Category Archives: MODULE 1

Entry 2:

Working in the Surrey School District, I was curious about what Indigenous resources were available on the district website. https://www.surreyschools.ca/ProgramsAndServices/ABRG/Pages/default.aspx

The teacher resource page was easy to find: https://aboriginalresourcesforteachers.weebly.com/

Before any student presentation, the presenting student does a land acknowledgement. The website contains a very helpful explanation as to the significance of doing so, understanding that “too many people are reading the script without really understanding what it means.  Know why you are doing it wand what it means” https://aboriginalresourcesforteachers.weebly.com/introduction.html

Going through this website created by helping teachers, one can gain a good insight as to the district’s central goals regarding Indigenous education. There appears to be a strong emphasis on avoiding Indigenous education and understandings from becoming a “study of them” and instead a more natural integration of Indigenous culture with that of colonial settlers. Surrey has a unique perspective on this however, as it has a significant immigrant population, which could be an interesting field to study. How do visible minorities and Indigenous peoples coincide in Canada?

Entry 1:

Some of my initial thoughts when reading about Indigenous knowledge and education are about how and why this has become an issue worth discussion for the federal and provincial governments. Any attempt towards reconciliation, let alone the “legitimizing” of Indigenous knowledge is a relatively new concept. My most prominent memory of Indigenous influence in my own education was when Orange Shirt Day started in my Grade 12 year.

https://youtu.be/E3vUqr01kAk

I have never been a fan of tokenism, but I think that the orange shirt itself is less important than the sheer significance of removing the taboo behind talking about residential schools. Canada had committed acts of genocide and it was widely unknown or just not talked about, and schools now had a reason to teach students about them every year. I do think that the orange shirt gets overly marketed and emphasized, which risks undermining the central message of the day itself, but the implementation of this day was a good fundamental step towards any semblance of reconciliation.

Module 1, Entry 5

I found a great Ted Talk delivered by Michael Mieni who is the first-ever Indigenous IT honors student at the University of Technology in Sydney, Australia. His talk spoke to the need and opportunity to break the ‘digital divide’ in Indigenous communities and discusses how improving access to IT resources and training to Indigenous youth can help to increase social and economic opportunities for Indigenous youth and their communities.

From using technologies for language preservation to using drone technologies to map out sacred lands, Michael describes great possibilities and opportunities for a future that bridges the digital divide.

Module 1, Entry 4

In this TED talk, linguist Lindsay Morcom explores the importance of Indigenous languages within Indigenous communities, why they are at risk of being lost, as well as what we can do as a community to help support the revitalization of Indigenous languages.  Morcom explores the Canadian historical contexts which led to the destruction of Indigenous languages, and describes what is needed in terms of policy, education, and support which can help to ensure the survival of Indigenous languages for future generations. Strategies include partnering with school boards to offer more formal and informal learning opportunities for Aboriginal youth which promote Indigenous  languages and culture,  active policies to ensure languages are incorporated into education both on and off reserve, as well as creating supportive spaces where Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities can come together to learn more about Indigenous cultures and to open up discourse about the importance of Indigenous languages.

Module 1, Entry 3

In my research on how technology can help to preserve endangered Indigenous languages, I came across FirstVoices, which is a set of opensource software created to record, promote, and preserve Indigenous languages and oral culture. The project is an initiative of the First People’s Cultural Council (FPCC) whose mission is to assist B.C. First Nations in revitalizing indigenous languages, arts and cultures.

The FirstVoices project allows indigenous communities to document their language for future generations. The site is an excellent resource which offers international online indigenous language archiving and teaching resources.  Through the creation of unique ‘community sites’ member groups help to preserve and promote the diversity of Indigenous languages and culture. For each community site,  Elders and youth can upload dictionaries, alphabets, songs, sacred prayers, stories, words, and phrases though mediums such as  audio and video to their community archives.  In addition to making such resources available to the public, the site also allows for members to create content that are only available to select users and to their communities, such as sacred prayers, dances, and stories.

Here’s the link to FirstVoices: https://www.firstvoices.com/home

Projects under FirstVoices include: 

FirstVoices Kids  – Which includes interactive online games and access to various beginner level language resources for pre-readers.

FirstVoices Dictionary Apps– Mobile apps which include interactive dictionary/phrases in several of B.C.’s Indigenous languages.

FirstVoices Keyboards– This keyboard software contains over 100 languages and includes every First Nations language in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, as well as other languages in the US.

Module 1, Entry 2

I came across an excellent guide from the BC Ministry of Education:  Aboriginal Worldviews and Perspective in the Classroom which provides strategies for educators on how to improve school success for Aboriginal students. The guide provides information and guidelines on how to incorporate Aboriginal perspectives into educational curricula in a meaningful and authentic manner.

Click on the link below to view the guide:

Aboriginal Worldviews and Perspective in the Classroom

Module 1, Entry 1

Walking Together: First Nations, Metis and Inuit Perspectives in Curriculum is a digital professional development resource for educators. The resource was designed to share the holistic nature of First Nations, Métis and Inuit ways of knowing, and perspectives in teaching and learning experiences. The project provides an opportunity to share perspectives on topics raised in consultations with First Nations, Métis and Inuit communities, and includes presentations and videos on topics such as Indigenous pedagogy, Aboriginal and treaty rights, oral traditions, traditional environmental knowledge, and much more.

Click on the link below to view:

Walking Together: First Nations, Metis and Inuit Perspectives in Curriculum

In addition, the Talking Together: A Discussion Guide for Walking Together digital guide provides ideas and resources for educators and community members to explore the resources in groups or individually. Sample workshops and activities are provided.

Here’s the link to the guide:

Talking Together: A Discussion Guide for Walking Together