A 180…by Velasquez

Module 2, Post 1

Call me crazy, but I’m going to switch gears.

After watching videos, browsing journals, and wondering what langauge/group I wanted to focus on, I decided to head back to what’s close to my heart: photography. I’m going to research photography (and photographs) in relation to aboriginal identity.

One theorist/critic whose work will help guide my research and my work is Theresa Harlan. She has this to say about photography:

“Creating a visual history – and its representation – from Native memories or from Western myths: this is the question before Native image-makers and photographers today. The contest remains over who will image – and own – this history. Before too many assumptions are made, we must define history, define whose history it is, and define its purpose, as well as the tools used for the telling of it. The intent of history is to help us keep our bearings. That is, to know what is significant and, most importantly, to teach us how to recognize the significant. What happens when history is skewed, or when we no longer have the same skills of recognition? We as human beings become disabled by the inability to distinguish what is real from what is not…” (1995).

Self-representation is, of course, at the heart of my work. The camera (and photographs) can be an empowering tool, but the camera (and photographs) can also be used to misrepresent. Add to this the current digital environment and the problems of misrepresenting others, of stealing cultural property and of cheapening and devaluing a cultural identity become much larger and more global in nature (no one can really control or police the internet). This is where I believe creative commons may play a role, but that’s something I’ll have to do a little more research on.

You can count this as my weblog #2, post 1 or maybe even my statement…though in all fairness I have gone in a whole other direction than what I was originally considering. So weblog 2, post 1 it is!

Languages are fun, but photography is something I hold in just as high esteem. The visual representation of a culture, to my way of thinking, is as important as its language. A photograph is like a small statement made by a person about something they saw and lived; or it can be as fictitious as the story of Jack killing the giant.

Module 2 – Weblog

Leave a reply

First Nations Technology Council (FNTC) http://www.fnbc.info/capacity-development

This Website provides information on province wide initiatives that focus on supporting First Nations communities with technology. Their focus will be on language, culture, education, health, economic development, governance, land a marine stewardship and more.

The First Nations Technology Council is working towards providing data services to First Nations at reasonable costs. This is in order to aid many BC First Nations groups that are in remote locations in which it is costly for reliable technology services.

They also provide computer training for Aboriginal people on and off reserves.

This website shows the initiative to incorporate and make technology accessible for Aboriginal people in remote locations. This may help my personal research as I am looking into the effects of BC’s New Education Plan in which they are trying to incorporate more technology into schools. With FNTC on board, perhaps this could be a good collaboration.

First Nations Schoolnet http://www.firstnationsnt.ca/

This site has many resources that are available for multiple research topics. The home page has a list of current articles and issues on the site. There are sample lesson plans, information on topics such as Government Canada providing programs to improve First Nation Education, as well as scholarship information for students.

There is a link that provides information about course content in the IT training academy which provides students with training for career-ready skills. There is also information for online lessons in IT for things such as PC Hardware and Software training. This site has a lot of content related to indigenous training in technology and how to implement technology in schools. Content from this site will be useful for my research project as it is about incorporating technology in schools and the effect it will have on Aboriginal students.

BC Action Plan – Incorporating First Nation Education Act http://actionplan.gc.ca/en/initiative/first-nation-education-act

This site is an information site for the incorporation of a First Nation Education Act that is planned to be in place for September 2014. This site offers insight about the Initiative, who will benefit and updates on the initiative. This site also provides information on what type of money the government is putting towards this initiative.

This will help my research as it will provide statistics that I can use in my writing.

Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada http://www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/eng/1100100033601/1100100033605

This site has a lot of useful information. On the left hand tabs, you can read about many different topics such as benefits and rights and economic development, but in particular I looked under the Education tab. This tab provides information on the First Nation Education act (which has extra information to elaborate from the previously listed website on my weblog) as well as Elementary/Secondary Education Programs, Post-Secondary Education programs, First Nation Education Partnerships and Agreements and more. Since my Research is in the secondary level for schooling, this site is very beneficial because it also provides links to First Nation Student Success Programs, publications and references, and National Program guidelines for 2013-2014. All of this information will be helpful for my research.

Aboriginal Education – Ministry of British Columbia Website http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/abed/

This again is a great site for information on Aboriginal Education in BC. The tab on the left that shows Aboriginal Performance Data is particularly helpful for my research as it has seven years of reports on Aboriginal Student performance in the BC public school system. This will help me discover possible trends in learning, and since technology is increasing, be able to see if there is a noticeable correlation of increase/decrease in performance levels of Aboriginal Students over these years.

Establishing a Presence Online:The Stó:lō Nation website

Leave a reply

The Stó:lō Nation website establish a community presence to provide services within the Stó:lō community. The various resources found within the site focus on education needs, human resources, health and elderly care, social development, and youth and early childhood services. The Stó:lō Nation website blends together the concept of moving forward in the 21st century to taking control of their own future with a need to understand and reconnect to their cultural heritage. The Stó:lō Nation website also provides an insight into the current issues surrounding ongoing land claims within their territories.

The link to the First Nations Education Steering Committee allows access to a provincial wide resource designed to steer education in the direction in the context that benefits First Nations across BC. I found the Aboriginal Tourism / link a mechanism to promote the individuality of First Nations a marketable community that provides and promotes First Nations culture on a global scale.

The reason I examine this site is to compare it to the Nisga’a government site, to see if any similarities and differences could be found. It also provides a glimpse into how each First Nations community is establishing a online presences that is unique to them

Website; The Stó:lō Nation http://www.stolonation.bc.ca/

Taking Control of Education: WILP WILXO’OSK WHL NISGA’A INSTITUTE

Leave a reply

The “WILP WILXO’OSK WHL NISGA’A INSTITUTE” (WWNI) website represents a community controlled educational institute that provides access to resources and information about quality post-secondary resources. In the mission statement, a reference is made to linking education to the “survival of Nisga’a language and culture.” Inherent in the WWNI website is the establishment of a community driven educational institute that provide accredited degrees and programs set in the context of the Nisga’a’s cultural identity. The WWNI website links its site to other University and educational institution in British Columbia, Alaska and Canada. The First Voices site helps First Nations in language teaching and cultural revitalization.

Jacob Mckay founding member of the Indigenous Adult and Higher Learning Association (IAHLA) and a Nisga’a hereditary chief stated that “Only by learning to share did the Nisga’a people flourish in our rugged and isolated corner of British Columbia. Today, we are forging full partnerships with other educational institutions in order to provide top quality, culturally appropriate post-secondary education to everyone who lives here in the Nass River Valley. Increasingly, we welcome students from other parts of the world as well.” My interest in focusing my project on the Nisga’a started when I read this statement. Central in Jacob’s statement is the importance of taking control of one’s own collective community identity. This is a central theme in my research project.

Webstie: WILP WILXO’OSK WHL NISGA’A INSTITUTE http://wwni.bc.ca/

Example of an National Online Presence: Questions of Validity

Leave a reply

The Assembly of the First Nations (ASFN) is an umbrella organization that represents all First Nations in Canada. The site provides resource for funding links for First Nations set against current press releases on all issues across Canada dealing with First Nations issues. This umbrella site is an excellent resource to start with when examining issues common to all First Nations across Canada, such as poverty and residential schools. The website acts as an informative dialogue into the current state of affairs and issues facing First Nations in the 21^st century.

The “Have Your Say” site provides a relevant real time platform for First Nations to discuss and interact with issues that are relevant to them. However, the website does not seem to be current, in the sense there is not information posted in 2013, with the last post in June 2012, and most of the information posted in 2011 when the site was published. Therefore, I would use this site as an example in my project to discuss the need to maintain a current presence online, as a website becomes subject to validity questions if not maintained.

Website: Assembly of First Nations Citizenship http://firstnationcitizenship.afn.ca/index.php/en

Resources on How to Establish an Online Presence

Leave a reply

The First Nations Technology Council is a initiative that supports First Nation Communities in British Columbia to use technology “in achieving goals in areas such as: language and culture, education, health, economic development, governance, land and marine stewardship and more” (First Nations Technology Council, 2013). The website is design as a community resource that brings provides a platform for each unique First Nations Community in BC to develop a presence online that represents their cultural identity.

This website provides evidence of the initiatives First Nations in BC are taking in using technology to clearly establish their own identity online, while connecting the past with the future on their own terms. Also, this website clearly provides a central justification in my project how First Nations in BC are using the internet to clearly define their sense of place in the 21^st century.
Project Raven is an initiative to provide computer training to First Nations communities across BC. Also, the First Nations portal site provides a rich set of resources for using technology to establish a presence online.

Webstie; First Nations Technology council http://www.fnbc.info/fntc

Nisga’a In the 21st Century

Leave a reply

The Nisga’a Lisims Government website clearly provides an unique insight into how they represent their cultural identity online. Although the home page, seems to be problematic as there is a YouTube video that blocks out the information, seemingly on purpose. However, the website provides a rich set of resources about Nisga’a culture, blended with resources ranging from legal aid to education information. The broad range of links within the site clearly demonstrates how a website can be used to provide a grounding of common identity within a community.

The examination of the menu bar with its various options creates a wide range of exploration. The cultural link set out the various beliefs unique to the Nisga’a, a link to languages, traditional law, and connects with their cultural today. This represents a moving forward to preserving and enriching Nisga’a culture. Furthermore, by using the social services link, it takes to a wide range of resources including k-12 and post-secondary education. In the post-secondary education, it provides information and links to educational opportunities, courses and funding. This clearly demonstrates how the Nisga’a are using this website to anchor their community to a prosperous future.

How the Nisga’a represents their sense of place through their website is central to my final project. Furthermore, by defining sense of place, my project will examine how the Nisga’a has blended the experiences of the past and the Internet to preserve and move their cultural forward in the 21st century. The link scholarships connects directly to a website with rich resources for post secondary education. The learning link within K-12 education site provides a rich set of resources for language and writing.

Sources:Nisga’a Lisims Government

http://www.nisgaanation.ca/

Researching Alternative HS Credit Programs – Mod 2 – Post 4

Leave a reply

The foundation of my project is to offer credit for learning. Not just regular “traditional learning” that can be done in any institution by any educator. Instead, I ‘m researching what options Alberta and BC already have to provide alternative courses and programs that are individualized enough for FNMI students that I learning in which credit can be acquired. I need to “uncover” the curriculum that best meets the needs of these students in the hopes that this will encourage them to consider other more traditional options.

In Alberta, there are CTS courses. There are a wide variety of credit courses that can be offered to learners based on outcomes that they are already meeting and exceeding. CTS courses can be found here: https://education.alberta.ca/teachers/program/cts.aspx

in BC, it is not as easy. In BC, there are two options: BAA Courses and Independent Directed Studies.

BAA courses were created by an educator, then passed through the school district board in order to meet the needs of the learners if the educators felt that the current curriculum did not meet the learners needs. Once approved, any school district in BC can use the course. These can be found here:
http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/datacollections/course_registry_web_search/search-result.php

Alternatively, IDS offers an individualized approach to credit for learning. Link: http://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/topic.page?id=A83BFC1275564C8E85146617D30BF2FE

Of the options, CTS courses, although already in a framework, provide a simpler method of credit for learning for the average educator.

To attain credit: The courses needs to be approved by a certified teacher through a certified school. That’s the next step….

Verena 🙂

CMEC on Aboriginal Education titled – Strengthening Aboriginal Success.

Leave a reply

Module 3 Post 1

The below link is to the summary report by the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada (CMEC) on Aboriginal Education titled – Strengthening Aboriginal Success.

http://www.cmec.ca/Publications/Lists/Publications/Attachments/221/aboriginal_summit_report.pdf

The report outlines how Ministers of education and of Aboriginal affairs; First Nations, Métis, and Inuit leaders; and federal government officials came together in Saskatoon to discuss and the topic of how to improve and strengthen education for Aboriginal students to narrow the gap in academic achievement between First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Canadians and non-Aboriginal Canadians.

The report discusses Learn Canada 2020, “a declaration aimed at improving education systems, learning opportunities, and overall education outcomes across Canada. Through Learn Canada 2020, “ministers of education recognize the direct link between a well-educated population and a socially progressive, sustainable society.”

Some of the themes at the Summit where

• Strengthening Aboriginal Language and Culture

• Enhancing Equity in Funding

• Increasing Access, Retention, and Graduation (postsecondary

education and adult learning)

• Sharing Responsibility and Accountability

• Planning for Transitions: Seamless Systems for Learners

• Reporting and Benchmarking Success: Data

• Providing Programs and Services

• Engaging All Partners in First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Education

Regards,

Greg Campbell

Weblog of Websites for Module # 2

Leave a reply

In this weblog, I decided to explore environmental issues relating to Indigenous people in Canada and management of these matters.

Website # 1: http://niche-canada.org/node/10509

This link is part of the Network in Canadian history and Environment website. It provides information on the history of the relationship between aboriginal health problems and environmental issues in Canada. It also discusses the impacts of colonialism, natural resource extraction and Indigenous-government relations. In addition to text-based information, the website provides an audio clip of a roundtable discussion by a panel of researchers, who examine these subjects in detail.

Website # 2: https://sites.google.com/site/atfeonline/

The Akwesasne Task Force on the Environment is a community-based Mohwak group that analyzes and manages ecological concerns, and aims to protect environmental resources. The website for this group provides information on the organization, the cultural history of Akwesasne, environmental contamination of Akweesasne and Mohwah and Iroquoian traditions. On this website, I found a link to the following useful website for the Environment Division of the Saint Regis Mohwak Tribe, which provides valuable information regarding the environment that is pertinent to their community: http://www.srmtenv.org/index.php.

Website # 3: http://www.fnhc.ca/index.php

This webpage provides information from the First Nations Health Council. The following is a valuable link that describes traditional medicine, particularly using environmental resources for traditional health practices and the resulting importance of preserving the environment: http://www.fnhc.ca/index.php/health_actions/traditional_medicine/. Another section of the website that is especially useful is the section on environmental wellbeing, which can be found through the following link: http://www.fnhc.ca/index.php/initiatives/community_health/environmental_health/. This section of the website briefly describes the significance of ecological health to the welfare of Indigenous people. In addition to those two links, the website provides electronic copies of the Spirit Magazine, which has articles that are relevant to the environment and Indigeneity.

Website # 4: http://www.fnen.org

This is the website for the First Nations Environmental Network, which is a Canada-wide non-profit organization comprised of Indigenous members. Its objective is to protect the environment and resolve ecological issues, in order to maintain and preserve Indigenous cultural traditions. Although the website has not been recently updated, the organization’s protocol, goals and vision have valuable information. They reflect traditional beliefs and practices, and provide insight into Indigenous cultural; for instance, their protocol dictates that members respect their animal relations and the offerings they provide, such as that the buffalo gives respect.

Website # 5: http://www.afn.ca/index.php/en

The Assembly of First Nations website provides current news regarding environmental issues that relate to Indigenous people, including videos, announcements and information bulletins. The Environmental Stewardship Unit is of significance and can be found at the following website: http://www.afn.ca/index.php/en/policy-areas/environmental-stewardship. This section of the website describes Indigenous connections to the environment, with details on Aboriginal culture, environmental policies and ecological problems provided through the links for earth, air, water and fire on that webpage.