Author Archives: Elvio Castelli

Talking circles as Indigenous pedagogy in online learning

This study caught my attention because its goal is to determine whether using talking circles as Indigenous pedagogy would benefit and affect the disconnected experience of online environments for learners. The authors believe that using the Indigenous practice of talking circles can play a significant role in grounding students. They importantly note that we cannot project our “rigid” view of what the talking circle is. I think that this study can play an important role in my understanding of how we can use Indigenous practices to improve digital learning. Since many Indigenous students in the north participate in online learning as a necessity, this knowledge can benefit a vast group of Indigenous students and communities who do not have access to fully staffed schools or programs.

References

Hanson, A. Danyluk, P. (April 11, 2022). Talking circles as Indigenous pedagogy in online learning. The University of Calgary.

I came across this initiative through Aboriginal Mapping Network. I instantly thought it would prove to be a useful resource. The toolkit aids Indigenous communities in learning, sharing, and connecting with other Indigenous communities. The hope is that communities will help each other grow through sharing experiences and knowledge of the Indigenous Guardian program. For those who don’t know, the Guardian program is “an initiative to support Indigenous rights and responsibilities in protecting and conserving ecosystems, developing and maintaining sustainable economies, and continuing the profound connections between natural landscapes and Indigenous cultures.” (Government of Canada). The Toolkit has been created by Nature United in collaboration with Indigenous communities from across Canada. What I like about this website is that it doesn’t just offer a blueprint to run a program; it also offers communities the opportunity to add their own knowledge for all to use if they want to. I hope to use this program as an example of how Indigenous knowledge can be used appropriately online to help protect our environment.

References

Government of Canada. (2022)  Indigenous Guardians. https://www.canada.ca/en/environment-climate-change/services/environmental-funding/indigenous-guardians.html

Aboriginal Mapping Network. (August 15, 2017). Indigenous Guardians Toolkit. http://nativemaps.org/?p=3935

Media Indigena

This website combines audio with the written word to raise awareness and educate about Indigenous issues. The founder and president, Rick Harp, is a member of the northern Saskatchewan Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation. Mr. Harp’s podcasts range from discussing how Indigenous people are using crowdfunding (January 9, 2014) to further enrich their cultural pursuits to the first Indigenous-led think tank (Jan. 31, July 2021) that plans on enriching  Indigenous perspectives in the media. I plan to use the knowledge I get from this site to show how Indigenous peoples are using Western tech to protect and enrich their culture.

https://mediaindigena.com/

Four Directions Teachings 

I like this website because it shows how Indigenous groups can use Western technology to save, teach and enshrine their knowledge. While I have been researching my paper, I have been struggling with picturing what Indigenizing the internet would look like. This website shows how educators and knowledge holders can combine audio, written, and interactive 3d technology to share and enshrine their knowledge. As an educator, I was excited to find this site as it provides class lessons for integrating Mohawk knowledge into my social studies classes.

References

https://fourdirectionsteachings.com/

Digital Equity for Indigenous Communities

Emma Greenfield, July 7, 2020. 

In this article, Ms. Greenfield argues for digital equity for Indigenous communities. She explains why it is a fundamental human right for Indigenous people to have access to the internet. While an individual or group can choose not to interact online, having access and the option to do so is essential. Ms. Greenfield argues, “The resilience and innovation of Indigenous people who also have access to the internet means the possibilities of reconciliation and resurgence are infinite.”  I believe this article will prove helpful for my essay because Ms. Greenfield explains how Indigenous people can use the internet to better their communities.

Illustration by Emma Greenfied. Digital equity for Indigenous communities

Reference

Greenfield, E. (July 7, 2020) Digital Equity For Indigenous Communities. https://www.socialconnectedness.org/digital-equity-for-indigenous-communities/

https://www.internetsociety.org/

I was researching Indigenizing the internet and came across the article Indigenous communities must have internet access on their own terms written by Mark Buell. Mark Buell was the Regional Vice President of the Internet Society. Mr. Buell is of the opinion that the internet is essential to Indigenous communities, which was made apparent during the covid-19 pandemic. The article links to Indigenous Connectivity Summit and its policy recommendations. I believe these articles will help me develop an understanding of how we can best move forward in introducing the internet to isolated Indigenous communities.

Madsen D. Indigenizing the internet. (2020). The cambridge history of native american literature (pp. 481-500) https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108699419.027

This essay provides a take on how Indigenous people are using the internet to tell tier stories and articulate native self-determination. The author, Professor Madison, is not Indigenous; however, she has written many works on settler-colonialism and Indigeneity. I plan to learn about the efforts to decolonize the internet and apply this new knowledge to my final project. By effectively decolonizing the internet, I believe Indigenous groups can strengthen not just their communities but all communities.

Hudson, H. E., (February 2020). The Impact of Internet Access in Indigenous Communities in Canada and the United States: An Overview of Findings and Guidelines for Research. The Internet Society 

As you begin to read this essay, you come across a quote from Lucassie Arragutainaq, manager of the Sanikiluaq Hunters and Trappers Association, Nunavut. “We’re copying what our parents used to do, but in modern ways.”. It is encouraging to see the author acknowledging those Indigenous members that collaborated with and aided her in the development of her work, using and displaying their knowledge to the world. I can’t find any information on whether Dr. Heather E. Hudson is Indigenous, so I believe she is a non-Indigenous scholar. The essay examines the impact of the internet on Indigenous communities in the U.S. and Canada. The report goes on to study how online software and games are being developed to safeguard and promote Indigenous languages and to share Indigenous knowledge and culture. I’m hoping to learn more about how western technology is being used to strengthen Indigenous communities and their connections to their land.

Wemigwans, J., & ProQuest (Firm). (2018). A digital bundle: Protecting and promoting indigenous knowledge online. University of Regina Press.

This essay is proving to be very interesting. Wemigwans, who is an Anishnaabekwe scholar, explores the “cultural shift in how we share Indigenous Knowledge online.” The book examines  the Internet and its part in the spreading Indigenous Knowledge from Elders and Indigenous knowledge keepers.”  I believe this book can be crucial for developing my final project because it examines how we can use the internet to share Indigenous knowledge. I hope this book enlightens me on how best to use the internet to share Indigenous knowledge and how  Indigenous people can successfully use western technology.

Native on the Net: Indigenous and Diasporic peoples in the virtual age

Landzelius, K., (2006). Native on the net: Indigenous and diasporic peoples in the virtual age. Routledge. Taylor & Francis eBooks A-Z.

This book examines how multiple Indigenous groups from around the world use the internet. The author is interested in how the internet affects the lives and routines of Indigenous people. I could not find any information on whether or not the author has any Indigenous roots herself. 

The author begins with the question, “Is the global village a real possibility in cyberspace?” This caught my attention since our first article focused on tribalism and how opposite the internet is to Indigenous culture. I am quite skeptical about some of the points the author claims about the internet allowing Indigenous groups to challenge “their own native traditions.” I hope this text provides in-depth knowledge about how Indigenous people from across the world are using the internet differently and similarly and how they are using it to revitalize their culture. However, I will be reviewing this book with caution. 

This week I decided to try and mention whether the author was Indigenous or not. It’s something that stuck with me from our discussions last week about settler researchers observing Indigenous communities and leaving. I think acknowledging whether or not the authors are Indigenous is an important step in understanding the strengths and weaknesses of the text.