Module #2, Post #5
This site is about the Sto:lo Nation Shxweli Language Program. It has information about the Halkomelem language, their vision to ensure the future of the language, learning materials for the language, and a history of the program itself.
Module #2, Post #4
http://www.native-languages.org/halkomelem.htm
This site is specifically about the Halkomelem Language as well. It is a site that leads to many other links and resources about the language and people. It contains a sections on the language, Stolo tribe culture and history, cowichan tribe culture and history, and Halkomelem Legends. Under the language section there are numerous outside links about learning the language from pronunciation and spelling, to dialect differences and orthography.
Some of the outside resources that the site provides are to encyclopedia articles about the language, news articles about the Sto:lo language in the classroom, and many others.
This site is valuable for those interested in learning the language and about the culture of the people who speak it.
Module #2, Post #3
http://www.firstvoices.com/en/Halqemeylem/words
I found this site when looking for examples of the Halkomelem language. The main site is hosted by First Voices which is a language archive celebrating world Indigenous cultures. The neat part about this site is that you can click on the word and hear it as well as see the English translation. I think that this site could be a nice starting point for people interested in learning the language. Learning the language is part of learning and preserving the culture.
This site provides links to traditional songs, stories, phrases, and games.
Module #2, Post #2
http://bwyse.ca/www.bwyse.ca/HOME.html
This site is hosted by Canadian Salish Aboriginal Language Artist: B. Wyse. Although the site seems non-educational at first, her navigation bar leads to an education link that features videos of the Halkomelem language of the Coast Salish people which has been on the brink of extinction.
Her site also includes links to other sites such as:
I found B. Wyse’s site useful because of the education section about the Halkomelem language. I found the videos quite interesting. It was inspiring to hear the Halkomelem language from fluent speakers and hear what they had to say about how if there is no interest in learning the language than their life would have no meaning. Through art, B. Wyse is trying to share and inspire people to learn the language. At the beginning of the first video, there was a quote saying “the language encapsulates the knowledge of culture… the spirit… the environment.” I think that this statement is very true and gives reason to why dying languages of Canada’s indigenous cultures need to be revitalized – to preserve the culture!
Module #2, post #1
http://www.universityaffairs.ca/fight-to-revitalize-canadas-indigenous-languages.aspx
Since my research topic is on the revitalization of aboriginal languages, I decided to start doing some searching to see what’s out there. I came across two sites right away: one from uvic about a language revitalization program certificate that they offer and the other from universityaffairs.ca
The second website had some very interesting information about Canada’s aboriginal languages and what is being done about them. There seem to be federally funded projects to help revitalize Canada’s dying (or dead) aboriginal languages.
This website connects to many other sites such as the First Peoples’ Culture Council and even government sites such as Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada.
As a language teacher, I understand that languages are a very important aspect to culture. Languages shape and define a culture. Even the English language adds cultures to its regions. England would not be the same if they spoke like those in parts of the US or Canada. The language, right down to the accent and dialect, gives cultures a special uniqueness. When reading through some of the optional readings in Module 2, I came across this quote: “Computers, video cameras and recorders can’t save languages; only people can do that,” says Penfield, “but technology can support revitalization efforts” (UA News Services, 2004). Therefore, I plan to research language revitalization using technology because I believe that technology can help revitalize languages in aboriginal communities and feel that it is important to do so.
I plan to investigate languages that are close to my area in hope to give my own Aboriginal Support colleagues a way to reach our students. I feel that if I focus part of my research on helping those whom I work with and teach, I will be able to see and feel an impact. My essay may include themes such as revitalization efforts in Canada/BC, Languages in my area that are spoken and how they are being revitalized, and technology that can enhance and support language revitalization.
References:
UA News Services. (2004). Professor Uses Technology to Preserve Tribal Languages. Retrieved from http://uanews.org/story/professor-uses-technology-preserve-tribal-languages
Module #1, post #5
http://www.cbc.ca/news/interactives/map-aboriginal-language/
The word interactive is what drew me to this site as well as the concept of languages since I am a language teacher and feel that language is a key component to cultures. However, this site is only informational and does not allow to hear or see the written language. It’s a great site for statistics. The site also does not lead to any other aboriginal related sites. All other links lead to general CBC webpages.
Module #1, post #4
Provided by tourism BC, this site offers links to arts & culture, aboriginal hospitality, and outdoor adventures! This site was appealing because it offers a way to view BC through aboriginal eyes as opposed to the general public. It offers a way to see BC in another way and experience it. I specifically enjoyed a link that takes to Our Story Your Experience which is a collection of stories told by BC’s First Nations and Métis. Through my learnings about aboriginal culture, I have learned that story telling and the sharing of these stories is central to their culture.
Module #1, post #3
http://www.canada.gc.ca/aboutcanada-ausujetcanada/arts/aboriginal-autochtone-eng.html
This site, provided by the government of Canada, leads to many other sites that are relevant to this module’s hot topic of culture. One of the links that was especially appealing to me was the virtual museum of Metis history and culture because of its resources and documentation of actual celebrations and games. I think that this site leads to important concepts that have been discussed this week regarding culture and heritage.
Module #1, post #2
http://libguides.uvic.ca/content.php?pid=63504&sid=1402424
This site is a place for finding First Nations educational materials online and in the Curriculum Library collection at UVIC. This particular site has a plethora of resources available and looks to be quite useful! Some of the main resources available are:
This site is quite useful for research in indigenous knowledge, media, and community reality because of the many resources available as well as different types of information. There however, some links that do not work any more.