Category Archives: MODULE 3

M3 Post 5: Young & Indigenous

https://settingsunproductions.org/young-and-indigenous-podcasthttps://settingsunproductions.org/young-and-indigenous-podcast

A podcast made for young Indigenous people to learn more about perspectives and stories based in the Lummi nation. Lummi Nation is around the area known as Bellingham, Washington, which is close to those living in the Lower Mainland of BC. In the first episode, one of the main hosts learns how to introduce themselves in the Lummi language and then talks about the history of the Lummi Nation.

M3 Post 4: Coders North

Coders North is a website that has learning modules for teachers to use to help them teach students. This is for students in grades 8-12 and has 7 lessons about Indigenization, Indigitization and Indigitalization. It has videos and interactive modules for the students to work through; they talk about how the students can change the world through coding. They have a video library and student showcase to help with lessons and information.

https://app.codersnorth.com/videos/category/indigenizing-the-digital-world

M3 Post 3: Four Directions Teachings

When first getting onto the site, you can see the age by how the program runs. It has an interactive aspect of the four directions teachings from 5 groups, the Blackfoot, Cree, Ojibwe, Mohawk, and Mi’kmaq. It helps to teach students how the various nations view the four directions shared by elders and includes videos.

https://fourdirectionsteachings.com

M3 Post 2: Sprig Learning

Sprig Learning is an early years program that helps to support diverse learners.

Sprig Learning was created by Indigenous people and is for early learners in language skills and mathematics. They have also created a revitalization section where young children can learn Indigenous languages. They share that they have multiple Indigenous languages, but you can only see Mi’kmaw videos using their character aliet.

M3 Post 1: CBC Archives – Our Native Land

I fell into this website while looking up my great uncle Howard Adams. I never grew up with my father’s side of the family and never met Howard. When I started my academic career, I was able to read one of his writings and found that I strongly disagreed with him. In many ways, I follow in his footsteps of moving to Vancouver, going to UBC and teaching within the Vancouver School Board. Listening to older radio shows and hearing the voices and opinions of people like Maria Campbell, my uncle Howard Adams, George Manuel, and mike Posluns can help to give a personal take on history. This can help to pave the way forward for younger Indigenous people and how they can stand up for themselves and others.

 

https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1851628132

This is the link to Our Native Land: In our own words, a new native literature. This is from 47 years ago.

Jessica Presta: Module 3, Post 5

Here is a short, 9 minute interview with Vanessa and Deanne. They talk about how they are able to use TikTok to connect with members of their community to amplify their voices and bring awareness to important causes. Their personal stories are inspiring and impactful. This is a great representation of how Indigenous people are using these platforms to share their narrative, unadulterated.

As discussed by Vass Bednar and Jesse Hirsch (2022) in their opinion piece, TikTok is proving to be more effective in amplifying Indigenous voices than Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC). They identify some of the key features of TikTok that allow for its success to do this:

  • Different algorithmic priorities
  • Greater opportunities for creators to find success
  • Data collection practices through the use of short, densely packed videos that loop
  • Responsive algorithmically curated content
  • Creators get rapid and responsive feedback
  • Easy to connect with audiences
  • Creators access to analytics
  • The ability to be a part of groups and subcultures
  • Model of abundance, lots of creators, lots of content, minimal restrictions

Indigenous content creators have had large success on the platform due to the popularity of their content and an unbiased algorithm that minimizes barriers to promoting their content. This largely contrasts to the barriers and control exerted by broadcasting companies such as CBC.

Another interesting finding I came across during my research of social media as a lever of Indigenous identity, is the TikTok accelerator program aimed at uplifting Indigenous voices and stories.

To learn more about this program and how it supports Canadian Indigenous content creators, click here. 

Weaving Ways – M3 P5

I found the Weaving Ways resource online while researching for ways in which teachers can implement Indigenous knowledge into their classrooms. It was created by the Alberta Professional Development Consortium alongside the Calgary Board of Education and Elder Bruce Starlight of the Tsuut’ina Nation here in Alberta. Though I was aware of the importance of the circle in Indigenous cultures, the symbolism came up again through this resource. It made me reflect on how often I allow my students to be in a circle formation in my own classroom as one of the guiding questions in this resource is, “How can I draw from the ways Indigenous peoples foster cultures of belonging to compliment the ways I create belonging in my classroom?” This resource focuses on 4 main “quadrants” that are all meant to be inter-connected:

  1. Cultures of Belonging
  2. Instructional Design
  3. Pedagogy
  4. Sharing Through Story

They are presented in a circle formation to enforce this idea of inter-connectedness.

 

Truth and Reconciliation in the Classroom – M3 P4

This article from Dr. Kate Freeman, Shawn McDonald and Dr. Lindsay Morcom (2018) discusses the ways in which we can work towards truth and reconciliation in our classrooms as educators. This article fits well with a few of the topics I am researching for my final project: Barriers to implementation and Meaningful and respectful implementation. It made me reflect on the ways in which I try to incorporate Indigenous knowledge into my classroom. A few of my key takeaways from the article:

  • “It’s very important that teachers realize that the education system has been used to rob Indigenous people of their languages, their cultures, and their communities through the residential school system. This is why teachers have a responsibility to work with Indigenous people, families, and communities, rather than continuing to work in a system that speaks for Indigenous people, families, and communities – that is, don’t do for, do with.”
  • “Fortunately, teaching is not about having all the answers and teachers are not being asked to be experts on all of Canada’s Indigenous people.”
  • “Ask yourself: “If I were a member of the group in question, could I be offended?” Take history into account, and show empathy.”
  • “The inquiry approach is a wonderful opportunity for teachers to move metaphorically from the position of all-knowing sage in front of their students, to co-learning partner sitting beside their students.”
  • “It’s not about teaching everything, it’s about having the integrity and humility to teach something”

M3 P5

Within my own work, I have access to some Indigenous training that was created for the Building Trades.  Unfortunatley, i can’t provide the slides here, however, I am providing a link to a overview of what the course teachers and the various modules.

This course was designed by an Indigenous person  in the trades and has a great perspective on Indigenous history.

Indigenous People’s in the Trades