Category Archives: Module 3

Certificate in First Nations Studies Research ( Allen – Module 3 #2)

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Throughout Module 3, we’ve been asked approach indigenous research cautiously, and warned of how traditional academic research techniques might not work.

During searches “research tips for First Nations studies”, I discovered that Simon Fraser University offers an entire certificate program on First Nations Research Studies.

Certificate in First Nations Studies Research

“The certificate is well suited for aboriginal individuals who wish to gain an understanding of native issues and social research skills which can be put to use in their communities and nations. The certificate is also open to non-aboriginal students.”

There seems to be a program for just about anything these days.

National Film Board Teacher Resources for Colonialism and Racism (Allen – Module 3, #1)

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Image Source: National Film Board

There appear to be numerous blogs about decolonization, many which are directed towards a lack of empathy and understanding by the offspring of these colonial settlers. After viewing several, it seemed like a lot of them offered little in the way of promoting healing.

The need for  a sense of decolonization might be a difficult concept to grasp without an understanding of colonialism.

Teachers have the ability to share perspectives that promote views in more critical and thoughtful ways. The National Film Board’s web site has catalogued a number of films which offer students with different perfectives on the effects of colonization.

National Film Board Teacher Resources for Colonialism and Racism

UBC Office of Research Ethics

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Like any post-secondary institution conducting research, UBC has a department or an office that provides information and guidance about research ethics. At UBC it is the Office of Research Ethics. Knowledge about research ethics is particularly important while planning for research that involves human subjects. The UBC ethical standards align with Canada’s national guideline on ethical research called: Tri-Council Policy Statement on Ethical Research Involving Humans.

Research involving human subjects at UBC must follow Policy #89 which mandates research must be approved and overseen by a sanctioned Research Ethics Board. UBC has several Research Ethics Boards, and it appears that research with indigenous people or indigenous communities would fall under the UBC Behavioural REB.

This site also provides links to answer the following questions:

Indigenous Rights in the News

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Indigenous cultures view of themselves IS heavily influenced by the perceptions of the dominant culture – the Western mainstream capitalistic culture – paving the way and deciding which interpretation is considered “true” in their eyes – and indigenous people follow suit and end up becoming / behaving the way they are viewed! What a cycle of perpetual mayhem! At least there is hope as Smith (1999) reminds us – hope in different ways!

In my Module 3 blog post searches I found a couple different videos and websites from different parts of the world about Indigenous rights and the role of media and community reality and how Indigenous peoples are still fighting to be acknowledged and have their basic rights acknowledged. I found a couple short videos of a news clips reporting on the UN accusing Australia of the embedded and entrenched racism of the past remaining in their current daily lives and the dominant culture, again Western mainstream capitalism, of the north of Australia (specifically noted in this clip) continues to perpetuate this racism and discrimination towards Indigenous communities. They discuss the fact that Indigenous peoples are still fighting for their basic human rights including becoming part of the health system, justice system, etc. These clips showcase exactly how common these issues are to appear in the news and that these issues of the past are still alive today!

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yrKwNrv0Ws&NR=1[/youtube]
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8y9FEfIi88&NR=1[/youtube]

Globalization & Autonomy

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Indigenous Perspectives on Globalization: Self-Determination Through Autonomous Media Creation

Globalization and Autonomy – Website

This website is a great resource for Module 3’s theme of Indigenous Knowledge, Media and Community Reality. It is well designed, aesthetically pleasing, user-friendly, easy to navigate, includes 2 different menu bars. On the right it is a glossary of terms and on the left it is divided into Topics, Quick Links and More Information. It has great number of links to topics about many different aspects of Indigenous peoples and their cultures including common topics such as: Community & Identity, Culture, Democracy, Global Governance, Indigenous Peoples, Property Rights, Technology, Trade and Finance, and World History. It also addresses colonialism and Indigenous history (for a variety of different communities and Indigenous cultures)! This site also ties in well with my topic of Elders and Technology and closely correlates with our Module 2 discussions of stereotypes. This site does a great job of addressing different types of Indigenous rights and communities and their identities. Excellent information found here, this site will be one that I will use and reference in the future for sure!

Australia – Indigenous Affairs Master Class

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Since we’ve had lengthy discussions lately about the World bank and it’s destructive efforts (behind the scenes), I thought I would include some positive examples that I found! The National Australian Bank is making efforts to acknowledge Aboriginal rights! Check out the two videos – two very different focuses – but both seem to be very uniquely positive!

NAB’s Indigenous Affairs Master Class – Terri Janke
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmRoEi7Mqos[/youtube]

Terri Janke deals with artwork Copyright. Where are you taking my art – beyond its cultural settings? Lots depends on whether or not they will allow their Indigenous Knowledge to become public knowledge, make it available and then it exists that breach of copyright happens and Indigenous art and Knowledge needs to be protected from the commercialization of culture – so this poses challenges. She speaks of copyright to protect Indigenous artists and talks about communal artwork and cultural expression – what is the artwork representing and who does it belong to?! However, Copyright tends to be more focused on individual rights vs communal, tribal, historical cultural expression and rights –Indigenous artists connect their works to their cultural stories and these connections are essential for Indigenous artists / peoples.

NAB’s Indigenous Affairs Master Class – Dr Chris Sarra
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxEQSxwQnXE&NR=1[/youtube]
Dr. Chris Sarra talks about the role of the NAB institute in Australia, their work and how they are making strides in the education system to improve education for Aboriginal children. He talks about perceptions of the public and teachers of Aboriginal children and talks about the struggles Aboriginal students face regarding the typical stereotypes they are related to and they sometimes end up becoming unless teachers prevent this so that schooling can be a positive experience for Aboriginal and Indigenous children.

Another awesome video (Ted Talks) about Chris Sarra’s efforts: TEDxBrisbane Chris Sarra – All you need is…. TO DREAM
This is a very inspiring and uplifting video! From the two videos, I’ve come to believe that Chris Sarra is an excellent mentor and example of what can be accomplished by an Aboriginal if they believe in themselves and go for their dreams – sending a huge message of hope for Aboriginal children! He talks about the crucial role of the teacher furnishing or stifling dreams!
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPOFPgIpGdY&feature=related[/youtube]

These videos and others like them that I’ve uncovered will make excellent additions to the research I’ve collected about my topic on Elders & Technology & the many dimensions that encompasses including how Elders relate to the youth today.

Social Justice & Human Rights

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SOCIAL JUSTICE & HUMAN RIGHTS: MICHAEL ECKFORD aka ANDERSON

In my searches I found a great little video about the need for improved social justice and human rights in Australia. Michael Eckford, an Aboriginal, aka Anderson, describes Australia as a country that has merged in to a culturally diverse country but this could be seen as actually returning to its former multicultural state prior to European & British invasion. Cultural and ritual tolerance as with multiculturalism, there are many different cultural groups that have different ceremonies, traditions and rituals and there are protocols set in place. Talks about how there needs to be new laws created to address the multiculturalism in Australia since many other ethnic and Indigenous groups from Asia, Europe, Africa, etc. have immigrated to Australia and now call it home. He stresses the need for greater tolerance and no acknowledgement of racism via the radio, newspapers or other media.
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptN00Q1frFw[/youtube]

Another interesting video caught my eye on this topic. A Maasai Elder, Ole Suya from Simanjiro, speaks on IPR’s.

Maasai Elder on Intellectual Property Rights (English)
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5f7eSOoM6yM[/youtube]

These videos and others like them that I’ve uncovered will make excellent additions to the research I’ve collected about my topic on Elders & Technology & the many dimensions that encompasses.

Academica Group

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Academica Group is a Canadian based research and marketing consultancy focused on post-secondary education. They conduct research, and highlight trends for post-secondary institutes to help them map out the changing roads ahead. They provide a free subscription service called Top Ten, a daily news brief. Many post-secondary institute leaders, managers and administrators subscribe to this service for daily updates. I have been scanning the daily updates of Top Ten for a while and have noticed since starting ETEC 521, that there is a fair amount of news related to indigenous education in Canada. Here are some recent news items that came up with the following search terms:

First Nations:

Aboriginal:

Indigenous:

Native:

Inuit

Metis:

My favorite part of the Academica site is the work of Ken Steele, Senior Vice-President, Education Marketing. Ken does a roadshow and if you ever have the chance to see one of his presentations on the future trends in post-secondary education, it is well worth the time spent. Ken has U-tube channel where he gathers higher education commercials and lip dubs including UBC’s LipDub. Many of these commercials are thought provoking including Ontario Colleges Obay commercial.

Nanisiniq: Arviat History Project

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[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQSknLrmRoU&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

Nanisiniq: Arviat History Project

This website is an excellent example of indigenous Inuit attempting to preserve their own culture themselves, through the use of technology.  They have used Tumblr to post their work.  There are a great number of images and videos, lots of multimedia, used on the website.  Interestingly, their work is done in conjunction with some UBC faculty and graduate students.

In their own words, here is what the Arviat History Project is all about:

‘The Nanisiniq Arviat History Project is a joint venture involving youth and Elders in the Inuit community of Arviat, located on the southwest side of Hudson Bay, Nunavut. The project is co-ordinated in Arviat by Tamar Mukyunik and by Professor Frank Tester of the School of Social Work, University of British Columbia.

For decades, Inuit Elders have expressed concern about the knowledge Inuit youth have of their own social history and culture. This project brings together Inuit youth and Elders in an exploration of their history and culture from an Inuit point of view. The progress of the project and the insights and discoveries of Elders and youth are documented on this website. Elders and youth are also filming their experience and interviewing, not only Elders in their community, but Qablunaat who came north in the late 1950s and 1960s, a period of phenomenal change among Aviarmiut.

In about 10 years the Inuit of Arviat went from tents and igloos, land-based camps and a predominantly hunting culture, to living together in the settlement originally known as ‘Eskimo Point’ and now called Arviat. This is possibly the fastest rate of change for any group of Indigenous people, anywhere in the world, in all of recorded history. The impacts on culture, physical and mental health, social relations and well-being have been dramatic.

Join us in a journey of discovery, documented by Inuit youth,  Elders and researchers on this website.’

Mutna,

Team Nanisiniq

UBC Aboriginal Portal

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UBC has an Aboriginal Portal that provides information about anything Aboriginal at UBC. The landing page has a welcome video from Larry Grant, Musqueam Elder, Resident Elder at UBC First Nations House of learning and Adjunct Professor in the First Nations Language program. Of particular interest to module three, are the research pages. This includes current faculty, student and community research projects. The site also has access to the Xwi7xwa Library; the only dedicated Aboriginal branch of a university library in Canada.

The faculty pages include Bios of all UBC Aboriginal Faculty members including Michael Marker in the Faculty of Education. Hey Michael, you don’t have your picture posted.