Author Archives: chaul19

Community-based Indigenous Digital Storytelling with Elders and Youth

Module 4, Entry 5

This article discusses four community based digital storytelling projects, and explores the strategies for creating and designing Indigenous digital stories. Examples of projects include:

A’tugwet: Discovering the Culture That Is Immune to Time – For this project students interviewed Elders and community members to learn about Mi’Kmaw history.

The Forest of the Trees: Teachings and Learning from the Southwest Nova Biosphere Resource. For this project, students interviewed scientists, loggers, and Mi’Kmaw community members to learn about various perspectives on the trees and forests of the area.

The article also discusses the importance and challenges of editing and design strategies in recreating stories told by Indigenous Elders and knowledge keepers. As stories are transformed through the editing process, media makers must consider how factors such as the speed of the video, sound levels, narrations, addition of visuals, and sound effects can transform the meaning of stories.

Click on the link below to preview the article:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/285032169_Community-based_Indigenous_Digital_Storytelling_with_Elders_and_Youth

Use of a Digital Storytelling Workshop to Foster Development of Intergenerational Relationships and Preserve Culture with the Nak’azdli First Nation: Findings from the Nak’azdli Lha’hutit’ en Project

Module 4, Entry 4

This journal article discusses the learnings from a digital storytelling workshop where students worked with Elders from the Nak’azdli Whut’en First Nations community in northern British Columbia to create digital stories. The article discusses how digital stories can help to preserve oral traditions and Indigenous knowledge through documenting Elder’s traditional cultural knowledge and wisdom. Digital stories also allow for valuable learning opportunities and for the intergenerational exchange of knowledge between Indigenous Elders and youth. In addition, findings from the workshop highlighted the positive benefits of digital storytelling projects in providing participants with feelings of connection, and fostering relationship building between Elders and youth within the community.

Click on the link below to access the article:

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/canadian-journal-on-aging-la-revue-canadienne-du-vieillissement/article/use-of-a-digital-storytelling-workshop-to-foster-development-of-intergenerational-relationships-and-preserve-culture-with-the-nakazdli-first-nation-findings-from-the-nakazdli-lhahutiten-project/92C4D43CEFC03C056D4B552D8F93C974

Article: 30 Aboriginal Apps You Probably Didn’t Know About

Photo by Daria Shevtsova from Pexels

Module 4, Entry 3

I came across a great article: 30 Aboriginal Apps You Probably Didn’t Know About which lists mobile apps that help users experience traditional Aboriginal culture, explore stories, and learn Aboriginal languages. In my research into Indigenous digital storytelling, I was lucky to find this article which happens to list an entire section for Aboriginal storytelling apps!

For those interested in exploring, here’s the link to the article:

https://www.creativespirits.info/resources/apps

Ngarandi App

Module 4, Entry 2

Ngarandi is an augmented reality app which brings pre-colonial Aboriginal stories and history to life through augmented reality games. The app provides two gamified experiences based on the stories of Eora people in Sydney, Australia. The first experience, Build a Nawi, allows users to experience building a traditional Nawi canoe. The second game, Eora Fisherwomen is game where users catch fish and facts about daily life for the Eora people.

Click on the link below to learn more about the Ngarandi app:

http://ngarandi.org/

Anishinaabek Voices – Digital Storytelling Projects

Module 4, Entry 1

Anishinaabek Voices is an initiative that aims to share and preserve the stories of First Nations communities and people in the Sioux Lookout District. The website showcases collections of photographs, videos, and audio recordings, and offers collections of digital stories from community Elders which document their memories and traditional knowledge.

I enjoyed watching the digital stories and hearing the Elders share their childhood memories.

Click on the link below to view the digital stories collection:

https://www.anishinaabekvoices.com/community-history

The project is offered through the Kwayaciimin Education Resource Centre. You can visit their site here: https://www.kwayaciiwin.com/

Wisdom of the Elders

Module 3, Entry 5

Photo by israel palacio on Unsplash

Wisdom of the Elders is a radio program offered through The Archaeology Channel and is a series of oral history and storytelling recordings from Indigenous Elders. Topics include health and healing, traditional and contemporary music, and grandmother’s culture. The use of audio and podcasts for digital storytelling is a great example of how Indigenous communities are using technologies to preserve Indigenous stories and knowledge, as well as how technologies can help to continue the traditions and practices of oral storytelling.

Here’s the link to their entire series: https://www.archaeologychannel.org/audio-guide/wisdom-of-the-elders

imagineNATIVE

Module 3, Entry 4

Photo by Jakob Owens on Unsplash

imagineNATIVE is an organization committed to spreading and promoting a greater understanding of Indigenous peoples and cultures through digital media art – including film, video, and audio. The organization hosts a media arts festival showcasing contemporary Indigenous media art, and is the largest annual Indigenous media arts event in the world! This is a great way to showcase and promote Indigenous media artists as well as to spread awareness and a greater understanding of Indigenous cultures and peoples, and artistic expressions.

The next festival is October 19-24, 2021.

Here’s a link to their site: https://imaginenative.org/

First Nations Pedagogy

Module 3, Entry 3

First Nations Pedagogy is an online resource which provides information on First Nations storytelling, as well as videos of First Nations storytellers sharing traditional stories. The site also provides free learning resources for all ages including childhood, secondary, post-secondary, and general adult learners. The lessons and videos provide great examples which introduce learners to the art of First Nations storytelling which involves the expert use of vocal and body expression, verbal imagery, facial animation, plot and character development, and careful pacing to engage learners.

Click on the link below to view their free resources:

http://firstnationspedagogy.ca/storytelling.html

Elder Digital Storytelling Project

Module 3, Entry 2

I came across a wonderful resource from The National Centre for Collaboration in Indigenous Education, hosted by the First Nations University of Canada. The resource is a lesson plan for educators for an Elder Digital Storytelling Project. In the lesson, students work together with Indigenous Elders and Knowledge Keepers in their community to explore the concept of culture, and how cultures are transmitted from generation to generation. Students create a video or slide presentation with Elders and Knowledge Keepers and present their digital storytelling projects to the class and invited guests from the community as a final activity to celebrate their work.

Click on the link below to view the lesson plan:

https://www.nccie.ca/lessonplan/elder-digital-storytelling-project/

Indigenous Cities

Module 3, Entry 1

Indigenous Cities is an audio storytelling project which presents stories and memories from Indigenous community members in various cities across Canada. The cities featured this year include Vancouver, Saskatoon, and Ottawa. For each city, there is an interactive map where listeners can explore the various locations in which the stories take place. The interactive maps are a great feature as the stories are place-based and tied to the storyteller’s surroundings. It allows the listener to explore the areas in which the storyteller has walked and created these memories.

Click on the link below to view the stories:

https://nac-cna.ca/en/indigenouscities