As I listened to Dr. Lee Brown speak of the medicine wheel and the importance of working with aboriginal students’ with a focus on emotions first, I am reminded of a speaker I encountered early on in my career as an alternative education teacher. I had the opportunity to meet and speak with Dr. Martin Brokenleg, a Lakota professor from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, many years ago and I am eternally indebted to him. I was moved by his speech all those years ago, and by his profound book, Reclaiming Youth At Risk, as well. Brokenleg is a founding member of the Reclaiming Youth International organization with Larry Brendtro and Steve Van Bockern.
Their “Circle of Courage” model is one of youth empowerment and is founded not only on current research in learning and youth development but also on native philosophies of caring for children. It uses the image of the medicine wheel and includes four core values: belonging, mastery, independence, and generosity. The model believes it is essential for each individual to experience and achieve these four values but more importantly, that the community must play a key role in ensuring that each of these values are attained, not only to empower the youth but for the betterment of the community as well. I refer to their book and their model often in my practice; it provides an excellent foundation when working with aboriginal youth at risk, scratch that, any and all youth!

The Canadian Council on Learning published research findings in 2009, “The State of Aboriginal Learning in Canada: A Holistic Approach to Measuring Success”.
http://www.ccl-cca.ca/ccl/Reports/StateofAboriginalLerning.html
This model for measuring success was created in consultation with Aboriginal learning experts across Canada and is modeled on a holistic, life-long learning framework. The framework has three components: Sources of Domains of Knowledge, Lifelong Learning Journey, and Community Well-Being. The great thing is that this model does not compartmentalize or limit learning to the school environment, but rather considers learning opportunities that occur outside the school setting and across the life span. This holistic, community-based model of learning and measuring success is such a great model I think it is valid for all, not just our aboriginal students. Check out the flash animated, interactive model as well.

The website www.firstvoices.com aims to archive Aboriginal languages across Canada. This website enables visitors to listen to recordings of archived words and phrases of different Aboriginal Languages. A partner website www.firstvoiceskids.com provides a younger audience with pictures that can be clicked on in order to a recording of the name of what is pictured.

The First Nations Technology Council has a website which can be found at http://fnbc.info/fntc. The purpose of this website is to act as a supportive portal for the integration of technologies into B.C. Aboriginal life. The goal is that technology can be used to improve Aboriginal quality of life. This website has a page titled “Youth Café” in which Aboriginal youth can display projects they are working on which incorporate technology with traditional aspects of their culture.

The complementary website to this first site can be found at http://www.sfu.museum/time/en/enter/ (follow the “A Journey to a New Land” link). This intention of this website is to provide a more “scientific” perspective of First Nations’ history. SFU museum links to this website and prefaces it by writing “Contemporary archaeologists view First Nations as partners and value oral traditions as a source of information about the past that augments the scientific approach”  (cite http://www.sfu.museum/time/en/enter/, 2009). This website also provides flash images and videos. Some of the videos include professors discussing such subjects as early plant life on Haida Gwaii.

Simon Fraser University has created two complementary websites, which provide technology based Aboriginal cultural experiences.

The first of the two websites can be found at www.xaytem.ca (follow the SFU link at the bottom of the page). This website was created by SFU staff and Xá:ytem  Longhouse staff.  Xá:ytem is a Longhouse in Mission, B.C. which is open to visitors. The intention of the site is to provide both an artistic and cultural interpretation of historical Sto:lo traditions and practices. The website is part of the Virtual Museums of Canada and it provides lifelike interactive flash images depicting a traditional Sto:lo community. The website also features many audio and video clips which involve such things as stories told by elders and video instructions for traditional weaving.