Posts from — November 2010

http://eec.edc.org/cwis_docs/NEWS_ARTICLES_JOURNALS/marshall_james.pdf

JAMES D. Educational Philosophy and Theory, Vol. 32, No. 1, 2000

This site may not be appropriate for module #4 – however, I did think it was interesting and wanted to post the information.

This article examines the introduction of technology within the Maori people within the New Zealand curriculum framework. It highlights the nature of technology and the issues in implementing this paradigm within a Western idealized education system when dealing with the aboriginal people of New Zealand. The author highlights that there has been little to no  research done on the impact or nature of technology on aboriginal people or the resulting influence on the people and their culture.

http://www.ldb.org/indheal.htm

Lori A. Colomeda & Eberhard R. Wenzel

This site examines the indigenous cultures and the impact that the present day has on traditional lands and ways of life. It examines present day life on indigenous health and health issues. It compares indigenous education to the Western linear education system that is presently taught. Cultural contexts and values need to be taken into account when examining indigenous health and education.

http://www.esf.edu/nativepeoples/weaving.pdf

May 2002 issue of Bioscience

“Traditional ecological knowledge can be a source of new biological insights and potential models for conservation biology and sustainable development.”

This article calls for traditional ecological knowledge to be incorporated into curriculum to encourage participation from aboriginal people and increase collaborative relationships. It helps to recognize the contribution of traditional ecological knowledge on today’s society and educational system.

http://www.scidev.net/en/policy-briefs/raising-awareness-of-indigenous-knowledge-in-scien.html

“Over recent years, a greater awareness of indigenous knowledge has increasingly been linked to global sustainability.” This article highlights indigenous knowledge amongst science and technology education and recognizes indigenous knowledge within a scientific context. It highlights the impact of Western education on indigenous knowledge, and lobbies for a collaborative educational relationship.

http://www.ienearth.org/cits.html

“A network of Indigenous Peoples empowering Indigenous Nations and communities towards sustainable livelihoods, demanding environmental justice and maintaining the Sacred Fire of our traditions.” This site promotes education and awareness and mobilizes individual’s consciousness surrounding environmental issues. It has international support and recognition as it rallies behind environment and global issues.

I found the Aboriginal Healing Foundation while reading several research articles by Dr. William Mussell, one titled “Cultural Pathways for Decolonization” and another called “Warrior-caregivers: Understanding the challenges and healing of First Nations men.” The title of the latter reminded me about the Fraser River Journey film and Skyler’s father’s discussion about the importance of First Nations warriors and the warrior’s transition in modern culture. Several of Dr. Mussell’s articles are housed at AHF.ca.

The AHF has a very comprehensive and diverse board of directors and has received quite a significant amount of funding since its creation in 1998. More than $350 million in fact. Now it’s not exactly a $350 million website in terms of design and usability 😉 but the resources related to residential schools are particularly good and I recommend that anybody who is looking at residential schooling in more detail review the “residential school bibliography”in the publications section.

It is also interesting to note how important a role holism plays in mission statement of this organization. I must admit I hadn’t given much thought to the idea of holism before the start of this course but now find the idea playing a central role in my own everyday life.

Unfortunately, the foundation will be closed permanently in September 2012. Hopefully they will find a place to maintain these resources and keep them available to the general public.

While researching You Tube videos around the topic of Indigenous property rights, I came across a set of videos describing the Canadian Residential School experience. Although not directly related to this module’s topic, I had to include a couple of them. The second video poignantly illustrates the power of the technology. It is a devastating video to view.

Canadian Residential School Propaganda Video 1955:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_V4d7sXoqU&feature=related

Canadian Holocaust -Try Not to Cry:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqPIh-267fg&feature=related

The power of the Internet is undeniably strong and tends to be a first point of reference when trying to learn about anything. Whether or not that’s a good thing I don’t know but it’s a fact. I have been looking at many band websites over the course of this course and I’m happy to say that I think Haisla.ca is definitely on the right track. Like many websites it’s difficult to maintain especially when you’re first starting out but I think this site has great bones. You can see there’s multimedia capabilities, forum capabilities, a newsletter etc. There are also links to local artists and their work, the local Haisla-run radio station and its archives, as well as links to important documents pertaining to things like treaty negotiations. The news and events are kept up-to-date and there are specific calls to action such as youth events and Council meetings etc. It’s not perfect by any stretch but I myself think it’s wonderful to see the Haisla maintaining authority over this space in cyberspace.

The aim of the Hans Rausing Endangered Languages Project (HRELP) is to document endangered languages, train language documenters, preserve and disseminate documentation materials, and support endangered languages.

HRELP is based at SOAS, University of London, and consists of three programmes:

• The Documentation Programme (ELDP) is providing £15 million in research grants to document the world’s most endangered languages.
• The Academic Programme (ELAP) Teaches postgraduate courses in language documentation and description, and field linguistics. It also hosts post-doctoral fellows, researchers, visitors, and conducts seminars and training.
•  The Archiving Programme (ELAR) is preserving and disseminating endangered language documentation, developing resources, and conducting training in documentation and archiving.

For more information: http://www.hrelp.org/

Eye on the Arctic is an interesting website that has information on all of the northern Arctic countries. It is produced in partnership between various organizations in Canada, Denmark, Finland, Greenland, Norway, Russia, Sweden, and the United States of America. In addition to news articles and blog posts, the site includes a number of videos, audio clips and special reports.

What I found interesting as I surfed through this site is the perspective it offeres. The total focus on what is happening in the arctic around the world is an interesting one, as it is not something that generally gets much news coverage on a regular basis. The Eye on the Arctic site is up-to-date, well-written, and includes information on a variety of issues, including geopolitics, culture, society, the environment, and business.

You can sort any of these issues by the country you are interested in learning about. The site also includes an RSS feed option, and links to both Facebook and Twitter accounts. I think this site provides good context for discussing the ongoing, and increasingly important, issues in the Arctic.

http://eyeonthearctic.rcinet.ca/