Category Archives: MODULE 1

Module 1 Post 1: What does Indigenization mean and why is it important?

Module 1 Post 1

Before I investigate the process of Indigenization of post-secondary curriculums and the role technology plays in Indigenization, I think it’s important to first understand what Indigenization means and why it’s important. In this first video, Dr. Jo-ann Archibald from the University of British Columbia explains what it means to Indigenize a curriculum.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Bqe5ka7iCw

The second video also explores what Indigenization means. In addition, it highlights the importance of Indigenizing educational institutions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLe1mxiT4rM

 

 

 

M1, Entry 2: Foundational Knowledge Resources for Educators

Module 1: The Global and the Local in Indigenous Knowledge

Entry 2: Foundational Knowledge Resources for Educators

I want to take the opportunity to share 3 resources that have been provided to me as an Alberta educator. These resources have been helpful to me on my learning journey and I respect that they have been developed in partnership with Indigenous Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and our educational and professional institutions. These specific resources are focused on the Indigenous communities located within Treaty 6, 7, 8 lands. They are very extensive and are not meant to be consumed in one sitting, but they will be important to my learning this semester. As a student of this course, tasked to research a specific question related to Indigeneity, education and technology, I view building my foundational knowledge related to Indigenous ways of knowing as paramount to my ability to complete my research task. 

Here is a brief overview of each resource in the order that I have used and will use them in my journey. 

  1. Education is our Buffalo. This thorough resource was published by our provincial teachers’ association and was my introduction to Indigenous Foundational Knowledge in Alberta when I started teaching here. This book helped me to build an awareness of the worldview, ways of life, and traditions of Indigenous people who live, work, and play in an area that was new to me. The value to this resource for me was giving me some confidence as a non-Indigenous educator. 
  2. Walking Together, Learn Alberta. This extensive website developed with Indigenous leaders and Alberta Education provides foundational knowledge for educators through a dozen topics that are explored through four phases: Beginning together, Respecting wisdom, Observing practice, and Exploring connections. The value of this website is elevated by the videos of Elders and Knowledge Keeps speaking on topics that range from wolview to Residential Schools to Pedagogy. Our school and city does not have a connection to a First Nation and as such does not have Elders who can visit our schools. This is one way technology can support my students by letting them hear the wisdom of these Elders. I will be using this resource this year. 
  3. Stepping Stones. Our provincial teachers’ association has been working with Elders and Knowledge Keepers to develop resources to assist educators in taking steps to develop their foundational knowledge. Each publication on topics ranging from Elder Protocol, to Alberta Metis settlements to the Sixties Scoop is intended to help educators move one step further along their path of building foundational knowledge. These resources are used at PD sessions that I attend regularly. 

The significance of these foundational knowledge resources has become apparent to me since exploring the Indigenous connection to the land juxtaposed against the individualism that is promoted through the use of technology (Bowers et al., 2000) in Module 1. I have shifted the way I am viewing this professional learning from a “course I have to take” to a “journey I will travel along a path” to help increase the authenticity of this experience. 

References

Alberta Education (n.d.). Walking Together: First Nations, Metis, and Inuit Perspectives in Curriculum. https://www.learnalberta.ca/content/aswt/ 

Alberta Teachers’ Association (n.d.). Education is our Buffalo: A Teacher’s Guide to First Nations, Metis, and Inuit Education in Alberta. https://www.albertaschoolcouncils.ca/public/download/documents/55705

Alberta Teachers’ Association (n.d.). Stepping Stones Series.https://www.teachers.ab.ca/For%20Members/Professional%20Development/IndigenousEducationandWalkingTogether/Pages/Resources.aspx

Bowers, C.A., Vasquez, M., & Roaf, M., Native People and the Challenge of Computers: Reservation Schools, Individualism, and Consumerism.  American Indian, 24(2), 2000, 182-199.

What is a Land Acknowledgement?

MODULE 1: ENTRY 1

As my role as Indigenous Ed Lead at my school, I am asked at the beginning of each staff meeting to read a land acknowledgement.

We acknowledge that we are, in all the schools and communities of SD, located within the traditional land of Treaty No. 6 and home of Métis Nation of Alberta Zone 2 and Zone 4. We also acknowledge the Inuit and other diverse Indigenous peoples whose ancestors have marked their territory since time immemorial, a place that has welcomed many peoples from around the world to make their home here. It is a vast area encompassing large portions of central Alberta & Saskatchewan, places we are blessed to live, work, and play every day.    (Aside to Shirley Anne …as a follow up to our conversation on territorial acknowledgments, I had not noticed ours included the live, work and play phrase in it.)

After reading the meeting goes on and nothing further is discussed. Is this meaningful? Is there anyone in the meeting that has a better understanding of the what the land they are living on was  used for and who lived there? The following video from the Calgary Foundation was the beginning of my search to find a different ways to acknowledgement the land during our meetings. It is presented by the people from Treaty 7 lands.

 “This land has to be acknowledged. The people that took care of this land or a long time have to be acknowledged. You know, at least find the truth about us.” 

             Beverly Hungrywolf      Kainai Nation, Blackfoot confederacy (Calgary Foundation, 2019) 

 

 

Reference:

Calgary Foundation.  (2019, January 27). Land Acknowledgement. [Video]. Youtube.  https://youtu.be/7re1r0FY-4Y

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/

MODULE 1-Entry 5: JADE FEVER, B.C.’s Reality T.V. Show

 

From Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository Revision as of 10:47, 9 September 2020 by BotMultichill

This past week, I came across a Global News topic regarding a reality television show, I have never heard of, based here in British Columbia.  It is called “Jade Fever,” which is about a family operated jade mining business running for decades in Jade City, British Columbia. This show debuted in 2015, and is currently in its 7th season.  It is about a German family, the Bunce’s, who have become the major excavators of a jade quarry.  They have taken advantage of the region’s rich, emerald green, mineral deposits to mine for the precious jade in Northern B.C.’s Cassiar Mountains. This reality television series follows the family’s operation, and the employees, who are mostly made up of the town’s residents.  Their main goals are to turn their various claims into elusive million-dollar jackpots. In addition to highlighting dangerous mining adventures, with adventurous storylines and the relationships among the employees and family members, there is another controversial side to this reality show.  Getting the perspective of the Indigenous peoples of that region is not portrayed in this show, but their perspectives were shared briefly on Global News several days ago.  Here, you can see a B.C. First Nation opposes jade mining, and how he and others want the reality television show ‘Jade Fever’ taken off the air.

Click here to watch the Global News video:

References:

Wikimedia Commons. (2020, September 9). Wikimedia Commons, the free media repository. Retrieved 06:17, May 22, 2021 from https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Jade_001.jpg&oldid=453141753

Wikipedia contributors. (2021, April 29). Jade Fever. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 05:59, May 22, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jade_Fever&oldid=1020420944

 

MODULE 1-Entry 4:  Storytelling through Local Art – How Communities Create: Visual Arts with Ovila Mailhot

 

Public Domain Picture, Coast Salish Artist, Oliva Mailhot

Last year, I was driving through Robson Street, when I noticed a beautiful mural.  A few seconds later, I drove off, but the picture stayed with me.  It was so creative, colourful, and mesmerizing, that I went home and tried to find it on the internet to see who painted such a unique and creative piece of visual art.  I surprised myself, when I actually found it and I emailed the artist just to compliment the artist for their amazing work, and that something about his Mural on Robson Street made me smile and made me happy, and I wanted to thank him for that.  He is an amazingly talented Coast Salish graphic artist, and his name is Ovila Mailhot.  There is a video link below that leads to his bio, and a link to the mural that caught my eye!

Video Link:

Storytelling Through Visual Art with Coast Salish Graphic Artist, Ovila Mailhot

https://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1763297859587

Mural/Gallery/Bio:

By Coast Salish Graphic Artist, Ovila Mailhot

https://www.salishsondesign.com/projects

Public Domain Picture, Artist: Oliva Mailhot

Public Domain Picture, Artist: Oliva Mailhot

Public Domain Picture, Artist: Oliva Mailhot

MODULE 1-Entry 3:  Covid-19 & How It’s Affecting the Indigenous Communities Around the World:

Published March 25, 2016, Free Domain Picture from the MI’KMAW Spirituality website.

I always felt it is important to know what is happening in our own backyards, but in others’ backyards as well.  Humanity has been struck with a pandemic called COVID–19.  Since November/December of 2019, and it continues to affects us all, but not equally. Below are some links I researched, to get an idea of how the Indigenous peoples around the world are being “treated” or not treated at all…

Canada-COVID-19 vaccines and Indigenous peoplesof Canada- May 2021

https://www.sac-isc.gc.ca/eng/1606941379837/1606941507767

South America-Indigenous South Americans and COVID-19-March 2021

https://www.borgenmagazine.com/indigenous-south-americans-2/

Asia-Indigenous Peoples in Asia Battle COVID-19 on Many Fronts-

https://www.culturalsurvival.org/news/indigenous-peoples-asia-battle-covid-19-many-fronts

USA-Indigenous populations: left behind in the COVID-19 response-June 2020

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(20)31242-3/fulltext

CDC data show disproportionate COVID-19 impact in American Indian/Alaska Native populations-August 2020

https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2020/p0819-covid-19-impact-american-indian-alaska-native.html

Australia-Protecting Indigenous Populations From Covid-19: The Australian Example-May 2021

https://www.forbes.com/sites/williamhaseltine/2021/05/05/protecting-indigenous-populations-from-covid-19-the-australian-example/?sh=29a6adc1801f

Reference:

Muin’iskw (Jean) and Crowfeather (Dan). (March 25, 2016). MI’KMAW Spirituality. http://www.muiniskw.org/pgCulture2c.htm

MODULE1-Entry 2: My Global Knowledge on the Indigenous Peoples from Torres Strait Islander aka Australia and Aotearoa aka New Zealand

Published on January 18, 2019-The person who associated a work with this deed has dedicated the work to the public domain.

On one of my travelling experiences, I was fortunate enough to visit Torres Strait Islander aka Australia and Aotearoa aka New Zealand.  I was able to absorb the beautiful cultures and the beautiful landscapes in both regions, but I also learned some brief history about these regions and the Indigenous peoples who this land belongs to.  I learned about how the Indigenous peoples in Australia were also colonized similarly to the Indigenous peoples of Canada, and this saddened me deeply, and allowed me to inquire more into the history of how and why this could happen worldwide?  Historically speaking, “prior to British colonization, more than 500 Indigenous groups inhabited the Australian continent, approximately 750,000 people in total.[1] Their cultures developed over 60,000 years, making Indigenous Australians the custodians of the world’s most ancient living culture. Each group lived in close relationship with the land and had custody over their own Country.”

This made me stop and think, how would I have felt, if strangers barged into my home, demanding all my earthly and worldly posessions and took my freedoms away?

It’s also important to recognise that, ” from the beginning of colonisation, Indigenous people continually resisted the violation of their right to land, and its impact on Indigenous cultures and communities. It’s estimated that at least 20,000 Aboriginal people were killed as a direct result of colonial violence during this era of Australian history. Between 2,000- 2,500 settler deaths resulted from frontier conflict during the same period.[8]

Published: Aug 11, 2008
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License

References:

Australians Together. (November 17, 2020).  Colonisation, Dispossession, Disease and Direct Conflict. https://australianstogether.org.au/discover/australian-history/colonisation/#colonisationreference8
DocDolly. (August 11, 2008). Aussie Animals by DocDolly. https://www.deviantart.com/docdolly/art/Aussie-Animals-94559821
Wilkinson, T. (January 18, 2019). Aboriginal Artwork. Art Gallery Of Western Australia.  https://www.flickr.com/photos/electric_soup/46058004144/

M1, Entry 1: Storytelling through music: Indomitable

Module 1: The Global and the Local in Indigenous Knowledge

Entry 1: Storytelling through music: Indomitable

Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTJvpfkRRdA

DJ Shub’s award winning music video combines images, symbols, movement and sound to communicate the contrast between a world constructed by western culture and one rooted in Indigenous culture as seen through spatial, social, spirituality, and experiential dimensions. 

The significance of this particular artifact connects to the theme of this Module. This work of art depicts the western world as dark and unwelcoming. The main character in this story is alone in a crowd, working as an individual, and rushing through a concrete landscape. As the story changes, he leaves this space of individuality and consumerism and travels into a more natural landscape. Meeting and greeting friends and family members and participating in his traditional culture through dance, he transforms into a vibrant, connected member of a larger community. 

The art of storytelling is reinforced with the use of technology in this instance. I appreciate that the content creators are members of the Indigenous community, highlighting an example of how technology can be used to build knowledge of their culture on a global scale.

The music in this video features the Northern Cree Singer’s song “Young and Free”. While the title of the video is Indomitable. I hope that everyone who sees this post watches the video to see the resilience and unconquerable nature depicted in this story.

DJ Shub. (2016). Indomitable ft. Northern Cree Singers (Official Video) [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qTJvpfkRRdA

Module 1: Post 1 – Medicine Wheel Education

Medicine Wheel Education is a great resource that provides educators with storybook titles that can be bought online or in bookstores. All of these books are from Indigenous authors telling their stories. The authors are Phyllis Webstad, David Bouchard, Theresa “Corky” Larsen-Jonasson, Kevin Locke, Kung Jaadee, Trudy Spiller, and Juliana Armstrong. I recently purchased some of these books to add to my classroom collection: Trudy’s Healing Stone, The Hoop Dancer’s Teaching, Phyllis’s Orange Shirt, The Circle of Caring and Sharing, and The Eagle Feather. These books are fantastic for primary students to learn about Indigenous stories in a way that is simplistic for little minds. If you create an account with this website, scroll to the bottom and click “printable activities.” There are activities that teachers can do with their students as an elaboration or continuation for the storybook after reading the book to the class. For only $5/month or $50/year, you can have the books read by the authors, interactive lesson plans, and additional activities that can be used. This is such a small price to pay to support Indigenous authors and the sharing of their stories.

Source: Retrieved from Medicine Wheel Education website