Category Archives: MODULE 2

Module 2 – Post 4: Coding, Mathematics and Indigenous Ways of Knowing

This mathematics project utilizes technology as a way for students to extend their knowledge of Loom Beading and Metis Finger Weaving. The project highlights the importance of conversations with Indigenous Peoples to gain knowledge through relationships. Students had the opportunity to learn from Elders and Indigenous Artists about their culture and the Indigenous arts of their ancestors. In addition, students could develop mathematics skills by combining this knowledge with coding. Students planned out their patterns created them with hand looms, and then coded their beading project.

This project directly relates to my final research topic as it identifies the importance of partnership between Indigenous and non-Indigenous views. Elder and Indigenous Artists were consulted to educate the students on traditional knowledge. The two websites recognize critical pieces of Culturally Responsive Pedagogy and provide an example of a local context to make learning relevant to students.


For more information on the project:

https://theconstructionzone.wordpress.com/2021/09/30/coding-indigenous-ways-of-knowing-mathematics/

The following website provides the background information needed for attempting such a project discussing topics like the importance of relationships, protocols, the story of the bead, and cultural appropriation. It provides a clean layout and offers direct connections to the math curriculum topics.

https://sites.google.com/teltgafe.com/indigenouslearnersinmath/session-2?authuser=0

 

Assignment 3.1: Research Blog for Module 1 & 2

Assignment 3.1: Research Blog for Module 1 & 2

 

Module 1 Post 1: www.ohneganos.com

This website provides information about their research project into Indigenous communities drinking water quality. Furthermore, it provides learning materials that decolonizes mapping through utilizing digital tools to demonstrate the history of Indigenous lands and Indigenous names of the different lands and waters, a Virtual Reality experience through the Indigenous lands, and the use of digital storytelling to teach about the waters and land. The examples of digital tools and Indigenous education gives us an idea and look into how we as educators can utilize technology within an Indigenous education. 

 

Module 1 Post 2: Cole, K. (2021, October 1). How Indigenous creators are nurturing a space on TikTok to educate and entertain [PBS News Hour]. Retrieved from https://www.pbs.org/newshour/arts/how-indigenous-creators-are-nurturing-a-space-on-tiktok-to-educate-and-entertain


This article provides the TikTok accounts of some Indigenous youths who use their accounts to share their culture, connect with their community and advocate for justice. Some TikTok parodies that poke fun at stereotypes of Indigenous people or exoticize Indigenous people are used, but the article notes that these youths use comedy and social media to push their voices and stories to the front rather than remaining silent. This particular perspective of using social media to connect with community, share knowledge and educate about Indigenous culture resonates with me as I explore how digital media can reflect Indigenous culture and practices in culturally appropriate ways. 

 

Module 1 Post 3: https://actua.ca/


Actua (2021) is an outreach organization that offers training to educators, but primarily offers documents to inform parents, teachers and students about the Indigenous perspective in Science, Technology, Economics and Mathematics. However, their documents also note the importance of two-eyed seeing. That is, we cannot separate Canada from our dominant or Western perspective, or the historical and silenced Indigenous perspective. It is important to use a lens that sees from both perspectives, only then, can truly decolonize education. A main focus is the importance of place-based education, the importance of students getting to know their community and its histories. This resource resonated with me as I do sometimes find it difficult to remove the western knowledge from my prior knowledge as I learn about Indigenous culture and education. However, using both lens is applicable to my current knowledge and my histories. 

Module 1 Post 4: 

City News. (2022, September 27). Content creator spreads Indigenous education on social media [YouTube]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/gwyE0H99kMc 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zhaawnong/


This YouTube video was posted by CityNews that follows content creator, Zhaawnong Webb, who uses comedy and social media to teach followers about Indigenous culture. He acknowledges that it has been that non-Indigenous people that tend to share stories about Indigenous people, who warp stories that remove contexts or its true meaning. He utilizes his content, background as a member of the Indigenous community, an educator and a truth teller to fill the gaps and reclaim his voice and stories through the use of social media. Being a user of social media, I found watching Zhaawnong Webb’s reels on instagram cultural responsive to me, as it reflected the style, comedy and culture of videos I tend to watch. This connection intrigued my curiousity to learn and watch more from the user. This is of significance as it made me think of other youths’ and their preferences in retaining information. 

 

Module 1 Post 5: 

Rice, E.S., Haynes, E., Royce, P., & Thompson, S.C. (2016). Social media and digital technology use among Indigenous young people in Australia: a literature review. International Journal for Equity in Health, 15, 1-16.

This is a literature review which found that social media allowed Indigenous community members to use their language, share, confirm and enact their identities. Social media allows  Indigenous community members to reclaim their power, control and freedom over their identities, communities and speech/expression. Social media also lends its way more toward Indigenous perspectives due to its visual and oral directions, allowing members to connect with family and communities. However, cyber bullying, racism and lack of access due to remoteness, socioeconomic status, education and employment continue to plague Indigenous communities through the use of social media or digital media. This article opened my perspective in terms of how the technology, social media, have similarities to Indigenous culture and practices. 

 

Module 2 Post 1:  

​​Huijser, H. (2014). Exploring the opportunities of social media to build knowledge in learner-centered Indigenous learning spaces. John Benjamins Publishing Company, Retrieved from file:///Users/rikavuong/Downloads/05huicorrectedpublishedversion.pdf

 

This article reinforces the idea that social media as a medium, is user-centred and controlled, flexible, democratic, and both very transparent and also very not so. The way in which social media invites conversation and discussion and focuses on interacting collectively, draws on similarities to Indigenous perspectives. This use of social media in educational practices shifts from teachers as a beholder of knowledge to the open collective creation and discussion of knowledge. This article provides more perspective on how social media as a medium can draw on aspects of Indigenous cultures and practices which makes the medium successful maintaining Indigenous culture.

 

Module 2 Post 2: 

Toronto History Museums. (2020, December 14). We were always here – Acknowledgment (A film by Jonathan Elliott, 2020) [YouTube]. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/3X4MYbJvLUI


This powerful short film demonstrates the tokenism of Land Acknowledgement in schools. It points out to the audience how little histories and stories of Indigeneous people are shared about the names of our land and about the important Indigenous people who were covered or silenced due to colonialism. It reminds us to look into the people, communities and histories that shape or made the land that we are on today. It tells us to question and acknowledge our collective history, in order to move toward true Truth and Reconciliation.  This short film reminds me to not only look at current trends but look at the histories that have made Indigenous culture the way it is today.

 

Module 2 Post 3: 

Molyneaux, H. (2014). Social media in remote First Nation communities. Canadian Journal of Communication, 39(2), 275-288.

This article acknowledges the importance of social capital for Indigenous communities. Examples of social capital are women, men, grandparents, youth, and children that need to circulate and exist within a community to protect Indigenous culture and identity. The use of the internet has allowed sharing of stories about the self, practices, language and community which is critical in maintaining the Indigenous culture. Potential challenges of the internet are social isolation and dominant language overshadowing Indigenous languages, the Internet can also be a great source to combat those challenges as it provides Indigenous communities with a tool to connect with other community members especially when they are from a Remote area with low populations of Indigenous people. Social media also becomes a tool to share and sustain their Indigenous language. 

 

Module 2 Post 4: 

Carlson, B. (2017, April 27). Why are Indigenous people such avid users of social media? The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/apr/27/why-are-indigenous-people-such-avid-users-of-social-media 

 

This article compares social media use between Indigenous people with non-Indigenous people. Particularly, it looks at how parents, siblings and extended families are using social media. This is a reason why non-Indigenous people are decreasing their use of social media, due to privacy concerns regarding their family members being able to see into their private lives. However, this same reason is why Indigenous users of social media are on the rise. Indigenous users want their families and extended families to be able to see their post, stay connected and continue their sense of community. This interesting juxtaposition of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people and their reason for using (or not) social media brings to light the differences in western and Indigenous culture and practices.

Module 2 Post 5: 

Kennedy, J.R. (2014, March 30). Ellen Degeneres targeted by #sealfie campaign. Global News. https://globalnews.ca/news/1239661/ellen-degeneres-targeted-by-sealfie-campaign/ 

In 2011, Ellen Degeneres posted a statement that condemned Seal hunting. However, this impacted Indigenous communities as it continued to “Other” Indigenous communities, judge and stereotype their culture and livelihood. This post impacted Indigenous communities as it pushed them to utilize social media to start a “Sealfie” movement that played on the word “Selfie,” where Indigenous people wore their seal fur jackets to advocate for their culture maintenance, stand up against the shunning of their culture and educate people on the practice of Seal Hunting. A teenager made a plea via YouTube where she posted it onto facebook to ask Ellen Degeneres to be more cautious and informed of her advocacy, focusing on educating and the importance of authentic information. This article continues to demonstrate how dominant society continues to utilize their gaze upon Indigenous culture and practices. It also demonstrates the power of social media and followers on impacting change.

Module 2 Post 5

Module 2 Blog 5
For my fifth and final blog post for module 2, I want to recognize that I cannot do this alone. I do realize that the main thing I need to be doing at this point in the designing of such a project and curricula is speaking with Indigenous elders as guides for the material. The problem is, however, people are busy or people do not support that I am embarking on this project as a WEIRDWASP  colonial-settler-scholar-educator-repatriate. How do I elicit information from an elder? I used to take international students to the Gathering Place for introduction to elder, indigenous culture and a smudge, but then I was told by a white person I was doing it wrong. I was mortified. I stopped. My next step is to reconcile this action both with myself and with the elders in question. This is uncomfortable. However, don’t both Piaget and Vygotsky agree that the effort to alleviate cognitive dissonance is what creates cognitive development?
A few resources have been helpful at this point in the journey to make me realize that much about appropriation is about intention and awareness:
I have also come across some very interesting quizzes to test one’s level of cultural appropriation, both in and outside of the classroom:
While taking these quizzes was fun and enlightening for me, a lot of scaffolding would need to be done for international ESL students to perform candidly on these questions. But that is certainly not a reason to shy away from bringing these resources into the classroom. Rather, this is motivation to push for curricular change to adopt more indigenous knowledge, content and context for International ESL students studying in Canada.

Module 2 Post 4

Module 2 Blog 4
I need to take a bigger bite out of the topic of appropriation that has been resurging throughout this blog.
I have located a source from OpenText BC:
This provides tangible examples of lessons that would be considered appropriation and offensive. I must confess, that at first glance I might not have considered some of the lessons inappropriate. For example, an example was given of a teacher using cardboard boxes to construct totem poles then comparing it to building churches. Providing an extended direct quote from the website explaining why it was an inappropriate thing to do:
  • “Indigenous communities that created totem poles have been exploited through colonialism in many other ways. They were not involved in the assignment to make poles, and they did not grant permission to the teacher to make poles.
  • Poles have a spiritual significance, which was not honoured in the activity.
  • The creating of the poles was not interwoven with Indigenous approaches but was a one-off assignment within a predominantly Westernized approach.”
 While I absolutely understand this rationale, these are the types of situations that cause me trepidation for knowing what is right and what is wrong. Having spent 20 years overseas has further distanced me from the evolution of contemporary Canadian thought. The search continues…

Module 2 Post 3

Module 2 Blog 3
For my third post for module 2, I wanted to take a step back to review and reflect on the materials I have compiled. I am again confronted with the question: am I allowed to do this? Am I appropriating? I wanted some more foundational information for my own knowledge but also so I could share this experience with my students. I found Metcalfe helpful: Native Appropriations:  Why Representations Matter – BioneersNative Appropriations:  Why Representations Matter – Bioneers I also found Metcalfe inspiring because her whole project began as a blog, exactly what we are doing now 🙂
I felt I needed some more guidance on this matter, so I watched this presentation by Dr. George Nicholas:
His international project about Indigeneity, Cultural Property and Intangible Heritage seeks to ensure knowledge is shared in meaningful and appropriate ways.
Neither of these speakers, however, provide a definitive answer of who can say what to whom and where. This continued exploration will be explored in my next blog post.

Module 2 Post 2

Module 2 Blog 2
The place I would like to begin my second blog post for module two is at the beginning: thus, Territorial Land Acknowledgements.The place I would like to begin, is at the beginning: thus, Territorial Land Acknowledgements.
Akin to a course outline, I am not quite sure that international ESL students understand the significance or even the vocabulary of territorial land acknowledgements. 
 
Here are some GREAT land acknowledgements:
Here is another:
And another:
And finally:
While I have only skimmed the surface of these resources, I am excited that there is so much material available! What is most interesting about the land acknowledgement, to me, is really connecting it to the resources and materials that surround us and that we use on a daily basis. This is the foundation of a much greater interdisciplinary conversation that all international students must have a chance to participate in equitable and with an informed perspective.

Jessica Presta: Module 2, Post 3

Another resource I wanted to call out for educators looking to decolonize their curriculum is the ‘First peoples principles of learning‘. This poster was created by the First Nations Education Steering Committee (FNESC) and as a classroom resource aimed at highlighting the main principles of First Peoples learning practices. The role and responsibilities of the FNESC is to support First Nations students and advance First Nations education in BC. Their website has a plethora of resources aimed at supporting this goal.

M2 P1 Indigenous Digital Skills Training Program Which Teaches Kids How to Bring Indigenous Cultural Knowledge, History and Language to Life Through Augmented Reality, Minecraft and Python Coding

I find this idea of a training program that enables Indigenous and non-Indigenous kids to connect with and learn from elders about cultural knowledge, history and language, while learning digital skills in technologies like augmented reality, animation and coding to be fascinating. I see this as a potential to not only teach children valuable digital skills while simultaneously learning from elders about Indigenous culture, history and language, but also as a way to build up XR language learning content that could help teach learners down the road. For example, I attended a Secwepemc language immersion school called Chief Atahm School and if a training program like this was included in the curriculum, the students could be contributing to Secwépemc language learning content while also gaining valuable skills that can help them in a growing area of employment. Some of the students that go through the training program and have learned Secwepemctsin at Chief Atahm School would have the skills to continue to work in language revitalization using XR technology after they have graduated high school.  This could be part of creating the infrastructure to develop the required skills and talent to produce XR language learning content to help preserve and revitalize Secwépemc language and culture.

 

https://indigitalschools.com/impact/

Module 2, Post 5:The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Health-Related Recommendations

https://www.healthcarecan.ca/wp-content/themes/camyno/assets/document/IssueBriefs/2016/EN/TRCC_EN.pdf

The final report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) released in 2015 included a few recommendations specifically for health. Some of these include:

  • acknowledgement that the current state of Aboriginal health in Canada is a direct result of previous Canadian government policies
  • recognition of and implementation of health care rights for Aboriginal people
  • establishing measurable goals to identify and close gaps in health outcomes between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities
  • providing progress reports, ensuring medical and nursing schools include courses dealing with Aboriginal health issues
  • providing skills-based training in intercultural competency, conflict resolution and anti-racism.

This report also includes some potential steps to reach these recommendations.

 

Module 2, Post 4: Experiences with Aunties and Grandmothers who support Indigenous birthers

This was a wonderful webinar shared through my workplace (Vancouver Coastal Health) and shared with all health care workers. It is a round table discussion with Indigenous Aunties & Grandmothers as they share and discuss their experiences supporting Indigenous Birthers. The presenters include Elders from various nations who have been involved in teachings, advocacy and support for both Indigenous and Non-Indigenous health care delivery. These are educators, facilitators, and leaders who share their experiences and strategized together to support Indigenous parents and birthers.

It also delves into issues such as perinatal substance use and discusses key challenges faced by communities and health care services, from the perspective of the elders in these communities. I think it is a very reflective, personal round table discussion that provides a lot of reflection for me, as a health care worker.