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.

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)

http://www.secheltnation.ca/departments/sigd/index.php

This is the website for the Sechelt Nation (Shishalh).  What is historic about the Sechelt Nation is that they were the first aboriginal group to gain the right to self government.  What this means is that there is another level of government that exists, federal, provinicial and now Sechelt governmental.  The SGD (Sechelt Governmental District) oversees education, levy’s property taxes, recipient of provincial grants, service purchasing such as fire protection, sewer and the collection and remittance of provincial school taxes, regional taxes.  These funds are to support the Shishalh Nation as required.  They are also guarenteed a place on the local municipal council, the Sunshine Coast Regional District.

Ong, W. (1982) Orality and Literacy:  The technologizing of the Word. Routledge, London and New York.

I highly recommend this resource as it delves deeply into examining the differences between oral and literate based cultures.  The major critiques of the book centre around the literary deterministic tendencies of the book.  The author also states the incredible challenge of examining oral based cultures from the perspective of a literate researcher.  However the strengths of the book centre around providing the educational technologist a perspective on attributes and ways of thinking and remembering of more orally based cultures.  Understanding the differences can support and enhance instruction.

I have been researching how best to support my aboriginal students in my classroom.  Please find the enclosed  list of resources.

Chen, Ai Yen et al. (1999) Cultural Issues in the Design of Technology-Enhanced Learning Systems.  British Journal of Education. Vol 30 No 3 1999 217–230.

Towards Decolonizing the Pan-Canadian Science Framework
Glen S. Aikenhead
College of Education
University of Saskatchewan
Saskatoon, SK, S7N 0X1
Canada

Student Performance Data
and Research Tools to Ensure
Aboriginal Student Success
Heather Morin

Cross cultural science teaching:  Rekindling traditions for aboriginal students. Glen S. Aikenhead in Curriculum as Cultural Practice (2006)

Curriculum as Cultural Practice:  Post Colonial Imaginations.  Edited by Yatta Kanu (2006)