Tag Archives: Technology

Module 4: Post 5 – Mapping and Indigenous Knowledge

Throughout my cyber-travels, I wanted to find diverse ways in which traditional knowledge can be shared. This travel highlights how Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping can be utilized alongside Indigenous Traditional Knowledge. In the past, mapping has played a significant role in colonizing Indigenous lands. Some of these shared resources begin to change this narrative and center Indigenous people reclaiming mapping. According to the article by PBS Decolonizing the Map: Creating the Indigenous Mapping Collective, they identify how mapping can be used to center Indigenous knowledge.

“Today many Indigenous communities across Turtle Island and beyond use cartographic mapping to track traditional knowledge of their lands and waters. These maps can show sacred sites, the paths of moose or caribou, the best areas to find a particular species of fish, where to pick traditional medicine and much more. Maps are often used when major projects such as mines or oil rigs are proposed on Indigenous land; they illustrate potential impacts these projects could have on the environment and the communities’ way of life.”

With access to online technology platforms, mapping is a space which allows more people to create, shape, and share maps than ever before. In 2014 the Indigenous Mapping Workshop began, and by 2020 the virtual Indigenous Mapping Collective was created to share knowledge and resources with one another. Through this collective, there have been connections to Google, and Canada’s Indigenous Lands have been added to Google Maps and Google Earth.

A collection of Indigenous Studies GIS Resources are available through Carleton University’s Library.

M 4- POST 3

All My Relation podcast is a shared project by Matika Wilbur, a visual storyteller from the Swinomish and Tulalip peoples of coastal Washington and Adrienne Keene is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation. In their podcast series, they explore different topics about being native and the relationship of Indigenous people with their lands and cultural values.

I believe this is a very good example of using technology to make the world hear the voice of Indigenous communities.

“Canadians don’t always think of Indigenous peoples as technologists and entrepreneurs, but we’re reclaiming those identities”. ––Jeff Ward, Animikii

M4- POST 1

I was interested in learning more about how Indigenous people feel and think about using and being involved in developing digital technologies. We all have citizenship to a world, even if it is unwanted and the modern digital world. So, how can we use the wisdom and traditional knowledge of Indigenous communities all around the planet to enhance this world? How can we combine that knowledge with this technology?

For the last part of this blog, I decided to look at some of the ongoing and done projects (including the creation of media)and research studies around the topic of technology and Indigenous people.

I found many projects with the main focus on climate change. One of the very interesting projects is using artificial intelligence and Indigenous knowledge to save baby turtles on their journey from the shore to the water.

Indigenous knowledge and AI help protect baby turtles from predators on Australia’s remote Cape York

M3- POST 5

In my research on how technology and digital media are used by Indigenous people, I found the following articles:

Oppenneer, M. (2009). Using ICTs for indigenous cultural preservation: Challenges and strategies. Ethnos Project. (Link)

The importance of Indigenous knowledge and its contribution to our global society has been recognized recently. We now know that we need to acknowledge the value and significance of Indigenous knowledge to protect it and use it in our global problem-solving plan. In our modern world, however, the most accessible method to do so is to use digital technology and multimedia. That, as Oppeneer (2009) discusses, would impose challenges for Indigenous communities, which can result in the digital divide and inequity.

“Challenges can arise when there is disharmony between the design of the technology and the knowledge traditions of the Indigenous communities using the technology.”

One challenge is the fact that these technologies have been designed with western values and are not associated with the traditional values of Indigenous people.

“Indigenous people are a poor match for technologies that “reflect Western values of individualism, the privileging of texts and the commodification of knowledge, trends that run counter to and likely many indigenous traditions.”

That’s what is mostly known as “computer-mediated colonization”. Ess and Sudweeks (2012) discuss that many computer-based technologies were built based on the cultural values and beliefs of their builders. They will carry their original properties with them when we integrate them into new environments. They wouldn’t probably fit in a community with different cultural backgrounds, so we are faced with digital colonization.

Oppeneer (2009) explains three different projects tested in Australia “to show how the disharmony between the technology and tradition can be addressed.”

One of these projects is organizing digital materials reflecting the cultural identities of the Warumungu Aboriginal community. This project was supposed to “provide a free and open source community archive platform that provides international standards-based content management tools adaptable to the local cultural protocols and intellectual property systems of indigenous communities, libraries, archives, and museums.” You can find more information about it here.

I think these types of projects would help the Indigenous communities to find and share their voice and preserve their culture in the digital world.

“For Indigenous communities willing to embrace ICTs, change is part of the new reality. Change means new technologies, new formats, and new expectations. For such communities, embracing this change will be vital to maintaining tradition in the modern age. It can become a critical aspect for the reintegration of knowledge back into the community.” (Oppeneer, 2009)

Reference

Ess, C., & Sudweeks, F. (2012). Foreword. In P. H. Cheong, J. N. Martin & L. P. Macfadyen (Eds.), New media and intercultural communication. Identity, community and politics (pp. xi –xx). New York: Peter Lang.

Module 1 (Post 5) – Connecting with students in remote locations

While following links from my previous post, I found information about a program called Connected North that uses communication technology to reach students in remote Indigenous communities. The idea is to give youth access to First Nations, Inuit, and Metis role models that can help the students understand the applications of what they learn in school and give them opportunities for meaningful connections with professionals in a variety of fields as well as students in other locations. According to the site, a majority of teachers find the program helps engage their students. I am excited to read some more about this program and see if there is the potential to use this type of technology to help my soon-to-be first year undergraduate students prepare for university.

Module 2 – Post 3 – OCAP Principles (data sovereignty)

The First Nations Principles of OCAP were created by the First Nations Information Governance Centre (FNIGC) and established how data belonging to First Nations will be collected, protected, used, or shared. The acronym stands for Ownership, Control, Access, and Possession.

The principles were created with the understanding that Indigenous Peoples understand their own needs and are in the best position to govern their own information. Data sovereignty is a crucial step toward Indigenous People’s self-determination.

When described on the FNIGC website, the principles are explicitly applicable to research and information governance, but I see potential to use them as a way to discuss data sovereignty in educational technology. For example, if you look at the Privacy Policy for the online engagement and brainstorming tool Padlet, they say:

“When you access or use the Service, you are deemed to consent to the collection, use, retention, transfer, structuring, manipulation, storage, transmission and/or disclosure (collectively, “processing”) of your information as described in this Policy and in accordance with applicable laws.”

So when we talk about the risks of educational technology, especially of online teaching tools or authoring applications, we must consider data sovereignty within our own principles of design. OCAP is one model that can start a discussion in this area.

Module 2: Post 5: Digital Technology Innovations in Education in Remote First Nations

The research article Digital Technology in Education in Remote First Nations Beaton and Carpenter (2016) “explores how community members living in remote First Nations in Northwestern Ontario are using digital technologies for informal and formal learning experiences” (p. 42) through a settler colonial lens. The article discusses how technology is a double-edged sword, as technology can be used as a tool to maintain and uphold colonial structures. For example, the article discusses how many Indigenous languages are endangered, yet technology and the internet are presented through a lens of Western culture and the English language. This results in Indigenous people further immersing themselves in Western culture, distancing themselves from traditional languages and knowledge. On the other hand, the article highlights the importance of providing Indigenous people with access to finding local Indigenous resources that are specific to their communities. Many Indigenous communities use technology to protect and preserve Indigenous languages (p. 45).

This article provides a direct connection to my research paper, as it provides in-depth background information analyzing how technology is used to uphold colonization as well as how technology can be used to support decolonization work.

References

Beaton, B., & Carpenter, P. (2016). Digital Technology Innovations in Education in Remote First Nations. In Education, 22(1), 42–60. https://doi.org/10.37119/ojs2016.v22i1.266

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

Module 3 Post 3 (Sam Charles)

Linking technology with Indigenous cultures, traditions and knowledge is the focus of this post. My final project focuses on using video to share Indigenous knowledge (specifically through storytelling), so the following sites are examples of using technology for this purpose.

3D technology can preserve culture
Berkeley program
MIT looks to collaborate with Indigenous groups
ITU report on how Indigenous peoples have shaped technologies
Misinterpretation of Indigenous technologies

This first link describes how some Indigenous groups are using 3D technologies to preserve the culture.

The Berkeley Center for New Media offers a cool program where they explore linking technology with Indigeneity.

MIT hosted a conference connecting technology with Indigenous groups. The conference had lots of Canadian connections, but I haven’t found a follow-up since other than this conference.

Excellent overview by the ITU of how Indigenous knowledge and partnerships have helped to produce several notable technologies, with use cases ranging from medical to forensic to environmental. At the same time, many communities have turned to the latest tech to help secure their heritage and navigate the challenges of climate change.

A discussion from Swinburne University of Technology about how the Indigenous technology and its usage is often misunderstood.

Module 2 – Post 3: Coders North

Coders North is an educational charity that strongly emphasizes supporting youth from marginalized and at-risk communities. Coders North follows a mission “to empower as many youth as possible with the skills to help shape the web and digital world with content that reflects their values and passions.”

This website serves as an example of the importance for Indigenous peoples to have space and voice in our online spaces. The website features learning modules that are relevant to my final research project. This example dives into concepts such as Indigenization, Indigitization and Indigitalization. As well as concepts such as computational thinking and coding. Furthermore, the resource offers a lesson summary and interactive lessons. The website features a video library highlighting videos around the topics of “Indigenizing the Digital World,” “Indigenous Entrepreneurs,” “Indigitization,” and “Indigitalization and Coding.” The ideas within the video resources can be used within my research topic to highlight the importance of Indigenous representation and how it can be used to represent local Indigenous perspectives.

https://codersnorth.com/