Category Archives: MODULE 1

M1 Entry 2: Appearance on Social Media

I think popular social media platforms like Tik Tok, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter can have significant impacts on attitudes, beliefs, and perspectives towards different cultures. Connecting this idea to my first entry on mobile technologies, I wanted to look into the impact of social media on Indigenous cultures. How are the cultures portrayed and how is it affecting Indigenous youth? 

Here are examples of Indigenous cultures on social media:

  1. Model Uses Social Media to Promote Indigenous Rights
  2. Artist Uses Tik Tok to Educate on Indigenous Culture
  3. How James Jones (Notorious Cree) Harnessed Social Media to Reclaim and Share His Culture

Notorious Cree in traditional Indigenous regalia jumping up against blue background

Notorious Cree (Photography: Norman Wong)

 

Related to this topic, I was able to find an ethnographic study case by Kariipanon et al. (2017) on how social media and mobile phones are affecting Indigenous youth and two research papers on the implications of digital technology use among Indigenous young people in Australia by Rice et al. (2016) and Kral’s (2011). It is very promising to know that if used properly, technologies and media tools can help students creatively express their identity and take on leadership roles in the community (Kral, 2011).

 

References

Kariippanon, K., Senior, K., & SAGE Research Methods Complete A-Z List. (2017). Engagement and Qualitative Interviewing: an ethnographic study of the use of social media and mobile phones among remote indigenous youth. SAGE Publications Ltd.

Kral, I. (2011). Youth Media as Cultural Practice: Remote Indigenous Youth Speaking Out Loud. Australian Aboriginal Studies (Canberra, A.C.T.: 1983), 2011(1), 4-16.

Rice, E. S., Haynes, E., Royce, P., & Thompson, S. C. (2016). Social media and digital technology use among Indigenous young people in Australia: a literature review. International Journal for Equity in Health, 15(1), 81. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12939-016-0366-0

MODULE 1-Entry 1: My Very First Visit to a Local Community Garden!

Please click on the following link;Grandview/¿uuqinak uuh Community Garden and select Google images to view the various pictures. Here you will get a glimpse of what my mother started back in 1979! My mom taught me about respecting Mother Earth and all it’s children, young and old.  She was an educator at the small neighbouring school Grandview Terrace Daycare, which was a preschool in an innercity area, for well over 40 years.  She noticed many of her students, ages 2-5 were mal-nutritioned, and the food that was available in her school did not meet the requirements for a proper and nutritious diet for any growing child.  So around the time I was 2 years old, my mom began to do what she does best, she started to grow a little community garden in a little patch of soil just behind the school. She would take me to work with her and spend time teaching, working on the garden and taking care of me.  She used this garden, that bore so many fruits and vegetables, to feed the children and give the remaining to the students whose families were in need.  Her name is Sneh (which means love in our culture), and she has fed so many little tummies, and filled so many hearts and she is my mentor and hero! —-,—‘-(@

She is still teaching many around our neighbourhood how to garden to this day!  Sneh is a teacher, friend, colleague, gardner, landscaper, protector, and most of all advocate for all the children, from various backgrounds, the majority being of Indigenous decent.  Back in the 70’s and 80’s, community gardens were non-existent, just like government funding and proper food programs for those in need.  Without getting too much into my very first blog, I just wanted to give everyone a chance to see what one person can do, and what it can lead to over time.

I added some links below for you to see and read about the ¿UUQINAK’UUH community garden and elementary school, wow has it grown!!!

Grandview Grows!

https://www.vsb.bc.ca/schools/grandview/Teaching-and-Learning/Programs/Pages/Community-Garden.aspx

http://www.cityfarmer.org/grandview.html

Grandview/¿uuqinak’uuh Elementary sets a high benchmark

M1-P.1 Online spaces which promote academic success and community for Indigenous Students

M1-P1

The title is a little rough for my first blog post. I work one-on-one and with Indigenous students in their classes, help work out post-secondary paths, alter/adapt assignments, meet with parents and teachers as a mediator, meet with district representatives, and try to create a community between all of the different nations our students come from. This is a very rough description.

Students are connected to social media but like this week’s readings, I don’t know if these spaces are reflective or respective of Indigenous ways of knowing and being. I started looking at Twitter to see what representation looks like and came across an article on CBC “Meet some of the influencers of #NativeTwitter”. This hashtag curates a catalogue of Indigenous artists, writers and thinkers. Chelsea Vowel is one of these influencers and @Indigneousxca is a twitter account she created highlighting experiences  of Indigenous peoples across Canada. I am interested in bringing these voices into the lives of our students. I also want to recreate a community amongst my students where they can share their own hashtags. This article has me thinking of ways to create a small community that can share shared histories and realities to draw our community together.

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/

 

 

 

M1 Entry 1: Mobile Technologies and Indigenous Peoples

I am interested in exploring how and if technologies are changing cultural traditions. I’m unsure how and in which direction I will be narrowing down my research topic but I would like to learn more about the overarching implications of technology so I can better analyze and implement digital tools and resources. I wanted to start by looking into the implications of mobile technologies on Indigenous peoples. When I took ETEC 523 last term, I had the opportunity to learn about existing and emerging mobile technologies and come to understand that they will continue to have a significant impact on our society and cultures. So how would this affect Indigenous peoples, cultures, and traditions?

The resource by Dyson et al. (2015) covers a wide range of topics: how mobile technologies are being adopted in communities, the implications they have on health, education, development, and cultural revitalization. One particular case study I found interesting was the mojo (mobile journalism) project, investigating the impact on remote communities if literacies and technology can help with storytelling and enabling a “digital bridge across spheres of communication. (Dyson et al., 2015, p.126).”

 

References

Dyson, L. E., Grant, S., Hendriks, M. A. N., & Taylor & Francis eBooks A-Z. (2015). Indigenous people and mobile technologies. Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315759364