imagineNATIVE is an organization that is recognized locally, nationally and internationally for providing programming and creation of indigenous media arts. Their goal is to create “a greater understanding of Indigenous peoples and cultures through the presentation of contemporary Indigenous-made media art including film, video, audio and digital media.”
Here is an example of an event hosted by imagineNATIVE called, Night of the Indigenous Devs, which is “a celebration and showcase of international Indigenous video game talent.”
imagineNATIVE also started an iNdigital Youth Collective, focusing on “supporting Indigenous youth in learning digital creation and building engagement as creatives” which I think would provide opportunities for indigenous students to self-represent, engaging with STEAM knowledge that is relevant to their experiences and identities.
What a powerful speaker! Great find Seo-Whi Kwon! When he spokd of his parents, and how they said they were so thankful that they are now U.S. citizens, is not the first time I have heard such a comment.
I have family that are immigrants, coming from a colonized island and they too have this similar notion that the colonized somehow see their colonizers as helper/saviours. I sometimes have long talks with them and I can see how they grew up during a time, where reform and re-education created a form of “cultural brainwashing,” if there is such a term. The more we spoke together as a family about their point of view and mine, I began to understand what they went through and it saddened me because they were not even aware of how their own identities were infiltrated by an outsider who told them that their way was not good enough anymore. Some of my family members truly believed that they needed to reform to the outsiders ways to be considered better.
Fast forward to today, they all are very successful in all avenues of their lives, however, I can see how colonialism left a mark on their self-identities. I can see how their values altered and how it models a more Euro-centric form because some of my family still feel that somehow that form of self is better than their true identity, and that is very unjust and sad to me…However, I also have some family that have had that “light-bulb” moment, where they understood why I was so upset and saddened by our past. But with each generation, we are living and learning so much from one another and finding ways to share and connect as much as we possibly can.
Thanks again Seo-Whi for putting such enlightening and empowering content on our blog!
Hi Selene,
Thank you for sharing your personal experience! I think education creating a form of “cultural brainwashing” is definitely possible. This is something my grandparents experienced when Korea was under colonization between 1910 and 1945. I remember my grandpa telling me when he was little, he was forced to learn and speak a foreign language and everyone was forbidden to talk in Korean, as it was considered a “bad language.” Korean cultures and traditions were repressed and they had to reform to survive.
You mentioned that “we are living and learning so much from one another and finding ways to share and connect as much as we possibly can” and I cannot agree more with your statement. This course has been incredibly valuable and I am glad that you find this resource empowering. 🙂