http://www.ricta.ca/

RICTA was established in September 2004 to work with Aboriginal communities, use ICTs strategically and creatively, build local capacity for research, facilitate Aboriginal participation, and to facilitate connection and trust among diverse members. Members include “more than 40 people working with universities, community research institutes, Aboriginal organizations, government and the private sector. Although a Canadian project, there are several non-Canadian institutions represented, including: University of San Francisco; Universidad Metropolitana, Mexico; New Jersey Institute of Technology; University of Vienna; and University of Missouri-Columbia.

The website currently lists five ongoing member projects, and 34 other projects nation-wide. Where applicable, project websites and contact information are included. Also useful is a bibliography of Canadian publications (1980-2005) related to research in ICT use in Aboriginal Communities.

Unfortunately, it appears that this website has not been updated since 2006.

http://www.3909.cupe.ca/In_A_Voice_of_Their_Own%5B1%5D.pdf

This article is essentially a review of the documentary video In Their Own Voices, by award-winning Aboriginal film-maker Coleen Rajotte. This documentary tells the stories of 26 Aboriginal community leaders and the barriers they overcame to achieve success.

The journey to overcome colonization is still ongoing, as many Aboriginal people still feel the effects of past injustices, such as residential schools and the false belief in the inferiority of their people and cultures.

Consequently, in order to heal from the damage of colonization a strong sense of community is imperative. There are many thriving Aboriginal organizations in the Winnipeg area that are working to rebuild collective identity and create pride in being Aboriginal.

Copies of  In Their Own Voices can be obtained from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives – Manitoba.

Virtual Tour of Aboriginal Canada
This site has a visual map search of indigenous populations across Canada. I read the news and hear about various bands but I can’t geographically ‘place’ them. With this site, the maps not only geographically place tribes but with click will open a new window containing specific tribal websites. Not all the links are work but most do.

I can now understand where all the aboriginal communities are in Ontario.

To me this looks like a well-maintained site, with a great deal of sources and it is visually appealing.

http://films.nfb.ca/ourworld/
(Link found on the Educational Resources page of the National Film Board website: http://www.onf-nfb.gc.ca/eng/education/)

The National Film Board of Canada has entered into partnerships with four First Nations communities to “give young First Nations people in remote BC/Yukon communities a chance to create web stories to tell the world about themselves, their home and their community.”

The Project Vision: “Our World is based on the concept of giving voice and inviting others to hear. The project aims to leave something behind that benefits both the individual and the community. By facilitating active communication and reception, we encourage positive social engagement. It is also about exposing young people to potential future career options by learning how to express themselves creatively with modern, digital media.”

The four current projects are:

1. Nuxalk Nation – Bella Coola, BC
   Stories: http://films.nfb.ca/ourworld/bellacoola/index.php
2. Teslin Tlingit Council – Teslin, Yukon
   Stories: http://films.nfb.ca/ourworld/teslin/index.php
3. DOXA – Connexions, BC
   Stories: http://films.nfb.ca/ourworld/connexions/index.php
4. GWES – Hazelton, BC
   Stories: http://films.nfb.ca/ourworld/hazelton/index.php

Each community has a great collection of digital stories (films, stories+audio) – all viewed so far have been narrated in a first language, with English subtitles.

David

http://www.wiky.net/

This is the website for a First Nations community located at the eastern end of Manitoulin Island in northeastern Ontario. “Wiky”, as it is affectionately known, is not too far from Sudbury and I have several good friends with strong connections to the community. I was interested to see the “primitivism” described by Prins (2002) evident on the homepage: visuals include a dancing youth fully-dressed for a powwow, braided sweet-grass and a logo consisting of the traditional medicine wheel with human, deer, bear and bird footprints, and four dangling feathers.

As a “community portal”, this site (dated 2005) provides links to:

• Wikwemikong Development Commission (updated within the past week)
• Wikwemikong Family Centre (updated in January 2009)
• Rainbow Ridge Golf Course (kept up-to-date)
• Wikwemikong Heritage Organization (takes you to a poster for an upcoming 2010 event, with further “primitivism” evident; site updated May 2009)
• Wikwemikong Public Library (broken link)

The links to the Development Commission and the Family Centre are in direct service to Wiky members. The Rainbow Ridge Golf Course appears to be an income generator for the community by attracting golfers from the wider region. The Heritage Organization’s main purpose appears to be promotion of heritage events such as the upcoming 50th annual Cultural Festival, both serving the Wiky membership and encouraging education and participatory cultural activities for natives and non-natives alike.

David