It’s important for aboriginals to connect with one another so that they can speak with one voice on issues that are common to them all. Whether is here in Canada or somewhere else in the world, the digital divide has played an important role in bringing these aboriginal people closer together.

Aboriginal Connections is a directory that has multiple listings to various Indigenous websites from around the world. There are 967 listings and 16 categories for Canada alone.

Some of my more favorite categories include:
 Education (73)
 The Arts (152)
 Heritage and Culture (53)
 First Nations (129)
 News and Media (73)

Sites that interested me were:
 Aboriginal Children’s Circle of Early Learning a teaching resource site
 Haa Ai (Inuktitut for Look at This) a web messaging site
 Arctic Studies Center check out the Mask Exhibit
 Canada’s Digital Collections An impressive collection

This is a sampling of some of website oddities that I came across during my research on aboriginal languages. Neither of them deserved their own weblog necessarily but I felt compelled to include them somewhere because of the nature of the content found in each.

1. The Unified Canadian Aboriginal Syllabics is about a proposal put forward by the Canadian Standards Association concerning the development of a Universal Multiple-Octet Character Set. Apparently there’s been a dispute between various aboriginal groups over ownership over certain characters common to their respective language. I have included here because of its connection to aboriginal language (written).

2. The University of Calgary’s Linguistics Department has posted an Aboriginal Languages of Canada Map to show all the geographic location of every known aboriginal language family in Canada. It also provides some statistical information on the more well-known ones.

3. The federal government, through their Canadian Heritage website has information on their Aboriginal Languages Initiative Innovation Fund Pilot Project that maybe of interest to some. I would be interested in learning about any projects derived from this federal initiative so if you hear of any, please let me know.

First Nations Pedagogy

Indigenous communities around the world are creating programs of significant value to cultural preservation and indigenous empowerment.

Resources available:

• First Nations pedagogy, curriculum, education, and ways of knowing and being
• Curriculum development, Consultant and Writing services related to First Nations education and knowledge
• Theory:
  • Related to the unique and sacred tenets of First Nations pedagogy, education and Way of Life
  • Curriculum:
    • Examples, principles and services related to the development of First Nations governed,
    • Developed and implemented curriculum from K-12
    • Post-secondary, and continuing life-long education

Links to other sites:

Many interesting articles:

1. Indigenous knowledge and pedagogy in First Nations education
   1. Article by Battiste, M. (2002): extensive literature review with recommendations for the Indian and Northern Affairs Canada
   2. Long term strategies for institutional change in universities and colleges: Facilitating native people negotiating a middle ground.
      1. Bobiwash, A. R. (1999). Center for World Indigenous Studies

Usefulness for research on Indigenous knowledge, media, and community reality:

This site offers insights about “the ways of knowing, learning, and teaching inherent to the traditional methods of informal and formal aboriginal education.”

Address: http://firstnationspedagogy.com/index.html