Posts from — October 2009

After reading Indigenous Presence in the Sydney Games, by Lisa Meekson  (Chapter 6, Smith & Ward, 2000), I was curious about the Vancouver/Whistler 2010 games and Aboriginal Participation.

While I did not find sites in particular I found the following two pages from VANOC’s official site (http://www.vancouver2010.com/)

Aboriginal Peoples of Canada

http://www.vancouver2010.com/en/news/feature-stories/-/54362/32574/1ah140h/aboriginal-peoples-of-canada-e.html

Aboriginal Participation

http://www.vancouver2010.com/en/sustainability-and-aboriginal-parti/aboriginal-participation/-/31654/wc0yaf/index.html

The first link both invites artists and promotes the fact that there will be Aboriginal art at all venues in the 2010 Olympics.  Along with VANOC the invitation comes from a partner group, the Four Host First Nations (FHFN). VANOC states that there will be a commitment to unprecedented Aboriginal participation in the 2010 winter games.

It also speaks of commercial opportunities for Aboriginal artists,  legacy funds going to an Aboriginal youth group (Aboriginal Youth Legacy Fund, the participation of the BC Sports Hall of Fame with a Aboriginal sports gallery, and a reference to the North American Indigenous Games.

The second link speaks specifically to VANOC’s commitment to increase the level of participation of Aboriginal Peoples to beyond a ceremonial level at the Olympics. The speak of the FHFN partnerships and the desire to have Aboriginal athletes, volunteers, entrepreneurs, employees, artists, performers, spectators, and cultural ambassadors.

It would be interesting to have someone after the games analyze the level of participation prior to and after the games as did Lisa Meekison for the 2000 summer games in Sydney.

Reference

Meekison, L. (2000). Chapter 6 Indigenous Presence in the Sydney Games. In C Smith & G. Ward (Ed.), Indigenous Cultures in an Interconnected World (pp. 109-126). Vancouver, BC: UBCPress.

http://www.imaginenative.org

Sponsored by CTV Globe Media, this years ImagineNative media festival focuses on Indigenous media arts from around the world. It does not limit the entries to only film, but includes new media, radio, film and video.

Along with screenings of the compelling material the festival also offers workshops, panel discussions, cultural events to help connect the artists with the media and broader  community.

The festival hopes to portray the vitality and diversity of Indigenous artists in contemporary media.

In keeping with the theme of the last few weeks around media I thought to look up some media websites. The Winnipeg Aboriginal Film Festival (WAFF) aims to show the best in Aboriginal films from Canada and worldwide. It occurs each November and its mandates are to celebrate and cultivate indeginous story telling as well as to promote media as a career path for Aboriginal youth.

http://aboriginalfilmfest.org

The organization also provides entry level workshops for new film makers and the best film from the workshops opens the festival.

The WAFF has exposed thousands of movie goers to the art of Aboriginal storytelling since 2002.

http://www.indigenousportal.com/ABOUT.html

The Indigenous Portal is an outcome of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS . WSIS was a two-phase series, United Nations (UN) sponsored summit about information and communication. The Geneva Summit in December 2003 laid the foundations with a Declaration of Principles and a plan of action. The Tunis Summit aimed to monitor and evaluate progress on the action plan and devise an agenda that will target goals for achievement by 2015. From these events came the WSIS Declaration and Plan of Action, as well as the Declaration and Plan of Action of the Global Forum of Indigenous Peoples and the Information Society.

Together, these documents provide guidance to states, Indigenous peoples, UN agencies, non-governmental organisations, the private sector and academics interested in using new technologies to improve communications and the quality of life for Indigenous peoples around the world.

http://www.fngovernance.org/index.htm

The National Centre for First Nations Governance (NCFNG) is an innovative service and research organization offering an important set of nation re-building services to First Nations from the Atlantic to the Pacific. NCFNG provides a bridge between traditional and contemporary governance models. Services are developed and delivered by experienced and educated Aboriginal staff.

The Centre is in the unique position of applying research through its services and learning from the work done in communities

NCFNG has a two-pronged mandate. First, it supports First Nations as they seek to implement effective self-governance and second, it assists First Nations in the further development of their day-to-day government operations. The Centre also supports First Nations in their efforts to develop their jurisdictional authorities.

NCFNG is a non-profit organization. It is governed by First Nations professionals and operates independently from the Government of Canada and our own political organizations.

http://www.firstnationsfilms.com/catalogue.htm

Specializing in the inception, creation and distribution of hard-to-write television, video and educational programs about native people. Through our reputation for the creation of award-winning insightful and quality programs FIRST NATIONS FILMS has become a force in the Global market and continues to create works of excellence.

http://www.firstvoiceskids.com/

This looks like an excellent website for younger students that are interested in learning about the many First Nation languages that exist in Canada.  The links are easily navigable and provide a fun way to be exposed to aboriginal languages.

http://www.fntc.info/

The First Nations Technology Council website began in order to, support the full integration of technologies to improve the quality of life for all First Nations in British Columbia.

http://www.fnesc.ca/iahla/index.php

This website contains a wealth of information for both students and educators seeking to learn more about indigenous adult higher learning institutions in BC.

If you wish to find out more about the school closest to your hometown or in a certain region search our List of Institutions.

If you need help funding a post-secondary program look under the Financial Aid section to find out about Canada Student Loans or to see if you qualify for the many awards and scholarships available to First Nations students.

Not sure how a course you are currently taking at a First Nations institution will transfer to a public college or university? Then why not check the BC Transfer Guide listed in the Useful Links section.

http://www.firstnationsnt.ca/

Keewatin Career Development Corporation (KCDC) is the Regional Management Organization for Indian and Northern Affairs Canada’s First Nations SchoolNet program for Saskatchewan and Alberta as of December 2006. We have signed a contribution agreement with Indian and Northern Affairs Canada to provide administration of the program for First Nations Schools between now and March 31, 2009. The First Nations SchoolNet Program has provided Internet connectivity assistance to First Nations schools since the late 1990s.

In order to provide better services for First Nations Schools under SchoolNet, Industry Canada in 2002 invited proposals for Regional Management Organizations to administer the program as it continues. Our organization entered that competition and have the role of Regional Management Organization for First Nations Schools in Saskatchewan and Alberta.

As of April 1, 2009 First Nations (AB) Technical Services Advisory Group – TSAG is now the Regional Management Organization for Indian and Northern Affairs Canada’s First Nations SchoolNet Program 2009/2010 for Alberta. During the month of April 2009 TSAG will be transtioning the service from Keewatin Career Development Corporation to TSAG – First Nations (AB) Technical Services Advisory Group

KCDC would like to express many thanks to all Alberta community leaders, educators, administrators with whom we have had the great opportunity to work with over the past seven years!

Our organization has a track record and experience in implementing Information and Communications Technology with First Nations and provincial schools. Through a series of projects, we have worked with schools to better their connectivity, maintain their systems, train their teachers in technology use, and deliver on-line courses. Our corporate vision is to use Information and Communications Technology to increase the educational opportunities available in First Nations and remote communities.

KCDC is a registered Saskatchewan non profit organization. Our membership is comprised of partner agencies from education and employment services in Northern Saskatchewan. Our member agencies include the northern Saskatchewan tribal councils, Meadow Lake Tribal Council and Prince Albert Grand Council. More information about all of our activities is available at our website: www.kcdc.ca.

Through the First Nations SchoolNet Program, we provide assistance to schools for Internet connectivity and Help Desk Services. Under our contribution agreement with Indian and Northern Affairs, signing of a Memorandum of Agreement with the participating schools is required. The Help Desk service was implemented to provide assistance to our First Nations schools with troubleshooting local area networks and connectivity problems. A toll free number had been assigned as 1-866-766-7373 to access technical assistance.

Again, FNS would like to express thanks to all community leaders and educators with whom we have had the great opportunity to work over the past years. Your dedication and commitment to the education of First Nations children is evident, and we must strive to help the government departments understand the importance of adequate support for schools!

The Warlpiri Media Association (WMA) is a community organization managed by locally elected Indigenous  peoples in Australia.  Both Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples, work together to produce and broadcast local media for regional and national audiences.

Incorporating new technology into their productions, WMA has produced award winning media productions.   In the 1980s, before  television was accessible to remote areas in Australia, communities started to experiment with video production.  Yuendumu, a small community 300kms from Alice Springs,  is the birthplace of WMA.  The association served as a voice of concerns of Aboriginal people in the area regarding the launch of Australian owned satellite television.

WMA projects include:

Shout it Loud – a video about sexual abuse in Aboriginal communitites

Kula-nyampuju ngaju-nyangu – Aboriginal comedy video about the role of an interpreter in the court system

Darby – One hundred years of life in a changing culture

WMA logo [Online Image]. (n.d.). Retrieved November 17, 2009, from WMA website. http://www.warlpiri.com.au/home.htm

http://maps.fphlcc.ca/

British Columbia is home to 203 First Nations communities and an amazing diversity of Indigenous languages; approximately 60% of the First Nations languages of Canada are spoken in B.C. You can access indexes of all the languages, First Nations and Community Champions through the top navigation on all pages of this website.

Explore the map below by zooming with the controls on the top left and clicking on the map to learn more about languages and First Nations.

Please explore the website and learn more about the First Peoples of the lands that are now called British Columbia.

http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/abed/

The Aboriginal Education Enhancements Branch is responsible for developing policies, procedures and initiatives related to the education of Aboriginal students in British Columbia.

• To improve school success for all Aboriginal students
• To increase Aboriginal voice in the public education system
• To increase knowledge of Aboriginal language, culture and history within the public school system
• To increase Aboriginal communities’ involvement and satisfaction with the public school system

http://aboriginallearning.ca/resources/1/1

Looking for a post-secondary resource for BC Aboriginal learners? Well here you go! “Aboriginal Learning Links” provides organized links to other websites that can help you find information on Financial Support, Child Care, Housing and even Career Planning. To start, just click on the links to the left. If you want to save your links with your own profile, you can create an account and “add to your favourites!”

(ABLearn, 2009)

http://www.fphlcc.ca/

The First Peoples’ Council serves:

• 203 B.C. First Nations
• 24 Tribal Councils
• 59 language dialects
• First Nations arts and culture organizations
• Aboriginal artists
• Aboriginal education organizations

(FPHLCC, 2009)

http://www.fnesc.bc.ca/

The First Nations Education Steering Committee (FNESC) is an independent society that is committed to improving education for all First Nations learners in British Columbia. FNESC is led by representatives of First Nations across the province.

FNESC also provides administrative services for the First Nations Schools Association, IAHLA and other partner organizations. (FNESC, 2009)

Homepage

The First Nations Schools Association collaborates with First Nations schools to create nurturing environments that develop learners’ pride and competence in their First Nations language and heritage and equips them to realize their full potential, within self-governing First Nations communities.

The FNSA is a registered society and charity that is directed by First Nations schools in BC. (FNSA, 2009)

http://ipcaucus.net/

This website is a gathering place for international issues around Aboriginal Groups.  There are many links to United Nations documentation as well as issues concerning aboriginal people from around the globe.

Mukurtu Wumpurrarni-kari Archive was created by the Warmungu community in Australia and is housed at the Nyinkka Nyunyu Art and Culture center.  It contains multimedia of cultural artifacts and documents.  The content is defined by parameters set my the Warumungu cultural protocols which set who can view and distribute the cultural knowledge.  This website contains information about the archive and  its future directions.

In the creation of the archive founding members communicating with:

Ara Irititja

Northern Territory Library

PARADISEC

Plateau Center for American Indian Studies

In the future the group hopes to develop:

• An audio component that allows audio tracks to be recorded on the fly and attached to content already in the database.
• Mapping capabilities
• Addition of public collections
• Robust installation package
• Production/remix functionality

Archive Image [Online Image]. (n.d.). Retrieved November 17, 2009, from Mukurtu Wumpurranri-kari website. http://www.mukurtuarchive.org/future.html

http://www.bcafn.ca/

The BC Assembly of First Nations (BCAFN) is a Political Territorial Organization (PTO) that represents the 203 First Nations in British Columbia. The BCAFN is inclusive in its representation including First Nations involved in the treaty process and those that have chosen not to engage. In addition, we also represent the modern and historic treaty First Nations of BC, which include the Nisga’a Nation, and the Douglas and Treaty 8 First Nations. An elected Regional Chief provides the political leadership and activities for the BCAFN, and this role is a three-year term, elected by the Chiefs of the First Nations of BC.

The BCAFN is a regional arm of the National Assembly of First Nations (AFN), which makes the Regional Chief an Executive Member of the AFN Executive Committee. The Regional Chief represents the regional concerns of the BCAFN constituents on the Executive Committee to ensure that regional perspectives are included in National political discussions and decision-making. The Regional Chief also holds specific portfolios that deal with national policy issues and concerns.(BCAFN, 2009)