http://www.tribalcollegejournal.org/themag/backissues/spring99/spring99ee.html

This site focuses on the importance of educating native Students.  The author reflects on how tribal colleges and universities have approached and designed distance education programmes which are normally in a factory-style education, and are centered around the teacher as lecturer and propose ways to design programmes to include Native People.  The article proposes models for reaching Native students at distance using Internet-based learning and interactive video in an attempt to build bridges between cultures.

http://www.ethnosproject.org/site/?p=568

The author of this article proposes “telecommunication and computer technologies as a way to improve, rather than hinder, self-sufficiency, preservation of culture, real sovereignty, and general economic conditions”. The article highlights information and communication technologies that Indigenous peoples are using today such as video conferencing technology, digitization of documents, and radio broadcast over the Internet which are mainly used for preserving and promoting Indigenous culture, tradition, history, and human rights advocacy.  Further uses include emailing, chat rooms, radio stations, video-conferencing, and simple information-gathering by looking at Web sites. The article also highlights a list of websites for Indigenous Cultures and the Internet.

http://www.tribalcollegejournal.org/themag/backissues/spring99/spring99ee.html

This site focuses on the importance of educating native students.  The author reflects on how tribal colleges and universities have approached and designed distance education programmes which are normally in a factory-style education, and are centered around the teacher as lecturer and propose ways to design programmes to include Native People.  The article proposes models for reaching Native students at distance using Internet-based learning and interactive video in an attempt to build bridges between cultures.

http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/81-595-m/81-595-m2005034-eng.pdf

This website presents the findings of the 2003/04 Information and Communications Technologies in Schools Survey (ICTSS) that was designed to build a comprehensive database on the state of ICT infrastructure and access in elementary and secondary schools across Canada, including First Nations schools.  Data for the study was collected information from principals of First Nation schools and sought to mainly assess connectivity and ICT integration in the schools.

The report outlines:

• Profiles the First Nations schools that participated to the survey,
• A profile of the current ICT infrastructure in participating schools,
• A snapshot of connectivity within schools, students’ and teachers’ access to the available ICT infrastructure,
• The views of the principals regarding the ability of teachers to use ICT effectively for learning purposes, and
• Challenges to using ICTs in schools

http://www.deewr.gov.au/Schooling/DigitalEducationRevolution/Documents/FinalICTReport.pdf

This report consists of the results of a series of action research projects with remote communities conducted by Charles Darwin University to determine how ICT and innovative learning technologies could help improve literacy and numeracy outcomes for Indigenous students who are educationally disadvantaged.

The document focuses on teachers, community members and students in remote and very remote locations and highlights the work of previous researchers to obtain best practice in developing empowered learning environments as it relates to ICT approaches that are used to engage Indigenous in the teaching and learning process. The document also presents key factors to be considered for using ICT to engage remote Indigenous students in school-based learning.

http://www.education.gov.sk.ca/ablkc-k-12-literature-review

This website provides a literature review of practices and recommendations that have proven to be successful in improving educational outcomes for Aboriginal students in Canadian schools varying from systemic changes throughout an entire territory to individual teacher practices in one school.

The literature highlights barriers that are unique to First Nations, Métis, and Inuit students. It also includes themes relating to integrating Indigenous knowledge into classrooms and schools, providing support to students through mentorship programs, learning about the on-going effects of colonization and racism, and building relationships with students, communities, and parents.

http://www.ethnosproject.org/site/?p=650

At the recent 2011 Research Conference “Indigenous Education: Pathways to success”, Professor Lester-Irabinna Rigney, (Dean of Aboriginal Education, Director of the Wilto Yerlo Centre at Adelaide University) presented a talk on “Indigenous education: Creating classrooms of tomorrow today.”  The presentation highlights:

•  the characteristics of curriculum, policy and pedagogy for future schooling of Indigenous children.

• It uses national and international literature to explore 21st century learning that seeks to revolutionise the way teachers and students are educated.
• It highlights that Indigenous students live in a multi-tasking, multifaceted, technology-driven, diverse, rapidly changing world which is far removed from the world faced by most of their teachers at the time they entered adulthood.

This is an excellent resource for educators as it highlights opportunities that can create and sustain positive educational outcomes for Indigenous students.  The full-text of his presentation can be accessed at:

http://docs.google.com/viewer?url=http://www.acer.edu.au/documents/RC2011_-_Indigenous_education-_Creating_classrooms_of_tomorrow_today.pdf&chrome=true&pli=1

http://www.ischool.utexas.edu/~vlibrary/edres/pathfinders/ajohnson/pathfinder.html

This article examines the use of technology in promoting Indigenous culture.  AJ Johnson highlights several links to online resources that will help researchers find information on the Internet about modern technologies and how they are used to preserve and promote Indigenous Peoples way of life for their descendants and for our collective knowledge of human history.  The article is focused mainly on Native Americans, however, examples of other Indigenous groups are included for illustration purposes.  To guide research, answers to the following questions were examined:

•  Where can I find sources that give a general overview of the effect of technology on indigenous peoples?

• What uses of new technology are most beneficial to indigenous groups?
• What are some problems Native Americans have encountered in gaining access to telecommunications technology, and what solutions are being explored?
• How have indigenous people used new technology to preserve, promote and teach their history and culture?
• How has communication between tribe members or members of different indigenous groups changed due technology?
• What are some organizations and other resources that promote utilization of technology in indigenous communities?

http://www.sbwellnessdirectory.com/tierra-sagrada.htm

The Ti Tierra Sagrada foundation is dedicated to preserving the cultures of Indigenous Peoples and their environment as well as educating the public regarding their wisdom.  As a result of destruction of Indigenous environments, through Diasporas and encroachment by western culture, their knowledge is forever lost and this is what has allowed them to “dwell harmoniously within their native regions for thousands of years”.  For this reason, this movement attempts to “bring this ancient wisdom forth to teach living Indigenous peoples in a manner that is not sustainable to walk differently upon Mother Earth, to join in community, to prepare their sanctuaries.”

This is an excellent resource for researchers who are exploring First Nation culture. Through this website, Tierra Sagrada provides links to events that teaches about and practice Indigenous rituals and traditions.  These include:

Ancient Paths to Initiations for Women

This event promises to create a bridge between ancient wisdom and contemporary knowledge.

Mayan Shift of the Ages

Tierra Sagrada is helping with the completion of an incredible film “Shift of the Ages”.  The project serves as a voice for suppressed indigenous perspective.  It’s a calling for tribal unification, and a collective initiation of progressive action.

Melting the Ice in the Heart of Man III

This is an event where Indigenous cultures will be practiced in an attempt to “restore the balance that’s been missing on the earth”.

http://www.nativeplanet.org/

Native Planet is a non-governmental organization (NGO) dedicated to the self-empowerment of indigenous peoples and the preservation of world ethnic cultures since indigenous cultures of the world are slowly disappearing.  Against this background, Native Planet strives to protect these cultures, their ways of life and their ancestral homelands from modern infringements.  Through this website entrenched with numerous pictures and cultural documentaries, Native Planet intends to raise global awareness of all traditional cultures as well as the challenges they are facing through the creation of a comprehensive database that stores information on indigenous cultures.

This website is an excellent resource.  It provides comprehensive information on the ancient cultures of Natives and highlights why the preservation of Indigenous traditions is relevant in this globalised world.