Posts from — November 2012
Indigenous Communities & Technology
Module 4.
1. Indigenous Perspectives on Globalization: Self-Determination Through Autonomous Media Creation. The site title above is self-explanatory. This is a site which gives information on the challenge experienced by indigenous communities and the powerful influence of technology. Here is an excerpt;
“Media creation today is more powerful than ever before because of the far-reaching influence of new technologies intricately connected to the forces of globalization. There have been astronomical advances in the area of satellite technology and telecommunications making the world seem smaller by enabling the citizens of the globe to communicate through various media on a level never before known. While these technological advances present new opportunities for Indigenous communities to build platforms for autonomous media representation, the realities of accessing significant telecommunications technology and airtime is the challenge.
http://globalautonomy.ca/global1/summary.jsp?index=RS_Tabobondung_MediaCreation.xml (Retrieved, November 7, 2012)
2.This is a great site. It presents information on traditional knowledge and culture in indigenous communities.
“The Traditional Knowledge Information Portal has been developed in order to promote awareness and enhance access by indigenous and local communities to information on traditional knowledge, innovations and practices relevant for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity. (http://www.cbd.int/tk/. Retrieved November 7, 2012)
3. The Aboriginal Media Lab is an excellent example of the use of technology by Aboriginal people.
“Reflecting on the traditional role of storytellers and artists in our communities, the Aboriginal Media Lab merges art, scholarly research and media to contribute to the strength of Aboriginal cultures and to help build inclusive communities, where all individuals are valued and have the resources to live creative, purposeful lives. The Aboriginal Media Lab provides environments to foster innovation in the area of academic research, media exploration and community-development.
The AML promotes understanding of Aboriginal knowledge by encouraging Aboriginal-based ideas, research methodologies and new media tools ensuring we all have a stake in how our knowledge is maintained, reframed, seeded, grown, asserted and shared. Through think-tanks, research projects, new media experiments, media productions, journals and other means of exchange and communications, the Aboriginal Media Lab (AML) seeks to inspire new relationships in the production and analysis of Aboriginal knowledge, history and media”
(http://www.aboriginalmedialab.com/web/. Retrieved November 7, 2012)
4. The site below is a very interesting one. It allows aboriginal communities to save their collected information such as maps of land, diagrams etc.
The acronym LOUIS means: Land Occupancy and Use Information System
‘Indigenous communities in Canada have produced thousands of cultural reports and maps over the past 40 years that endeavour to show the ways in which their territories are critical to their survival. All too often, once reports or maps have been used for their immediate purpose they are lost or forgotten and the community never benefits from that research again. If information is lost or difficult to access, the result can be the repetitive and unnecessary gathering of the same information.
LOUIS is a new tool that allows any community to easily bring together all of its cultural research – both text and maps – and archive it in a single, secure format to ensure information is accessible and usable, and nothing is lost”
(http://aproposinfosystems.com/products/louis/ Retrieved November 7, 2012)
5. The site below is another great example of the use of technology by Indigenous people.
“As indigenous peoples around the world face extreme climatic events that threaten their livelihoods and well-being, responses that stem from indigenous knowledge, experiences, wisdom and world views are urgently needed. The Indigenous Peoples’ Bio-cultural Climate Change Assessment Initiative (IPCCA) has emerged as an innovative response, bringing together indigenous knowledge and science in a process which links bio-cultural realities with complex global processes. Use of bio-cultural methods and tools involve communities from around the world in the assessment of climate change and local well-being and the development of evidence-based responses for climate change adaptation. We believe that indigenous adaptation processes must continue nurturing bio-cultural diversity in order to build resilience and better respond and adapt to the changes we face” ( http://ipcca.info/ Retrieved, November 7, 2012)
November 7, 2012 No Comments
Preserving Indigenous knowledge with the use of Technology
Module 3
On reading Learning Module 3 and venturing on the www.worldbank.org/afr/ik/what.htm site, I saw where Indigenous Knowledge (IK) is being used in many African countries with positive results. I wanted to know how IK is applied here in North America and what the reactions of Indigenous people are. So I decided to do research on IK here in Canada. Below are some of the sites I found.
1.The site below is the Aboriginal Education Research center which offers a variety of information on the development and achievements on IK in Canada.
“Educational Decolonization is a key activity of the Aboriginal Education Research Centre. Through the development of innovative research projects with diverse partners, AERC is exploring many facets of Aboriginal education as it develops vibrant ethical dialogic processes and results that contribute to increased success for Aboriginal learners” (http://aerc.usask.ca/ Retrieved November 7, 2012).
Below are the objectives and achievements of the AERC.
The Aboriginal Education Research Centre (AERC) at the University of Saskatchewan emerged as a response to the College of Education’s desire to create and coordinate research activity concerning First Nations, Métis and Inuit education. Established as the number one developmental priority in the College of Education’s 2003-2007 Integrated Plan, AERC seeks to achieve the following goals:
•Research and study the needs of Aboriginal student populations, successful pedagogy and practices, and experimental methods to assist in shaping future policy and directions of provincial and band schools;
•Improve the educational capacity of schools to retain and meet the needs of Aboriginal students, while improving the knowledge and sensitivity of other students and school staff to Aboriginal Peoples;
•Develop supportive partnerships with Aboriginal communities, Elders, institutions and organizations;
•Build local and Canadian capacity to value and learn from the knowledge and educational practices of diverse Aboriginal Peoples;
•Mobilize knowledge and practices among educational institutions through dialogues, conferences, publications and electronic resources on Aboriginal education;
•Develop research activities as decolonizing sites to improve Indigenous education across disciplines, across Canada and internationally;
•Dialogue with Aboriginal communities to develop collaborative protocols and practices for ethical research, learning and teaching;
•Support and enrich graduate students and faculty in scholarly interests and research in Aboriginal education;
•Create local, provincial, national and international partnerships with other pre-eminent universities and groups.
AERC offers synergistic activity around Aboriginal education through respectful dialogues with representatives of diverse Aboriginal organizations and communities. Collaborative partnerships include scholars, students, Elders, and others who wish to address transformative educational theory, policies, practices and praxis. AERC activities are intended to improve education experiences of Aboriginal Peoples, as well as broaden research capacity in the College of Education. (http://www.ccl-cca.ca/ccl/aboutccl/knowledgecentres/AboriginalLearning/AboutUs/index.html. Retrieved November 7, 2012)
2.The site below is organized solely by first Nation people for the enhancement of education among First Nation community.
Below are the objectives of the Consortium:
The First Nations Adult Higher Education Consortium (FNAHEC) is composed of ten Indigenous colleges and institutional members in the provinces of Alberta and Manitoba. FNAHEC is founded on the premise that it is First Nations people’s own infrastructures and mechanisms that will comprehensively address the development needs of constituent First Nations through the promotion and enhancement of respective cultures.
Since the founding of FNAHEC, members have collectively or individually established linkages and partnerships with Aboriginal groups and various other agencies and institutions (both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal) that focus on Aboriginal learning. FNAHEC has also reached out to establish relationships and affiliations at the international level, for example with the American Indian Higher Education Consortium and with the World Indigenous Nations Higher Education Consortium and its Board of Affirmation (Accreditation).
Members of FNAHEC have been directly involved in education conferences and other major Aboriginal events. For example, FNAHEC hosted the 6th World Indigenous Peoples Conference on Education (WIPCE) in 2002, which was attended by 3,500 people from 26 countries. These various initiatives have contributed to the design and implementation of programs, courses and services to address some of the remaining gaps identified.
Members of FNAHEC have also taken the civic responsibility to offer a wide range of workshops and seminars which address the needs of all learners, including Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal learners. It is important to FNAHEC that the initiatives of the Aboriginal Learning Knowledge Centre mesh with those of FNAHEC as a vehicle for knowledge exchange, when promoting standards of excellence and also when contributing to the effective resolution of Aboriginal learning issues. As such, the Knowledge Centre’s strategic plan reflects the objectives toward which FNAHEC strives. (http://www.ccl-cca.ca/ccl/aboutccl/knowledgecentres/AboriginalLearning/AboutUs/index.html. Retrieved November 7, 2012
3. I found this site from the Government of Canada out lining the differences between western knowledge and indigenous knowledge. The site also has a very interesting graph showing the factors influencing traditional knowledge and western knowledge. The site also has various links such as:
■Why Protect Traditional Knowledge?
■How to Protect Traditional Knowledge
■Limitations of the Intellectual Property Rights Regime in Protecting Traditional Knowledge
■International Initiatives to Protect Traditional Knowledge
http://www.parl.gc.ca/content/LOP/ResearchPublications/prb0338-e.htm (Retrieved November 7, 2012)
4. This is another very interesting site from the Heritage department of Canada giving information on Indigenous Knowledge. It also has many links to information on the endeavors of indigenous people in using their traditional knowledge and sharing with the western society. Below is an excerpt from the site:
“However, Indigenous Knowledge is not confined to knowledge of the physical sciences. It is spiritual as well as ecological and embraces ways of knowing that are sometimes characterized as cultural or artistic. Viewing Indigenous Knowledge through categories such as art, science or culture, however, tends to fragment its inherent unity. As Greg Young-Ing describes it, the Traditional Knowledge of Indigenous peoples;
…encompasses a broad range of Indigenous knowledge ranging from: ancient stories, songs and dances; traditional architecture and agricultural; biodiversity related and medicinal, herbal and plant knowledge; ancient motifs, crests and other artistic designs; various artistic mediums, styles, forms and techniques; spiritual and religious institutions and their symbols; and various other forms of Indigenous knowledge” http://www.pch.gc.ca/eng/1288012803946/1288012803948. (Retrieved November 12, 2012).
5. The site below informs visitors to the meaning of Indigenous knowledge. I believe it is from an aboriginal perspective. The site provides excerpts of short films of indigenous people, their religious ceremonies, arts and craft, etc.
November 7, 2012 No Comments
Indigenous Knowledge and Technology
Module 2
1.This is an interesting site which shows the importance of indigenous knowledge in our society.
Below is an excerpt from the site
“What is Indigenous Knowledge (IK)?
Indigenous Knowledge (IK) is generally understood as knowledge which is unique to a given culture, society or community and which is deeply rooted in cultural traditions, values and belief systems. Indigenous knowledge is a complex system of knowledge which draws on hundreds of years of wisdom and experience. These knowledge systems are dynamic, changing with the addition of new information. Because it is based on experience, each culture, society or community will have a system of knowledge that is distinct from all others. The transmission of this knowledge from generation to generation can be through the use of traditions such as songs, stories, dreams and legends. Ecological methods, crafts, songs, foods, medicines, art, dance and music are all drawn from Indigenous knowledge”
http://socserv.socsci.mcmaster.ca/ihrktn/knowledge.htm. (Retrieved, November 7, 2012)
2.This site is about Indigenous Knowledge exchange. The site gives an overview of the program and the various topics that will be covered in the programs.
http://www.ipy2012montreal.ca/program/indigenous.php
3. This site informs us of the link between Indigenous knowledge and society.
The site entitled; The role of the participatory web for indigenous knowledge, gives information on Indigenous Knowledge and Social media, IK and Technology, etc.
http://www.web2fordev.net/home/1-latest-news/88-the-role-of-the-participatory-web-for-indigenous-knowledge (Retrieved November 7, 2012).
4. In my research I found this very interesting site, owned by 100% aboriginals who are using technology to enhance education in the community among youths, women, and the elders. Invert media is an interactive web based program. The site has links to short films of a variety of work done by the group especially among the aboriginal youths in the communities. Below is a quote from the site
“Invert Media’s work is based on respect for indigenous knowledge. Cultural and community sources of knowledge are recognized and meaningfully engaged. Great care is taken to ensure that Indigenous knowledge frameworks are not watered down or compromised”
http://www.invertmedia.com/about-us.html (Retrieved, November 7, 2012).
5. This is a UNESCO site which shows how technology is used to preserve cultural traditions, languages, etc. The site is entitled Reinforcing the transmission of Mayangna culture, knowledge and language.
November 7, 2012 No Comments
