Module 2 Entry #1- Challenges of Preserving Traditional Languages

My interest was peeked due to a documentary (Endangered Speech) I saw about how the Inuktitut language is being lost in the Canadian arctic as older generations pass on. The documentary focused on the different approaches in preserving the language, between Greenland and Canada and highlighted some challenges of preserving any cultural traditions where there are variations and differences of opinion.

Because Inuktitut was a spoken language, there have been challenges preserving the language. Several written versions have been recorded, but there is variation due to the extent of the distances from Alaska to Greenland, the various dialects, and in some instances the written text were done by missionaries of European descent.

In Greenland, they have been very successful in preserving the Greenlandic (Inuktitut) language by taking some difficult steps. They decisively acted to standardize the text to enable a greater number of print materials to be produced to help teach the young people. By standardizing the writing system they only learn one alphabet. Even though there are many dialects, there is only one official written dialect.  The “youth are Confident in identity and secure in their culture thanks to the foresight of the previous generation”.

In Canada, it has been much the opposite. There are fewer and fewer Inuktitut speakers and they have been unable to come to a compromise to select one writing system. The Elders are resistant to change and concerned about losing their dialects, or choosing one writing system.

To view the documentary:

http://www.cbc.ca/archives/categories/society/education/an-inuit-education-honouring-a-past-creating-a-future/to-save-a-language.html

Module 2 Entry #2- Using Technology to Preserve Traditional Languages

FirstVoices

FirstVoices is a web based tool and service that enable First Nations communities to preserve and promote their languages. “FirstVoices is a suite of web-based tools and services designed to support Aboriginal people engaged in language archiving, language teaching & culture revitalization.

FirstVoices archives over 60 First Nations languages, and there is a “Language Tutor” that allows students to record their own voice and compare it to the examples.

I became aware of the project several years ago, when working in technology assisted learning unit of our department of education. It presented difficulty in our schools as fonts and keyboards were problematic in terms of being able to write the languages of Northern Yukon First Nations languages due to extensive use of diacritics (or accents above and below a letter that gives it a different sound).

What is most interesting is the fact that it touches on the debate to share their language, or keep it within the First Nations’ community so that only descendants have access to learning the language.

“Some language archives at FirstVoices are publicly accessible, while others are password protected at the request of the language community.”

Introduction video: http://vimeo.com/10041997

Module 2 Entry #3- Preservation of Traditional Knowledge to Protect its Sovereignty

The Traditional Knowledge Digital Library www.tkdl.res.in

A database of traditional knowledge (medicinal practices, traditional foods, etc.) in India that gives legitimacy and protection to traditional information that otherwise might be scooped up and patented by profiteering groups outside of India. By developing accessible archives of traditional practices, India is better equipped to defend their ancient use of these traditions and knowledge. Because much of this traditional knowledge was passed down orally from generation to generation, it was very difficult to prove its origins.

“Documentation of this existing knowledge, available in public domain, on various traditional systems of medicine has become imperative to safeguard the sovereignty of this traditional knowledge and to protect it from being misappropriated in the form of patents on non-original innovations, and which has been a matter of national concern. India fought successfully for the revocation of turmeric and basmati patents granted by United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and neem patent granted by European Patent Office (EPO).”

Module 2 Entry #4- Traditional Knowledge: Collection, Preservation, Protection and Access

 SlideShare presentation by Dr. H.K. Kaul- Director, DELNET, New Delhi

Module 2 Entry #5- United Nations University- Traditional Knowledge Initiative

http://www.unutki.org/

“aims to promote and strengthen research on traditional knowledge (TK) of indigenous and local communities conducted from a global perspective, grounded in local experience.”

Institute seeks to contribute to:

• change mindsets and paradigms about the role of TK in our society and in key sectors such as academia, government and business;
• increasing the recognition and importance of TK;
• developing the application of TK in a broad range of contexts (e.g. ecosystem management and biotechnology);
• developing strategies for the preservation and maintenance of TK; and facilitating the development of the capacity of indigenous communities to conserve and apply their knowledge in an increasingly globalized economy.

Weblog#2: Entry #5

Check out the video at the bottom of this site. In collaboration with the written text of the webpage, the video seems to pictorially tell a story of how the city of Victoria, BC and it’s surrounding 9 Coast Salish FN Bands have created a uniquely Northwest FN, British/European, and Asian community. Interestingly, there is no dialogue or voiceover. Be forewarned, the video was produced in partnership between the Province of BC, Tourism Victoria and the Victoria Conference Centre. As a result, everything is presented with a slight air of picturesque, romantic perfection, which I guess is important if you want people to visit. Needless to say, none of the unsavory aspects of Victoria made the video 😉

Weblog #2: Entry #4

In my attempt to refine my understanding of how different FN communities define culture I happened upon this Federal 2004 report by the Strategic Research and Analysis Directorate Indian and Northern Affairs Canada which aimed to do 4 things:

1. [Identify] prosperous First Nations communities which could serve as role models and sources of best practices for less developed communities.
2. [Identify] those communities whose particularly serious socio-economic difficulties demand immediate attention.
3. [Create a] system of scores can be used in myriad other research projects to expeditiously and cost-effectively assess the determinants and correlates of wellbeing in First Nations communities.
4. [Examine] wellbeing in First Nations communities relative to other Canadian communities.

At first I was surprised by the fact that such a report existed but then I quickly bought into the need to establish present benchmarks upon which future research could be compared and referenced. Recognizing that this 2004 report was based on 2001 data, it seemed logical to me to expect subsequent reports deriving from the 2006 and 2011 censuses. I would estimate that completed reports would be published in 2009 and 2014 respectively as per the 3-year research and publishing window of the 2001 census and 2004 report. I have not been successful in finding any such reports. As a result, the following questions have emerged in my mind:

1. Did Strategic Research and Analysis Directorate Indian and Northern Affairs change it’s name?
2. Was the Directorate quietly removed in a post 2004 Federal Budget and thus ceases to exist?
3. Did the Directorate determine that such research was not longer needed or important?
4. Did the census stop asking questions that produced relevant data?

Part of me hopes that questions a. is the reason why I have not found any subsequent reports. Sadly, if any of the remaining questions are the reason for the lack of follow up reports, then we may be doing our society and collective culture a disservice.

As I venture further into my storytelling while expanding my view as I progressed through Module 2, I started thinking rather the resources I have so far originated from real indigenous sources or a mishmash that is put together by ‘wannabes’. In my previous research, I mentioned that I wonder if technology could help keep these stories that survived for centuries alive for even longer, but now I wonder as I research if technology would also be the killer of these centuries-old teachings due to the mass amount of mixed messages and the culture of wanting information at lightning speed, ignoring the importance of depth and the necessity of time-sensitive revealing of concepts and ideas.

Exploration #6 – Toward an Ecology of Stories: Indigenous Perspectives on Resilience
Kirmayer, L.J., Dandeneau, S., Marshall, E., Phillips, M.K., and Williamson, K.J. (2012). Toward an Ecology of Stories. The Social Ecology of Resilience, 399 – 414. DOI: 10.1007/978-1-4614-0586-3_31

This article discusses the way indigenous people survive colonization through their ‘historical rootedness’ to formulate a theory of the resilience in the effort of supporting development of a program that. Storytelling or narrative was discussed in this chapter as a mean of maintaining cultural and individual resilience in indigenous people, which was described to assert authority and common value shared by members of the tribe.

Personal Connection:

This article slightly defer from my focus on stories. However, I think resilience is an important puzzle piece in bridging my understanding as to why storytelling is a powerful teaching tool. The ideas of asserting authority and affirming value are quite new to me in terms of value that storytelling offers. As I read this article, I wonder continuously how this fits into my research and learning in the end.

Exploration #7 – When Aboriginal and Métis Teachers use Storytelling as an Instructional Practice

http://www.education.gov.sk.ca/Storytelling

This article is a research on how seven teachers incorporate storytelling into their instructional practice. It was found that the incorporation of traditional storytelling not only reflects indigenous way of learning, but it was also found that students become more active in participating in their own learning and a stronger community learner is built; through storytelling, the teacher can incorporate experience and ideas that students brought with them into the classroom more readily into the curriculum. As a result, the lessons are more relevant to the learners and, thus, participation level increased.

Personal Connection:

This is an important part of my research on storytelling. At the beginning of my research journey, I wondered how storytelling impacted learning. My naïve thinking originally relates storytelling to a more fun and imaginative way of representing information in a digestible form from a third person point of view. However, this article broadened my view to show that there is multiple layers of benefit to storytelling, many of which even a classroom for ‘mainstream’ student would likely benefit from – THIS is what I am curious about as a teacher, mentor, sister, daughter and a future mother…

Exploration #8 – Indigenous Knowledges and the Story of the Bean

Brayboy, B.M.J., and Maughan, E. (2009). Indigenous Knowledges and the Story of the Bean. Harvard Educational Review, 79(1). 1 – 21.

This portion of my exploration features a clash between the mainstream educational system and the indigenous system of knowledge. Students in an indigenous teacher preparation program question the mainstream system of knowledge. One of the indigenous student teacher reworked a science lesson to demonstrate the value and holistic of indigenous view of knowledge.

Personal Connection:

I know that storytelling is powerful, but the reason why I wanted to explore this more is because I know I like this form of teaching yet do not know how to express to other teachers as to why this might be a good incorporation for lessons (or at least my reasons are more one sided as mentioned in my previous exploration). This, along with exploration #3, provides me with reasons from a different perspective. Storytelling is not only to provide examples to a theory explained, but also a mean of creating a community that grows. Stories are not static, but dynamic with addition of stories from students, and the storyteller is not always the teacher but the classroom as a whole. This to me is completely new. Reading these article in a more of a storytelling form also feels very different from reading other academic research that are more influenced by Western knowledge views.

Exploration #9 – Indigenous Voices

Joseph, K. (2009). Indigenous Voices. World Literature Today, 83(5), 4.

This is a letter to the editor of World Literature Today by a Maori writer. This short letter expresses the importance of representation of indigenous voices in modern literature today to people of indigenous background and also to the understanding of indigenous culture by outsiders. The author of this letter also mentioned Patricia Grace as an Maori writer, which would be worth further exploring in my research.

Personal Connection:

This is likely not an article packed with information that I will incorporate into my final research composition at the end of this term. However, I am including this part of my research exploration because this is a letter that voices the importance of sharing indigenous stories in modern literature to both indigenous people and those of us who are not of indigenous origins. I find that the emotion presented is profound to reminding me of the importance of storytelling.

Exploration #10 – Indigenous Literacy Foundation

www.indigenousliteracyfoundation.org.au

This is the official site for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation of Australia. This site focuses on work that is being carried out right now by the foundation to provide books and literacy resources for indigenous people in remote communities. Rather than imposing participation, the foundation invites people from these remote communities to share their stories. Stories from these communities are then shared on this site.

Personal Connection:

This is not a site on indigenous storytelling. However, the way that this website is structured perks my interest. The way that the foundation words things in terms of sharing success stories and inviting participating and potentially participating communities to share experiences seems to be a softer approach to achieving literacy in general. It is also interesting to read stories from the community. However, as I am going through this site, I also wonder if the stories presented here are influenced and shaped by more mainstream views. A further analysis and exploration would need to be done to examine this source thoroughly.

1. https://www.mja.com/au/journal/2007/186/10/development-first-nations-inuit-and-m-tis-m

In my search for information on education for Canadian Aboriginal health care providers, the Medical Journal of Australia surprised me with an article on just that very subject.  Anderson and Lavallee (2007) described new educational goals for Canadian First Nations medical students, agreed upon at the 2005 Kelowna Accord.  The deal was characterized as “historic”. In it, federal, provincial, and First Nations were adapting health education to better support First nations “cultural competencies.” These lofty statements were short on specifics but the proposal came with a $100 million pledge of support over 5 years.

On an interesting note, UBC and the Universities of Manitoba and Alberta were given credit for already adapting their curriculum to better embrace the aboriginal student. As a reminder, my posting last week of the Province newspaper article mentioned UBC’s largest First Nations graduating class in 2012.

Also, Anderson and Lavallee (2007) noted how First Nations were being invited to control their own community health programs.  In their report on the Kelowna Accord, reference to “the right of the indigenous people’s to set priorities and strategies for health programs affecting their communities” was made. I set about searching for confirmation.

2) http://fnbc.info/

This glossy, well linked site provided many helpful links to Indigenous health care.  Because the site is managed by the First Nations Technology Council of Vancouver, I assumed, perhaps incorrectly, that the concise history provided was a better reflection of a First Nation’s perspective.  It expanded my concept of Aboriginal health care providers to include midwives, at least.

Here was confirmation of First Nations administering their own health care.  The collective goal of the Tripartite First Nations Health Plan (tripartite refers to federal, provincial and First Nations governments) was to ensure First Nations were “equal partners in the planning and management of health services for our people.” The Formal Consensus-based Decision Making Model first proposed by the Alaska Tribal Health Compact was recommended by First Nations in British Columbia as the model to use to facilitate equal partner status. This model will be investigated further.

3) http:www.canadianmidwives.org/main.cfm?1=en&p=04_2003)

Aboriginal students are invited to apply to every four year university midwife program in Canada but recently, the Kanaci Otinawawasowin Baccalaureat Program (KOBP) at the University College of the North in Manitoba opened specifically for the Aboriginal student. Introduced in 2006/07, the KOBP program has graduated 21 Aboriginal midwives as of 2010. Their program focuses on “traditional/indigenous midwifery knowlege and culturally appropriate learning pathways along with contemporary health, social and biological sciences.” One of their distinct teaching tools includes mentorship, something I need to understand more fully. What are the practicalities of a program involving mentorship? What makes that new? What makes that particularly Indigenous?

4) http://fnbc.info/sites/default/files/documents/FNHC_Health_Governance_Book-web2.pdf.

On this website, the connection between First Nations’ and their health is clearly spelled out. The connection is nothing less than “health, food, work, culture, family and community” combined.  Social determinants such as these, only recently valuted in western medicine, are integral to Aboriginal concepts of holistic health: “ancestors taught that understanding the land, leadership, sustainable use of resources and the ability to provide for family and community were essential to survival”.  As long as physicians, nurses, and midwives can be recruited, community health care will be based on these all-encompassing concepts.

5) http://aerc.usask.ca/projects/healthtraing.html

The University of Saskatchewan website is a very rich resource for investigating First Nations health training.  Among the many links are Indigenous specific definitions and teaching goals. For example,  the link to “Indigenous pedagogy” offers a sensitive and thorough reflection on the topic.

I also found a paper by Dr. Alex Wilson (2008) discussing the creation of virtual Aboriginal Health Training Centres of Excellence – I’m still not certain if this concept ever made it off the ground but in the 23 pages of sound recommendations was a very helpful medicine wheel model for holistic healthcare.  Emotional, Spiritual, Physical and Mental components are shown to be equal partners to Holistic Indigenous Education.

Hello,

Article #10: Bridging the Gap: The Need for First Nations Libraries.

http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=27afaa3b-6c02-4776-914c-868c055889ae%40sessionmgr10&vid=6&hid=9

This article was found searching ebscohost again from the UBC Library. The article was originally published within the Canadian Library Association magazine in mid 2005. The article was well-written by First Nations Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, James Bartleman. The main theme of the article was describing the ‘gap’ in opportunities to access library materials for First Nations communities.

The author also talks of the importance of having access to libraries for younger First Nations students, and the importance of hosting activities of celebration such as First Nations Public Library Week.

It is interesting to read articles written in first person on real struggles of access to libraries for First Nations people.

-Regen

Hello,

Entry #9: More money to go to First Nations Library

http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.library.ubc.ca/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=27afaa3b-6c02-4776-914c-868c055889ae%40sessionmgr10&vid=6&hid=9

This short article was found on ebscohost from the UBC library, and describes how First Nations public libraries in Northern Ontario will be getting an additional $1 million dollars to upgrade its services. The article was written within the Ontario Birchbark Newspaper (May 2006) which has also been coming up frequently within internet searches. Just having an established First Nations newspaper speaks volumes for the benefit that any sort of organized public literacy can bring to a community.

In terms of my research, this is quite interesting because it now has piqued my curiosity as to how much each province gets each year in terms of funding. In searching throughout ebscohost for academic articles it appears that ‘gaming’ revenue is mentioned quite a bit within articles concerning the Province of Ontario and its First Nations populations.

Thanks.

-Regen

Module #2

Site#5

I have included this book as I have found the authors perspective on global cultural diversity unsurpassed. Author Wade Davis an ethnographer and self described story-teller has travelled widely and shares his experiences of vastly different cultures from a global perspective. He has made his home base in central BC and has gained a respectful reputation among the Tahltan First Nations peoples as he has contributed to the opposition of development in the ‘Sacred Headwaters’ of the Stikine, Nass and Skeena rivers. Davis argues that globalization does not create harmony and integration among all groups. Instead he says, in many places it has wiped away languages, cultures and “visionary wisdom” (p.201)

Davis, W.  (2009) Wayfinders Why Ancient Wisdom Matters in the Modern World. Toronto, Ontario: House of Anansi Press.

Module #2

Site #4

The BC Ministry of education offers a rich resource for aboriginal education of youth. Found at this site, http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/abed/documents.htm, it includes a First Nations map of BC as well as a First Nations Language map. The site has native content lesson plans for grades 7,8 and 9 in language arts, science and socials math and P.E. and a resource guide for integrating aboriginal content from K-10. Finally, the site includes a framework for questioning resources for indigenous people’s in a respectful manner.

Module #2

Site #3

http://squamishlanguage.com/

The Squamish Nation community has created this website as a revitalization of the Squamish language. Its purpose is to document, share and promote Squamish language. It includes relevant resources for any student in North Vancouver who is studying the First People in their community.