Author Archives: TylerOhashi

The Importance of Teachers

Module 2 – Entry 5 – Tyler Ohashi

In the May/June issue of BCTF’s Teacher magazine, I came across an article authored by Kristina Cockle (2021) where she describes a teacher that had a strong positive influence on her as a person. Kristina opens her article with some background on her experiences with racism as she grew up. She witnessed major differences in the treatment of Indigenous students compared to their white counterparts. Indigenous students were considered a lower class of students. However, racism did not just affect Indigenous students, racism can affect any student. When Kristina’s grade 5 /6 teacher witnessed racism, she would call it out and provide reasoning why it is not okay. This teacher was challenging the way students interact with racism. The teacher was providing opportunities for reflective thinking, to challenge criticism, and to make things right.

(Image from May/June Teacher Magazine p.18)

I like this article because it demonstrates the importance of recognizing how influential teachers can be. We must critically assess our actions, what we teach, how we teach, the content we teach because every action we do as a teacher will have some sort of effect on our students. This article inspires me to be the best teacher I can be for my students and makes me realize I must set good examples for my students.

Reference

Cockle, K. (2021, May 1). The greatest gift was being held accountable for my racism. Teacher Magazine, May 2021. https://bctf.ca/teachermagazinemayjune2021.aspx.

Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada

Module 2 – Entry 4 – Tyler Ohashi

Website: Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada

I am a little disappointed in myself that I did not visit this website sooner. I say this because I finally decided to check this website out because I was curious about what the TRC report had to say. What I found was more than I expected.  There is information about:

  • TRC reports and findings
  • Info about the National Center for Truth and Reconciliation (NCTR) – this includes news articles and achieved reports
  • You can explore exhibits
  • There is an ENTIRE section dedicated to resources for students and teachers

This website is massive! I hunted around and discovered lessons arranged by grade that can be used to bring an Indigenous perspective to your classroom. I am excited to look through these lessons because I am interested in bringing more indigenous ways of teaching and learning into my own classroom. I want to look for evidence of pedagogical best practices and incorporate them into my classroom in the best way I can. I can only assume that these lessons and activities have been vetted by Indigenous people and are culturally accurate and appropriate.

For me, first impressions of this website are amazing! However, like I said at the beginning of this post, I am disappointed that I did not look at this website sooner.

Representing Indigenous Characters in Kids Shows on PBS

Module 2 – Entry 3 – Tyler Ohashi

Lia Fabre-Dimsdale, a Liidlii Kue Frist Nation member, earned an opportunity that she was very proud to be part of when she landed an internship from Mitacs that had her working on the design team for “Molly and Denali”. “The series features Indigenous lead characters, with Indigenous actors voicing the six main characters, and Indigenous elders consulting behind the scenes (Ryan, 2021).” Having Indigenous media created by Indigenous people gives the series more relatability for Indigenous viewers. I think this is important because it will engage young Indigenous viewers in an authentic way. The way the characters look, their voices, how they interact with each other are all accurately portrayed. Furthermore, seeing a representation of Indigenous people on TV will promote a sense of pride because they see themselves in a positive light.

Here is a link to the Global News story.

https://globalnews.ca/video/rd/eb2f7714-ca51-11eb-901d-0242ac110006/?jwsource=cl

I thought to myself how this is story reflects what we have been learning in this course because it is an example of Indigenous people using technology to promote their ways of life. The fact that “Molly and Denali” is targeted at a younger audience is very powerful because young people are the foundations for change. We must break down the stereotype that Indigenous people have faced for generations. We can start this process by instilling a sense of pride and a sense of belonging by providing young people a quality media production such as “Molly and Denali” where they see Indigenous values being shown in a public space and being received with praise.

References

Indigenous student animator obtains valuable internship with animated TV production: Watch News Videos Online. Global News. (2021, June 10). https://globalnews.ca/video/7940520/indigenous-student-animator-obtains-valuable-internship-with-animated-tv-production.

Ryan, D. (2021, May 21). Animation internship offers opportunity to broaden Indigenous representation on screen. vancouversun. https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/animation-internship-offers-opportunity-to-broaden-indigenous-representation-on-screen.

Lingering Effects of Trauma

Module 2, Entry 2 – Tyler Ohashi

The Lingering Effects of Trauma.

When I came across this article, it made me pause and consider the long-lasting effects trauma can have. Residential schools did not work, they were shut down. However, this is not the end of this story. The effects of trauma resulting from residential school will be around for a long time. This article by Mary Cuttler (2021) on CBC outlines how trauma can affect six generations.

Consider a child that was taken from their parents and forced to attend one of the residential schools. They are forced to speak a language that is foreign to them, practice traditions that are not familiar, and most heart-breaking, not get the love and affection only family can bring. A child in this situation will not have the skills to raise a child of their own. They will have no knowledge of how to care for a child because they never experienced it for themselves, they never had a chance to be part of a family. This will result in another generation of children from broken families and the cycle will continue until someone has the courage to break the cycle.

 

Childhood trauma even has physiological effects that can last a lifetime. Chronic stress can trigger: depression, mental illness, lowing resilience, and immune function while consistently high cortisol levels can cause: hypertension, diabetes, chronic pain, and heart attacks.

Therefore, the lingering effects of trauma are going to lead to a host of new problems that could potentially trigger even more problems that all started with residential schools.

Reference:

Cuttler, M. (2021, June 4). How residential school trauma of previous generations continues to tear through Indigenous families | CBC News. CBCnews. https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/residential-schools-intergenerational-trauma-kamloops-1.6052240.

Teacher’s wear orange to bring awareness to Kamloops residential school

Module 2 – Entry 1 – Tyler Ohashi

This morning, I was reading CBC as I usually do and I read this article about school across BC are going to have their flags at hast mast from May 31 to June 4 and teachers are going to wear orange to help bring awareness to the atrocities that happened at a Kamloops residential school.

Image source: CBC News

The article was very impactful because it made me think of our responsibility as teachers to our students. We are a safe person for our students, someone they can come to if they need help, someone to look up to NOT someone they fear. I cannot imagine being fearful of school.

The horrors the students of these residential schools faced every day, left lifelong scares. Rich Joe, a member of the Chilliwack school district puts it like this,

“Joe’s traditional name is Skalúlalus and he is member of the Lil’wat Nation. He says he has family members who attended Kamloops Indian Residential School where the remains of 215 children were discovered this past week.

“I’m still dealing with it,” he said upon learning the news on Friday.

“I attended Indian Day School, so I’m a survivor as well and my grandmother attended that school … and I believe my grandfather did as well and I was devastated. I cried probably about 10 times yesterday.” (Pawson – CBC News, 2021).

Having found the remains of 215 children buried around the residential school in Kamloops residential school is a confirmation that students of this school had a real reason to fear school.

Hate is a strong word, but I hate that these students had to endure such a poor environment.

Reference:

Pawson, C. (2021, May 29). Teachers in B.C. to wear orange, hold special ceremonies over discovery of children’s remains | CBC News. CBCnews. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/teachers-in-b-c-to-wear-orange-hold-special-ceremonies-over-discovery-of-children-s-remains-1.6045964.

Yukon Gold and Gold Rush

Module 1 – Entry 5

Today when I was looking at other people’s posts, I came across Seleen G’s post about Jade Fever. I was instantly drawn to this post because I have watched every season of Jade Fever on Discovery Channel. For me, watching the show was highly addictive because I always wondered if the miners were going to find the elusive grade 1 jade.

I also watched every episode of Gold Rush, Yukon Gold, Gold Rush – White Water edition for the same reason I watched Jade Fever. The scale of the mining on these shows is immense! Parker Schnabel mined over 7000 ounces of gold worth over 10 million dollars.

Source: wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/e/ec/Gold_Rush_Title.jpg

The thing I never considered when watching any of these shows was the impact they might be having on the communities they occur in. I know that when I watch these shows, they are mining huge areas of land and require massive amounts of water. The shows focus on the miners and gold totals, but like Jade Fever, there is no mention of how the mining affects indigenous communities (or any surrounding community) in the area. There are regulatory bodies that make sure everyone is acting within the law, but, does that mean everyone is being represented fairly?

A quick Google search hints that may not be the case. A news article by CBC sheds light on how placer mining is dividing Yukoners about water rights.

“The Tr’ondek Hwech’in First Nation is asking the Yukon Water Board to hold a public hearing about mining on undisturbed wetlands in the Indian River valley” (CBC News, 2018).  It is noteworthy that most of the mining that occurs on Gold Rush happens on the Indian River.

The next time I am watching these TV shows, I will be thinking in the back of my mind about the impacts these shows have on all stakeholders in the area. I think I just developed a new perspective on these shows.

References

Croft, D. (2018, September 4). Environmental permitting needs more flexibility, says Yukon placer miner | CBC News. CBCnews. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/yukon-placer-mining-indian-river-water-board-schmidt-1.4807022.

Gold Rush (TV series). Wikiwand. (n.d.). https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Gold_Rush_(TV_series).

Innovation and Technology for Indigenous Peoples by Roberto Múkaro Borrero (Borikén Taíno)

Module 1 – Entry 4 – Tyler Ohashi

Takeaways from this article show how technology is impacting indigenous peoples with respect to:

  • Society
    • The world is evolving into one that requires technology. An interesting term that is brought up is “computer-mediated colonialism” which describes imposing western processes and structures upon indigenous communities. Indigenous people are not blind to the technology revolution, but many indigenous communities are a terrible disadvantage due to lack of access to technology.
      • Commonly termed “The Digital Divide”
    • Large organizations such as the United Nations, United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), or even International Telecommunications Union are all working to find solutions but continuously encounter new challenges such as respecting cultural diversity, economics, or politics.

While reading the article, I wondered how the world is doing getting people connected to the Internet. An interesting map that highlights the “Digital Divide” (not part of the article but interesting)

Light – you are connected          Dark – you are not

-Look at Africa -Yikes-

  • Innovation
    • There have been many initiatives to bring technology to indigenous communities and this article look at how initiatives can be classified as:
      • Pro‐indigenous (for indigenous peoples)
      • Para‐indigenous (with indigenous peoples)
      • Per‐indigenous (by indigenous peoples). 
  • The Future
    • Successful initiatives will move away from “for indigenous” people to “with indigenous” and “by indigenous” people because working with indigenous communities will provide a better understanding of the challenges they face or have faced. Furthermore, indigenous people developing solutions for indigenous people makes sense not only intuitively but respectfully as well.

This article motivated me to look up Mark Oppenneer because it is the second time I came across his name and I discovered that he is the founder of “The Ethnos Project”. Turns out he has another great article investigating how Information and Computer Technology can be used for cultural preservation. I put reference below.

Reference

Borrero, R. M. (2013). Innovation and technology for indigenous peoples. https://www.un.org/esa/socdev/egms/docs/2013/ict/innovation-technology-indigenous.pdf

Oppenneer, M (2009) Using ICTs for Indigenous cultural preservation: challenges and strategies. Ethnos Project. Available at: http://www.ethnosproject.org/using-icts-for-indigenous-cultural-preservation/

Using technology to save language

Module 1 – Entry 3

Using technology to save languages

There are many Indigenous languages that are at risk of going extinct. The arrival of the Internet has made it possible to document and save some of these languages from going extinct. In her essay, “An Example of Excellence – Chickasaw Language Revitalization through Technology” Traci Morris (2017) talks about how technology is playing an important role in saving the Chickasaw language. She brings up some interesting ideas about how “technology holds great promise in stabilizing tribal languages, which are in danger of extinction, allowing connections between remote peoples and between young and old.” She draws attention to young people’s desire to be connected using technology that can be leveraged to save traditional languages. Connecting people using social media such as Facebook can provide opportunities to connect people that can speak the language and people that want to learn the language. Furthermore, she has found “the number of Tribal language apps in the iTunes and Android stores is constantly growing.” Morris does acknowledge that technology cannot replace in-person learning.

Therefore, this essay by Morris is a good example of how technology can save a culture through language preservation before it is lost forever.

Reference

Morris, T. L. (2017). An Example of Excellence: Chickasaw Language Revitalization through Technology. In Indigenous people and mobile technologies (pp. 293–304). essay, Routledge.

The Impact of Digital Technology on Indigenous Peoples

Module 1 – Entry 2

While looking for ways that technology is being used by Indigenous communities, I came across this website called, “The Ethnos Project” that hosts information including research about how Indigeneity and information and communication technologies are being used by Indigenous peoples.

Mark Oppeneer takes an excerpt from a book, a chapter titled,  “The Impact of Digital Technology on Indigenous Peoples” by Robert Hershey because it articulates how Indigenous people are utilizing technologies to preserve and promote Indigenous culture. This website will provide useful insights into the questions being proposed on the ETEC 521 discussion boards.

Here is a taste of what you will find:

 “The current era has been termed the “age of information,” and this term generally carries a positive connotation. In Native societies, however, a dichotomy exists between those who embrace the Internet as a tool to protect, maintain, and promote cultural diversity and those who believe that the Internet serves only to endorse capitalist ideals and sanction products of the modern industrial society.[13] This dichotomy provokes the question, is the Internet friend or foe of Indigenous peoples?”

I believe this website will provide useful information to anyone looking to investigate the impacts of technology on Indigenous peoples. As an added bonus, the website provides a substantial list of links to other websites that deal with Indigenous culture and the Internet.

Reference

Hershey, R. (2011, August 11).  The Impact of Digital Technology on Indigenous Peoples. EcoLiterateLaw. http://www.ecoliteratelaw.com/09_DigitizationIndig.cfm?sect=text. 

Oppenneer, M. (2011, August 11). The Impact of Digital Technology on Indigenous Peoples. The Ethnos Project. https://www.ethnosproject.org/the-impact-of-digital-technology-on-indigenous-peoples/

Promoting Language by Offering Indigenous Language Degree

Module 1 – Entry 1

UBCO Indigenous Language Degree – Global News Video Coverage

I found this Global news story while looking for ways that indigenous languages are being preserved. Jeanette Armstrong is a professor at UBCO offering a new degree program that focuses on indigenous language preservation. Since UBCO is located in the Okanagan, there is a focus on the traditions, cultures, and languages of the Okanagan people. I think this is a great example of how to utilize place (Okanagan) to promote the preservation of a culture that was at risk of being lost. This short video clip is a great starting point to launch an investigation into the Okanagan people.

Squamish Language – How-to Videos

Located on the same Global news page is an interesting story about Aaron Williams, a Squamish language project specialist that was hired to create bilingual signs that displayed both English and Squamish language on road sign leading up to the 2010 Olympics. What I find interesting about the story is how technology (YouTube) is being used to create public interest in a language that not many people know how to use. The Squamish language is seen on public highways and now Arron is using YouTube to create how-to videos to help people pronounce what they are seeing on the signs. I think this a great example of how indigenous languages can be saved using technology.

Recognizing Indigenous influences on a Sea to Sky Corridor Adventure - SLCC Squamish Lil'wat Cultural Centre

I found both of these articles interesting because I am interested in looking at how technology can be used in a culturally respectful manner that will benefit the maximum number of stakeholders. Using examples such as these two stories could help me discover new ways of incorporating technology in my own classroom and be culturally sensitive.

Reference

Little, S, & Aylesworth, L. (2021, April 30). Squamish First Nation member creates ‘how-to’ videos on pronouncing Indigenous names. Global News. https://globalnews.ca/news/7825465/squamish-language-signs/