Category Archives: MODULE 3

Module 3 Post 4

Module 3 Post 4

Supplementing my ability to speak with local Indigenous Elders with existing online communities who are willing to share, I came across the University of Alaska Fairbanks resource guiding educators who are seeking to Indigenize content.

Indigenous Knowledge Systems | Alaska Native Knowledge Network (uaf.edu)

While there was a of information that may be beyond the confines of the purposes of my research project of Indigenizing an International ESL Curriculum, I felt this resource was extremely useful for helping non Indigenous Peoples to learn how to respect traditional knowledge systems:

Knowledge.pdf – Google Drive

The document could be taken as a Manifesto or printed as a guideline to post in a public space in the classroom. From an ESL perspective, this list would serve as an excellent foundation in vocabulary to scaffold more intense issues.

Module 3 Post 3

Module 3 Post 3

While I know I have seen a few other individuals in this class and on this blog already post a similar resource, I came across it independently in my research and wanted to reshare because this is gold:

Indigenization guides – BCcampus

With a bit of investigation, one is advised to begin with the Foundations resource:

Introduction – Pulling Together: Foundations Guide (opentextbc.ca)

These material are not only excellent for educators of all levels for all students, but they are also extremely useful and comprehensive resources for International students seeking an alternative history of Canada.

The reason why this is so important is because many International students are currently experiencing linguicide and deculturation. While there is no comparison to what happened with Indigenous Peoples over 600 years in North America, it is vital that Canada’s history is demystified to International people so they find allyship with Indigenous Peoples.

 

Jessica Presta: Module 3, Post 2

This is Ilona Verley, she identifies as trans and two-spirit and is from the Nlaka’pamux Nation. She was born in Nanaimo but grew up on the Skuppah reserve near Lytton, as well as in Vancouver. She has been a vocal advocate for the community of Lytton BC when it was decimated by wildfires, urging the government to show up and support her community. She was also a participant on season 1 of Canada’s Drag Race. Like so many others, Ilona also experienced shame about her Indigenous heritage and felt the pressure to be white-passing in order to be successful. Despite having a supportive family and community, she also experienced shame as a result of her queerness. Verley is outspoken about how European colonialism introduced homophobia and rigid gender roles that didn’t previously exist in many Indigenous societies and how competing on Canada’s Drag Race gave her an opportunity to combat that narrative.

Jessica Presta: Module 3, Post 1

As my research focus for the final project has pivoted to looking at how Indigenous people identify and represent themselves online, some key questions had to be answered. First, my project-mate and I have to agree on a definition of identity, determining whether or not this is ascribed, prescribed or subscribed. Second, we need to situate our research in our respective places, looking at similarities and differences between Indigenous groups in British Columbia and Ontario.

As a starting place for my research, I began looking into what level of Indigenous representation exists online in my local context. Once I get a sense of how Indigenous people use social media to share their identities online, I can start to make inferences about how to interpret their definition of identity. Then I can take these inferences and so how they align with what is in the literature.

In my investigations, I came across some unique and inspiring Indigenous content creators who are sharing parts of their identity across platforms such as YouTube, Instagram and TikTok. The first content creator I want to share is Owen Unruh.

He is a Vernon born, two-spirit, Nêhiyaw (Cree) with ties to the Driftpile First Nations. He was adopted and raised in Fort Nelson. Growing up he experienced immense shame as a result of his queerness and Indigenous identity. Due to this he turned to drugs and has struggled with addiction. Owen leverages social media platforms such as TikTok to share his journey with addiction recovery, reclaiming his identity and reconnecting with his cultural roots. His goal with sharing his story is to inspire other Indigenous youth to feel comfortable in their skin and to value sobriety.

@owen.unruh

I always think of what to say after the fact ???? #vancouver #toronto #fyp #addiction #native

♬ original sound – Owen Unruh

M.3 P.2 Land and Language Based Learning Program – Ladysmith Secondary School

The Land and Language Based Learning Program is offered at Ladysmith Secondary school on Vancouver Island. Located roughly 1.5 hours away from where I live, I had no idea that such a powerful program existed. The program was created by Mandy Jones, a member of the Snuneymuxw First Nation, and William Taylor.

The website explains what the course is all about, and tells of a particularly impressive project undertaken by the program. The program created an eagle sculpture, house posts, and traditional weaving to stand in the school foyer. It was a beautiful display of Coast Salish craftsmanship. The project was a massive undertaking, that required dedication from many people at various levels in education. The process, from selecting the log, to raising the structure is outlined well on the website. What I noticed is because the massive project took a considerable amount of time, investment, patience, knowledge, learning, etc., it became a big part of many people’s lives. Imagine a gigantic woodworking project taking place at the entrance of a school for many years. Students and staff working on it early in the morning, during the day, and after school. It builds a sense of community, and questions what is typically valued in a western educational system.

Front Page

 

M3 P5

Decolonizing the ‘Modern’ in ‘Modern Languages’

This video was really interesting for me. I had never thought about what ‘modern’ really meant in terms of ‘modern languages’. Dr Ruth Bush explores the teaching and decolonizing of modern foreign languages. One of the first questions she asks is the question of which languages we teach and the predominant focus on Western European languages in modern language teaching. Modern languages has focused mostly on Western languages. Languages were used as a way of improving cultural cooperation which was particularly of growing importance after the First World War. With such a focus on ‘modern languages’, students don’t have access to other languages because they don’t fit historically into what modern languages have meant. Dr Ruth Bush goes on to question the need for the word ‘modern’ in ‘modern languages’. At our school currently, we still have a department called ‘modern languages’. I think it would be an interesting unit to do with students to understand and deconstruct what the word modern really means, and how we can decolonize the department and how languages are taught at schools in Canada.

https://www.futurelearn.com/info/courses/decolonising-education-from-theory-to-practice/0/steps/190049

 

Module 3 – Post 1

https://pinnguaq.com/learn/

This organization is in Northern Canada. There mission, “is to work alongside rural, remote, Indigenous and other communities, to support the development of STEAM skills through innovative technology, art and play.” This interactive website provides maker activities to engage students and teachers in traditional knowledge. I found this to be a valuable resource as it gives teachers the confidence and time to use STEAM lessons that focus on Indigenous content. These resources are designed and built with community members to ensure their are authentic voices for the lessons that are shared.

Within, their site is information about makerspaces, lessons, podcasts, and additional resources. Makerspaces is a key element of “Pinnguaq” it allows all students to engage and to participate. It has multiple entry points to allow every student to interact within the space and activities involved. Coding, robotics, AI, VR, AR, digital storytelling, textiles are just some of the lessons that are mentioned throughout the site.

Another aspect that makes this an informative resource is because it has a magazine & Newsletter called, “Roots and Stem.” It’s a free subscription. This gives you additional lessons, content, and meaningful resources for STEM education.

Root & STEM

On their site I was able to try their firefly micro:bit challenge where it focused on biomimicry and how the micro:bit can interact like nature. This was a great lesson as it connects to the land but also teaches coding skills.  Other lessons you could immerse yourself into is the AR Wilfred Buck lesson. This is a digitally enhanced lesson shares stories of the sky from Wilfrid Buck. Check out other samples of STEAM lessons in the Fall Root and Stem  newsletter:

https://pinnguaq.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/root-stem-fall-2021-digital-final.pdf

 

 

 

 

MODULE 3 RESEARCH – KELCIE VOUK

Website 1

Perpetual Salish: Coast Salish Art in the Classroom

https://legacy.uvic.ca/gallery/salishcurriculum

What is it?: Perpetual Salish: Coast Salish Art in the Classroom is an online resource center for teachers, offering cross-curricular lesson plans to engage students and facilitate their understanding of Coast Salish culture and art.

Why I chose it:  This website is similar to what I am hoping to create for my final project; a resource guide for art educators. I appreciate the emphasis on contemporary ingenious artists, as opposed to museum pieces, which may lead students to the incorrect assumption that Indigenous art and culture are things of the past. However, the art project suggested on this website is for younger children, whereas I’m focusing on middle or high school ages. 

 

Website 2

Two-Legged, Four-Legged, Winged, Finned: Patterns from Indigenous Art

https://chrishunter.ca/tag/pattern-blocks/

What is it?:  A teacher from the Burnaby school district talking about his use of formline design elements in his math lessons. 

Why I chose it:  Pattern and symmetry are some of the building blocks of art, and an exploration of concentric and repeated patterns would be a great way for students to create using formline without appropriating existing designs. He also talked about the opportunity for students to learn how seasonal and environmental changes impact the lives of First Nations peoples both in the past and now, which could link in well with aspects of storytelling. 

 

Website 3

Shaun Peterson on Coast Salish Design Elements

https://vimeo.com/65230907 AND https://vimeo.com/qwalsius

What is it?: Shaun Peterson invites viewers to “imagine a calm body of water enclosed by two borders and dropping a pebble in to create ripples that carry the elements away from the center” in this video describing the elements of Coast Salish art. 

Why I chose it: This could be a good companion video for older students as they look at Coast Salish art forms. I chose it because it was made by a Coast Salish artist, and I think that it’s really important for students to learn these things from contemporary Indigenous voices, not only from their non-indigenous teachers. Part of appreciation is listening carefully to the voices from within that culture. 

 

Website 4

Surrey’s Aboriginal Learning video page

https://aboriginalresourcesforteachers.weebly.com/videos-from-our-dcf.html

What is it?:  The Surrey School District’s Indigenous resource page. 

Why I chose it:  There are some really great resources on this page, I particularly like the storytelling ones because I think they could be a good jumping-off point for art projects. Storytelling and oral traditions are so important, and it can be hard to incorporate authentic stories if there are no elders available to come into your room. This is a good example of using technology to facilitate Indiginous ways of learning. Understanding the stories or a culture can help us appreciate it, and begin to know which parts of it are meant to be shared, and which are closed. 

 

Website 5

S’abadeb­—The Gifts: Pacific Coast Salish Art & Artists

https://www.seattleartmuseum.org/Documents/SalishResourceGuide.pdf

What is it?: The Seattle Art Museum Educator Resource Guide Grades 3-12.  It explores the unique artistry and culture of Coast Salish First Peoples of Washington State and British Columbia. The exhibition features more than 180 works of art from national and international collections that offer a glimpse into the daily and ceremonial lives of the 70 sovereign Salish Nations.

Why I chose it:   This is a really dense resource guide, but there are some interesting questions and activities. One that stood out was to create a work of art based around the conflict and contrast of Indigenous nations fighting to reclaim their cultures and traditions. Building critical thinkers who are also empathetic and can put themselves into the shoes of others is so important, and I think that a project like this could be an excellent way for students to employ those skills. I think it would encourage rich discussions around the many meanings of power and exploring different ways individuals and groups make choices about using power (i.e., tribal leadership power versus governmental power, power of nature versus power of human beings, or the power of greed versus the power of generosity). 

Website 6

Shapes in Coast Salish Art 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FQyA_HpMx8DC-52FRIRIk9vlofaWZsSg/view

What is it?: An educator-created video about the indigenous inspiration for the shapes common to many Coast Salish art styles. 

Why I chose it:  This video focuses on Coast Salish art specific to the southern part of BC and Vancouver Island; concentric patterns. Further north is where we begin to see ovoids, and it is easy to lump these styles together because they share similar elements. This would be a good introduction for the place-specific salish art style. It’s important for students to be able to distinguish between the art styles of different local Indigenous groups in their journey of appreciation versus appropriation.

M.3 – P. 1 More on First Peoples Principles of Learning

Jo’s website on First Peoples Principles of Learning

This website, created by Jo Chrona, assist BC educators towards incorporating the First Peoples Principles of Learning in their classroom. This is done not just by giving examples of lessons, but Jo explains the importance of all the aspects that contribute to the classroom environment. For example, the educators philosophy and disposition can be just as important as the content. Or the understanding of why the First Peoples Principles of Learning was formed can then better assist in implementation. This is why I like this site. It is so much more than listing the principles and giving examples. Jo has a great deal of experience in the BC educational system, including a Masters in Educational Technology. I would assume she has gone through the MET program.

Anyone whose final project involves decolonization. Perhaps around their teachable subject, such as my final project. They will be looking at First Peoples Principles of Learning at some point. This resource dives a bit further in and could be of use.

Module 3: Post 5 – Chelsea Vowel

Chelsea Vowel’s Indigenous Rights discusses five different interrelated themes:

  1. The terminology of relationships
  2. Culture and identity
  3. Myth-busting
  4. State violence
  5. Land, Learning, Law, and Treaties

This book is an excellent guide for addressing pre-conceived notions about Indigenous People. The book is primarily about the relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. Throughout my studies of Indigenous education, I have realized that it is essential to reflect on what it means to be a settler and my role within my relationship with Indigenous people.

One of my favourite sections of Vowel’s book is “Myth-busting.” As I live in rural Saskatchewan, I have heard all the myths Vowel discusses in her book. Vowel provides factual information on how and why these myths are false and equips the reader with the knowledge to confront those myths. I found an online keynote that Chelsea Vowel gave titled Stories that Reveal, Stories that Conceal: Pushing back against Settler Myth-Making. In her keynote, Chelsea talks about the work that needs to be done with recognizing truth before we move forward with reconciliation.

Chelsea Vowel’s book and speech are relevant to my research topic because she discusses the inaccessibility of language. She discusses how many Indigenous languages are within Universities and how it is essential to return the languages to their home communities. Chelsea Vowel also shares how through social media and blogging was able to make her message more accessible to more people. Chelsea shares the myth in her keynote that many believe that the kinship that Indigenous people have that is beyond just with humans, that extends to animals, non-living, and spiritual beings is something that is based in the past. She discusses how that idea is false; it is current and relevant and that Indigenous people can carry this idea far into the future in a sustainable way.

The following link provides online access to part 1 of Chelsea Vowel’s book: https://www.portageandmainpress.com/content/download/17819/220849/version/1/file/9781553796800_IndigenousWrites_excerpt.pdf