http://www.aved.gov.bc.ca/aboriginal/

This is a group of pages within the home site for the “Ministry of Advanced Education, Innovation, and Technology and Responsible for Multiculturalism”.

I went to this site because I wanted to determine what the BC government’s official approach to the use of technology in Aboriginal Education was, and I wanted to see if that approach was sensitive to the concerns raised in Module 1, about technology posing a threat to indigenous cultures. The site states that they “help address challenges and barriers faced by Aboriginal students, provide resources for educators that support Aboriginal students, and support training programs that increase the skills of Aboriginal people”.  The site was helpful in showcasing the government’s programs and initiatives related to Aboriginal Education, and provided links to other involved ministries. However, everything that I saw was related to the promotion of technology education for Aboriginal people; there was no presence or voice that suggested moderation or specific cultural protections. I did find one interesting document though; that indicated consultation with the Aboriginal people of BC: http://www.aved.gov.bc.ca/aboriginal/docs/MoU.pdf  It is a brief document, signed by 13 Chiefs, council leaders, and politicians. It’s a scan of an original document, worth looking at just to see the different signatures and the groups they represent, all united together on one page with a shared commitment to creating “improved levels of participation and success for Aboriginal learners in post-secondary education and training in British Columbia”.

Alana