboriginal point of view which encompasses a reflecting of spiritual truth as they see it. He highlights the complexities of ancient, traditional Aboriginal art forms and finds that the performing arts have been portrayed as primitive ritual lacking in the sophistication and complexity of contemporary western civilization. He speaks to the ethnocentric and naïve view that western thought purports and proposes that these art forms may be  difficult to interpret using western mode of thought.

 

http://ariel.journalhosting.ucalgary.ca/ariel/index.php/ariel/article/viewFile/3888/3825

In the journal article “From Colonialism to Multiculturalism? Totem Poles, Tourism and National identity in Vancouver’s Stanley Park”, the author reflects about the symbol of the totem pole and questions whose culture is represented, displayed and consumed. She questions whether or not they adequately capture the complicated and diverse histories and experiences of first nations people in the province of BC. She also discusses the use of totem poles as a statement of Canadian heritage and questions the Canadian Government’s use of them for their economic and cultural value. She writes further that the displays run the risk of minimizing the histories and legacies of aboriginal people within our nation.

http://mcu.sagepub.com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/content/9/2/141.full.pdf+html

In the article, “Authentic Inuit Art: Creation and Exclusion in the Canadian North”, the author discusses how Modern Inuit commercial arts grew out of the desires of multiple non-Inuit agencies and persons. He also discusses how these outside influences worked to create new art forms which were means of carrying out the will of these competing persons in a complex competition to control social and cultural relationships. These were appropriated by the Inuit and this new art gave them new strength to establish new economic, social and political institutions.  In all, the article examines the historical support and shaping of Canadian Inuit art in the 20th century,  and the consequences of outside influences.

http://www.emeraldinsight.com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/doi/full/10.1108/20441261111171684

In In the article, “Indigenous culture: both malleable and valuable”,  the author speaks to Ideological  tensions that arise with the effort to balance the preservation of cultural integrity with the selling of marketable wares.  She proposes further interdisciplinary research to develop an understanding that supports the long‐term sustainability of indigenous communities. She finds that existing discourse is currently dominated by non‐indigenous voices and Western tourism motivations, which need amelioration to better support the community‐based approach.

http://www-tandfonline-com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/doi/full/10.1080/09528820412331318578?scroll=top&needAccess=true

In the article, “The Artifice of Culture, Contemporary Indigenous Art and the Work of Peter Robinson”, the author discusses the huge effect   computing, Internet, and televisual technologies have had on the conditions of the production, reproduction, circulation, and consumption of cultural imagery. These technologies are fueling an economy and the commodification of art as culture.  Indigenous and non‐Indigenous perspectives on commodification are likely to provide different views. The article examines  the representation of contemporary,  ‘non‐traditional’ Indigenous art and the definition of cultural property and identity.

 

 

Indigenous Knowledge & Sustainability

Indigenous Knowledge & Sustainability

This “Teaching and Learning for a Sustainable Future” is a program launched by the United Nations system, UNESCO, in the hope to reach teachers in the world to teach our younger generation about sustainability.   The website clearly outlines the dimensions of sustainability and discusses how to incorporate a sustainable future across different curriculums.

Module 4, Post 4 – Bioregional Education

One of the themes that has presented itself is the connection to land and environment. This is an important aspect to incorporate for culturally responsive education.

The Salmon Nation has a number of resources for bioregional education, including essays on a number of topics. They also have an extensive section with links to other websites.

http://www.salmonnation.com/index.php

Resources for Rethinking has a variety of resources like lesson plans and units for teachers wanting to teach sustainability.

http://resources4rethinking.ca/

Catherine

Module 2: Post 3

Indigenous Knowledge and Sustainability

This resource, created by UNESCO serves as an excellent guide to what separates Indigenous knowledge and education from formal education. It points out that sophisticated knowledge is not confined to science, but also rich experiences and emotions relating to the environment from which the knowledge hailed. Information on this website will serve as a guide to indigenous educational tactics, and provide a base for my research on how to use technology to deliver emotional education as apposed to the formal education currently being delivered via technology, which excludes the spiritual, emotional and is weak in local knowledge.

http://www.unesco.org/education/tlsf/mods/theme_c/mod11.html