Module 3 Post 4: Curriculum Change in Nunavut: Towards Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit, Heather McGregor.

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McGregor, H. (2012). Curriculum change in Nunavut: Towards Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit. McGill Journal of Education. (47)3.  285-302

Though part of the required reading for this course, I am including this article in my weblog as it pertains directly to my research paper envisioning respectful and responsible place-based education within the contemporary model.  In the article, Heather McGregor briefly outlines the political climate in Nunavut, and history of curriculum change that has brought about the current iterations of educational policy and practise that privilege Inuit language(s) and culture.

Through extensive collaboration with parents, elders, education professionals and policy makers; and coming at an extensive cost in effort and financial resources, the curriculum development initiatives in Nunavut exemplify “the kind of place-based culturally-responsive and Indigenous-knowledge based educational change called for by Indigenous education advocates.” (p.289)  Furthermore, the process and product may be seen as successful examples upon which other jurisdictions may look.

McGregor cautiously identifies the significant Inuit population majority as reducing the constraints (p.290) to swift progress that may not be possible in the context of my research for educational change in more multi-cultural settings.  However this does not devalue the examples set forth in the article, it simply re-identifies an obvious obstacle to my purpose.  Nonetheless, I cam hopeful for a culturally blended and balanced learning experience that is inclusive of traditional environmental knowledge, experiential learning opportunities, Elders as teachers and caring between teacher and learner–all key aspects identified by McGregor (p.209-291)–without the requirement of Indigenous students to “give up or leave behind their rights, language, identities, histories and world views in order to participate” (p.288) and do not let “the formal system or [non-Indigenous] structures change those ways so much that they lose their meaning, and still prepare children to attain a standard level of education.” (p.295)

Of significant note, McGregor identifies that specific values and beliefs must be made explicit when reconceptualizing education, particularly when the majority of teachers are not Indigenous themselves.

Amnesty International

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Module #3, Post #5

http://www.amnesty.ca/our-work/issues/indigenous-peoples/indigenous-peoples-in-canada

For my last post this module, I came across the amnesty international website, which has a section specifically about Indigenous People in Canada. The write-up on this site briefly summarized much of what has been done to the indigenous peoples in Canada and how they have been wronged.

It also lead to a couple of other internal links about

  1. Idle No More Movement that has brought many people out to demand respect for the rights of Indigenous peoples.
  2. No More Stolen Sisters that outlines what has happened to the missing and murdered Indigenous women of Canada, which also leads to other links as well!
  3. Get Involved! that suggests you write a letter to Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

I think that this site has the ability to get outsiders and aboriginal peoples involved to contribute to further research on Indigenous knowledge, media, and community reality. I believe that in order for these contributions to happen, you have to get people involved!

 

Module 3 Post 3: Orality of the Northern Cree Indigenous Worlds, C. Weber-Pillwax.

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Weber-Pillwax, C. (2001) Orality of northern Cree indigenous worlds. Canadian journal of native education (25)2. 149-165

I turned to this article to explore the concept of orality and orality consciousness that I struggled with in the Friedel (2011) referenced in post one for this module.  E-mail discussion with Heather McGregor and Dr. Marker helped clarify, and post to was a recommendation by Dr. Marker, but I wanted to deepen my understanding further; this article was selected for that purpose.

Weber-Pillwax’s article connects well to the early modules of ETEC 540 where orality is explored, particularly through Ong’s (1982) work on orality as a (very) complex state of being, or consciousness, including thought patterns, ceremonies, story-telling, dancing and singing.  Weber-Pillwax builds on this definition and concurrently critiques Havelock’s (1986) analysis of the transition from primary orality to literacy to build an understanding of the northern Cree world-view and sense of identity rooted in orality, especially the understanding of and participation in traditional society and spiritual events–even if the language is not understood!

A significant portion of this article is dedicated to the English translation of “wihkotowin” and “macisimowin,” which are different ceremonies but both typically translated as “tea dance.”  The discussion of the translations is centred around “tea dance” for wihkotowin as an oral translation, because those requiring a translation could not fully understand the meaning held within the word and participation in the ceremony as outsiders, and “tea dance” for macisimowin as a literate translation, because it adequately describes what happens at the ceremony celebrating a special event such a as a birthday. A (better?) literate translation of wihkotowin would be “dance of the ancestors.”  This ceremony includes the opening of a bundle to signify the bringing into consciousness and the community, the spirits of those who have gone before, grandmothers, grandfather and ancestral spirits.

Off topic of my immediate reason for reviewing this article, but more directly aligned with my research paper, is the notable absence of a place-based identity, as so eloquently described in Basso’s work (see Module 3 Post 2).  Presumably, this is for two reasons.  The first is that the intention of the article was to elucidate orality, though I am not satisfied with this as my understanding is that place-based identity is so central to most Indigenous world views that it could not casually be omitted from any sense of identity.  The second reason, and one that I am more likely to believe, is hidden in the brief history of the northern Cree with which Weber-Pillwax prefaces the article.  In this history, she describes the elders’ fascination with a small turtle that she brought back from the city.  Though not native to the area, the turtle is an important part of the collective memory.  How did it get there?  The northern Cree people are part of a group of Cree that originated in Ontario and Quebec (turtles’ natural habitat) and moved west to Alberta, possibly with the fur trade, to displace the Blackfoot and Dene who inhabited the area first.  Because the northern Cree have not inhabited their current region for the 5000+ years that other Indigenous groups have lived in their traditional territories, their oral histories do not reference the land around them in the ways that others do.

Havelock, E. (1986) The muse learns to write: Reflections on orality and literacy from antiquity to the present. New York: Yale University Press

Ong, W. (1982) Orality and literacy. London: Routledge

Angela – Statement Connecting Blog to Research

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The inspiration for my blogroll topic came from a conversation I had with Iban tattoo artist Ernesto Umpie of Borneo Headhunters tattoo studio in Kuching, Malaysia. At the time I was coming to my own realizations about learning to make the traditional crafts of the Borneo tribes; even something as seemingly simple as basket weaving would take at least a year or two of living with a community to engage with the way craft is integrated into daily life.  Ernesto is one of the few artists left practicing the traditional tapping tattoo method. His studio is a small museum, dedicated to authentic Iban artefacts (those used in actual ceremony).

We struck up a long conversation, and I told him about my research endeavors to use the internet to teach crafts. His response was that it would be fine to teach technique, but there would be no way to pass on the cultural significance of making a craft. He became quite adamant about how there can be no community on the internet because there is no  way to guarantee honesty. These two points have directed my research interest in this course. For the blogroll I will explore the ways that the culture of Borneo indigenous craft has been and can be explored on the internet.

Angela – Module 1, 1~5

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1

http://www.vanishingtattoo.com/borneo_tattoos_1.htm

This article is written by anthropologist and tattoo specialist Lars Krutak. Tattooing and headhunting are a meaningful part of the Kayan or indigenous people of Borneo. Tribal lifestyle is threatened not by the social structure in Borneo, where countless ethnicities and tribes live peacefully on one land; they are threatened by the destruction of the rainforest. This article gives a great overview of some Dayak traditions, but does unfortunately not accredit individual tribes for their symbols, beliefs and practices.

 2

http://www.borneoheadhunter.com/main.php

Here is the website of one of the last tattoo artists to use the tapping technique instead of an electric device. I was lucky meet Ernesto, and we had a great conversation about educational technology which is the premise of my blogroll; he was adamant that the culture of a traditional craft cannot be related over the internet, only the technique. This turned the focus of my research to include community building amongst tribes. Ernesto collected “genuine” artefacts (ones that were actually used in ceremony for rituals such as headhunting) from his own Iban tribe, and will only use the tapping method for traditional designs from Borneo.

 3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8UZnJSERlw

This video from about 30 years ago shows an American travelling couple as the first Americans to visit a particular Iban longhouse. http://www.twogypsies.com/ Tribe members honestly share the details of headhunting with the inquisitive couple. I appreciate this documentation, as it was created openly as Don and Betty stayed as guests in the longhouse. Even though much of the final cut focuses on the sensational headhunting, footage of the people as relaxed, hospitable and with humour helps the spell the notion of savage that might arise with the label “headhunter”.

 4

https://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=F0L89Dcsxvw&feature=endscreen

Even further back in time, I like this video because as it shows some tender human moments, but also because it shows the songket weaving, Pua Kumbu, by one of the young girls.  The video does not list the tribe, it boasts itself as a vessel for time travel. One thing I appreciated about Sarawak (In Borneo) is that local people were very interested in this kind of slice of life from the history of the land’s people. Many places that I visited would frame old photos or other artistic renderings for the walls instead of more contemporary art.

5 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71zvcBH4AeU

This is a 50 minute documentary that follows two Canadian guys looking for traditional (tapping) tattoo artists in the jungles of Borneo. They learn how the practice cannot be separated from spirituality, community and the afterlife. They are joined by Lars Krutak, and become physically and mentally involved in the lifestyle of the Iban with a surprising ending. Actually, incredible.

 

Angela – Module 3, 1~5

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1

http://www.asianartnewspaper.com/article/art-borneo

This article briefs the effects that rainforest depletion has and will have on the value of tribal art coming from Borneo. While grave totem carving is the traditional contribution made by tribal males, the practice has become rare as advocates of modern religion see to the destruction of artefacts deemed ungodly. The sentence “Fortunately for collectors, the descendants of the region’s talented tribal carvers do not have the interest or the means to buy back their heritage” paints a bleak picture of historical pride among tribe members, as something to be dusted under the rug. This assumption is contrary to other sources that I have posted previously, which emphasized the continuation of tribal traditions. It also shows a colonial perspective of the value of art, which is increased by authenticity of atrocities committed to the culture and the environment, as does the ethnocentric analysis of the metaphysical significance of the tribal work. It does nothing to empower tribal artisans working to produce modern work using traditionally learned skills.

2 

http://allthingsborneo.blogspot.com/

This blog is put together by a Borneo-born Malay photographer, who provides some great information and images of some of the species of the forests of Borneo, as well as some information about the area itself. The author’s accounts seem experientially and locally compiled, and include translations to a variety of languages used on the island, including Malay and Chinese. The blog refers mostly to the non-human life indigenous to Borneo’s land, but serves as a great mediator between foreigners and the nature they flock to Borneo to visit, without the doomsday message that environmental media can often take.

 3

http://pisaukarat.wordpress.com/

This article is written in response to the Sarawak Dayak National Union’s reaction to this video http://www.globalwitness.org/insideshadowstate/ . The producers in the video pose as private investors to uncover how local officials are using foreign investment strategies to rob Malaysian people of their entitles share to land profits. Using phrases such as “one eyed man in the land of the blind” to describe villagers as naïve players in which they have no intellectual or financial resources to be any more than pawns. The SDNU’s demand for apology resonates from a fundamental attitude about ownership rights of the Dayak to the forests of Sarawak, Borneo. Pisaukarat uses Twitter to host his commentaries in Malay and English.

4 

http://www.sarawakreport.org/iba/news/

I include this link to this online news resource concerning the province of Sarawak in Borneo as it includes translation to Iban language, as well as Malay and Chinese. Making locally applicable news information available in the Iban tongue is an example of how language can be a catalyst for technology. Here is another example of Borneo indigenous language (Melanau) used to discuss culture http://melanaugirlonblog.blogspot.com/

5

http://www.rengah-sarawak.net/

This site provides information about how the indigenous of Sarawak can approach the government with land claim issues, including a free creative commons licensed e-handbook download, here http://www.rengah-sarawak.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/GUIDEBOOK-ON-RECLAIMING-SARAWAK-NCR-LANDS-IN-COURTS1.pdf

The step-by-step guides outlines what action communities need to take in order to battle with the legal system, and advises them on legal loopholes and tricks of the legal trade to be wary of. This is rebuttal to the attitudes reflected about the assumed ignorance of tribal villagers, as uncovered by the Global Witness video.

Face to Face Research – Mod 3 – post 5

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For the next three days I am at the COBL Summit. http://blogs.learnquebec.ca/wordpress-mu/cobl/The goal is to create a Canadian association for online and blended learning. We first met last year in Toronto – and have since met 3 times in New Orleans (at the iNACOL conference), Vancouver and in Edmonton. Through these meetings, we have met with a wide variety of educators with different perspectives. We have Christian private schools, First Nations schools, public school districts and more. A real blend of perspectives. Tonight I spent time with Howard Burston – Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre and Vince HIll with Credenda . We talked about Indigenous Knowledge as the foundation to future learning opportunities for all Canadians – First Nations and not. We briefly spoke about my project – comparing indigenous knowledge to emerging and cutting edge pedagogy and will discuss further as the week proceeds.

There was  A LOT of interest in creating content and online resources for Nunavut – I will need to check with Heather to see whom these great first nation online resources can contact.

It is important to not only learn from online resources for my project, but also to meet and hear the stories of indigenous educators in online and blended education. What a great opportunity!

 

 

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Module 3 weblogs

Weblog #1 – http://ijedict.dec.uwi.edu//viewarticle.php?id=970

This article discusses some of the ways to preserve traditions and cultures. This paper outlines the three phases necessary for a robust digital preservation, promotion and growth project: 1) Straightforward documentation of Indigenous traditions 2) Translation of Indigenous traditions into emerging technology and contemporary cultural modes of expression 3) Application of principles of Indigenous traditions to develop new technologies. This may be a good article for those who are pursuing a research project involving using media to preserve traditions and cultures.

Weblog #2 – http://www.culturalsurvival.org/ourpublications/csq/article/introduction-media-and-aboriginal-culture-an-evolving-relationship

http://www.culturalsurvival.org/publications/cultural-survival-quarterly/222-summer-1998-aboriginal-media-aboriginal-controlhttp://www.culturalsurvival.org/ourpublications/csq/article/introduction-media-and-aboriginal-culture-an-evolving-relationship

The above links are al from Cultural Survival. Org which is a website that focuses on preserving cultures within indigenous groups.  The website consists of articles, publications, and information about the many indigenous groups in the world.  There is an interesting article (the link is below) that discusses residential schooling in Canada.  (http://www.culturalsurvival.org/publications/cultural-survival-quarterly/canada/oh-canada)

Weblog #3 – http://www.mushkeg.ca/

This is Mushkeg Media’s website that has a listing of all of their episodes for the TV show “Finding the Talk”.  Many of the episodes focus on the loss of language, and feature aboriginal groups from different parts of the world such as Australia and New Zealand.  You unfortunately have to pay for these types of episodes, but there is also a listing of documentaries on the website that may be available through itunes or Netflix.  This at least provides an idea of the type of media that is being produced.

Weblog #4 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dz5FvG81rs0&list=UUZ0Z42xXJEIg1gQ6dYm05Cg

http://canadaworldyouth.org/apply/programs-for-aboriginal-youth/testimonials/

Above is a link to Canada world youth.org who ran a program for Aboriginal youth called “Canada World Youth’s Rising Spirits Program”.  The link for the You Tube video is above as well as the link to the Canada World Youth website.

Weblog #5 – http://www.isuma.tv/en/DID/tv/Iqaluit%20

This is a link to the new channel in Iqaluit’s cable system called Iqaluit Television.  The channel offers broadcasts in Inuinnaqtun and Inuktitut to maintain, enhance, revitalize, strengthen and promote these disappearing languages in the community.

Module 3 – Post #5 – TEK in BC

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TRADITIONAL ECOLOGICAL KNOWLEDGE AND WISDOM OF ABORIGINAL PEOPLES IN BRITISH COLUMBIA

This paper was written in 2000 by Nancy Turner. Examples of TEK are provided by the Secwepemc (Shuswap), Interior Salish and Kwakwaka’wakw and Nuu-Chah-Nulth peoples of the Northwest Coast. Many TEK topics are discussed, such as: knowledge of ecological principles, such as succession and interrelatedness of all components of the environment; use of ecological indicators; adaptive strategies for monitoring, enhancing, and sustainably harvesting resources; effective systems of knowledge acquisition and transfer; respectful and interactive attitudes and philosophies; close identification with ancestral lands; and beliefs that recognize the power and spirituality of nature.

Going though this valuable resource, there are many sections describing specific methods and knowledge that has allowed Aboriginal people live in a sustainable manner for years and years.

Here is an example of plant resource use: “Plant resource use was (and is) imbued with ecological knowledge and wisdom that take many forms. Contemporaneous life cycles of different species; seasonal signals such as position and size of snow patches on the mountains, or the arrival of the first snow in the fall; relative numbers of particular birds in a given location; flowering of certain plants; and productivity of certain berries: all of these provide indicators for people to know when to expect a salmon run, when the clams are ready to be dug, or when particular roots are ready for harvesting (Turner 1997b). Regeneration of individual plants also has been widely recognized. Pruning or burning of certain berry bushes, for example, was formerly a common practice, and resulted in long-term enhanced yields. Basketry materials, too, were and are managed and enhanced by focused cutting, pruning, and burning (Turner 1996)”

Module 3 – Post #4

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Linking Indigenous Peoples’ Knowledge and Western Science in Natural Resource Management (paper)

“This two-day event, held in March 2001, brought together 110 people to talk about both the  practical and theoretical aspects of linking Indigenous Peoples’ Knowledge (IPK) and Western science in natural resource management. Participants were from both native and non-native communities, and represented Indigenous knowledge keepers, scientists, resource managers, elders, and academics. The conference consisted of observing cultural protocol, presentations from diverse perspectives, structured workshops, and informal discussions.”

In 2001, this conference took place near the Shuswap. Many different people attended the conference, from environmentalists, policy makers, people working in resource management sectors, Indigenous experts, etc. The conference seeked to find out more about IPK and how it can be applied to resource management in BC. This document will help guide me in writing my final paper, especially with discussing how TEK/IPK is different from western science. For instance, Henry Michael speaks about the challenges to this conference in his opening introduction,

“I realize that there are risks involved in linking IPK to Western science. For example, there has not been a lot of trust built between Indigenous people and the natural resources sector. Researchers, policy developers, and government and industry personnel have historically been lumped together as being opposed to or exploiting Indigenous people and threatening their traditional land use rights. Risks are particularly great for Indigenous organizations that have sought to participate in integration activities and have to justify their work to their suspicious Elders”.

Another worthy quote from the introduction is this:

“Indigenous participants pointed out another risk during the conference discussion table sessions: the scientific community’s misunderstanding of how IPK fits in a Western scientific paradigm. People acknowledge the danger in seeing IPK as the same as Western science, and likewise, Western science is not IPK. This misunderstanding occurs when Indigenous intellectual property is treated as a commodity, another bit of knowledge that becomes part of a larger scientific database.”