I stumbled across http://www.maoritelevision.com/ this morning. This is a prime example of a culture connecting to technology to promote and build their culture. It is quite an interactive site that has a very positive feel. It is free to visit and contains more than 90% locally-made programming. From comedy, sports, documentaries and lifestyle to news and current affairs, about New Zealand. It is also in both languages.
Te Kotahitanga is a collaborative response to the rising problem of underachievement among Māori students in mainstream schools. The professional development/research project, which began in 2001, is now in its fourth phase and has involved 33 schools around New Zealand, hundreds of teachers and thousands of Māori students.
http://www.tekotahitanga.org.nz/moodle/
This site is of interest to me because of the many similarities and connections that I see with BC’s Aboriginal students. Is this program something that would work for us? Would our education system adopt a similar system?
Click here to watch a recording of Keynote Speaker Russel Bishop at the BC Rural School’s Conference
On Thursday I had the opportunity to listen to Calvin Helin at the 3rd Annual Rural Schools Conference.
He is a Canadian businessman and writer on aboriginal topics who is a member of the Tsimshian First Nation in northwestern British Columbia.
Here is a link to the recording of the key note presentation today. It is really worth watching.
In his presentation, Helin argues the Canadian government spends billions (18 I think) a year on services for aboriginal people and transfers to reserves. Therefore if money alone were capable of fixing problems there would have been major successes by now.
He says it’s time for indigenous people to stop dwelling on the injustices of the past and decide how they can influence the future.
According to the article below and the presentation Helin believes “the only hope for aboriginal communities in the future is to create their own wealth, with the private sector as the most efficient way to create that wealth” He also feels that “simply throwing more money at the problem will not make it go away. It probably will likely make things worse.”
(http://www.spiritorca.com/pdf/VCourier-July23-08_HT.pdf)
Please watch one of these videos. Overall he made some very moving and thought provoking statements.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_mUZYIS5x0[/youtube]
Click on the image above to visit a detailed webiste that I believe connects to module 2’s discussion about protecting cultural rights. This site discusses our Multicultural Policy, the history that makes Canada what it is today, and much more. I believe that in order to protect culture we must understand where we are are also the cultures of those around us. Please visit this useful site. I found the “Prospects for the Future” link quite interesting.
Nanook of the North
After discussing this film within our course it led me to want to watch and know more.
The Wikipedia search on the film raised many of the same questions that were brought up in our discussions. For example “Flaherty has been criticized for deceptively portraying staged events as reality. Much of the action was staged and gives an inaccurate view of real Inuit life during the early 20th century. “Nanook” was in fact named Allakariallak, for instance, while the “wife” shown in the film was not really his wife. And although Allakariallak normally used a gun when hunting, Flaherty encouraged him to hunt after the fashion of his ancestors in order to capture what was believed to be the way the Inuit lived.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanook_of_the_North
This film in my opinion was ahead of its time and to this day regardless if criticism is a valuable piece of Canadian history. Below are a few more links connecting to Nanook:
How I Filmed Nanook of the North
There are also quite a few clips like these online::
[youtube]https://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=H_wS-Li-9eE[/youtube]
[youtube]https://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=9wmHvkrhmII[/youtube]
Here is a clip by Phillip Djwa about how the web is impacting aboriginal communities. Phillip has provided support to many worthwhile community initiatives, including the First People’s Heritage Council, Friends of Chamber Music, and First Nations Technology Council. He makes several excellent points in this clip regarding connectivity in rural aboriginal communities.
[youtube]https://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=oRSQiZZT3go[/youtube]
This site was unfortunately discontinued April 2008 however the content is still availbe. It provides a vairiety of Podcast, Teacher Resources, Links for Kids, and Culture Showcases. I enjoed the interactivity, types of media, and the overall emphasis on the blend of Canadian Culture.
