Nurturing the Learning Spirit of First Nations Students is a “Report of the National Panel on First Nation Elementary and Secondary Education for Students on Reserve.”  The panel, as listed in the report, has three members, all of whom have been involved in Indigenous education, but only one of which is Indigenous himself.  However, the report caught and held my attention because of its emphasis on recognizing and valuing traditional Indigenous knowledge.  It draws the distinction between the piece of paper (graduation certificate) that says we are educated compared to the education we receive from our parents and community.

“My dad learned different things and the different skills that are not recognized by a piece of paper. I am proud of my dad and I’m learning from him. And I cannot learn this from my teacher. … The only difference between the two types of education that I have discussed is that one is recognized and one isn’t. We need papers behind our names to live in today’s world but we still need those traditional teachings to learn who we are and where we come from.” (Page ii)

 

Computation, Complexity and Coding in Native American Knowledge Systems by Ron Eglash

I found this article/paper interesting because it delves deeply into the science and mathematics of a number of Native American peoples.  This is background knowledge that is useful to me as an upper level math teacher as I can use the examples authentically in class and tie them in to the curriculum.  I also found this article interesting because it begins with a discussion of stereotypes and assumptions that are common in the portrayal of Native Americans.  The following is a quote from the first paragraph:

“We see these assumptions at work in many popular television documentaries, where one hears of the “vanishing native” who “lived at one with nature.”  … We need to take special efforts to open our eyes to the dynamic histories and technological sophistication of indigenous cultures–for example, to think about active indigenous ecological knowledge rather than the passive portraits we so often hear, e.g. “Indians lived as part of the ecosystem.” ” (Eglash, 2002)

I think it is important to fight the common stereotypes by contradicting them with information about how sophisticated Indigenous knowledge systems were (and are), in a way that places those systems in context and respects the values associated with them.  This article dovetails with my research interests and with the emphasis of Module 2.

Reference:

Eglash, Ron. “Computation, Complexity and Coding in Native American Knowledge Systems.” in Judith Hankes and Gerald Fast (ed) Changing the Faces of Mathematics: Perspectives on Indigenous People of North America. Reston, VA: NCTM 2002.  Retrieved online at:  http://homepages.rpi.edu/~eglash/eglash.dir/nacyb.dir/nacomplx.htm

UBC graduate student Amy parent mentioned her interview that Indigenous knowledge was a process, and that youth are at all different points on their journey towards their own understandings. My direction for my research project is going to be along these lines – how best to encourage success for Aboriginal Youth in the classroom, with an acknowledgement that indigenous knowledge is key to that success.

At my school we are preparing to commemorate Nov. 11^th. We have the typical ceremony with poetry, some music by students, a speech by a veteran and maybe an MP or MLA. But we also have a segment of the ceremony set aside every year for our school’s First Nation students and Aboriginal Education (Ab.Ed.) teachers and youth workers. Each year is slightly different. One year they presented a drumming circle and traditional songs. Another year they read the roster of First Nation soldiers who had died in service to Canada, with drumming and a song underneath the reading.  A few of the students had prepared a PowerPoint presentation. Another year saw short statements in all of the different languages the students had access to or skill in.  Last year was very good, with a student dressed in his regalia dancing. Both his mother and grandfather had been dancers, and he was very proud to continue this tradition – he had even won a competition at a recent Powwow. The Ab.Ed. workers in the school work very hard to connect students to cultural knowledge, elder,s and traditions; and the Remembrance Day ceremonies are a very public way to show some of the connections they have been able to make.

The title of this post is a quote from the paper How to tell the difference between multicultural mathematics and ethnomathematics (Eglash, 2001).  The paper is from the NCTM 2001 national meeting and identifies the difference between adding trite, multicultural comments into mathematics questions and truly understanding the idea of ethnomathematics.  The goal of ethnomathematics is to place mathematics learning in authentic contexts for specific populations.  The paper is written from the perspective of ethnic minorities in the United States, however it extrapolates well to the discussion of mathematics and Indigenous students.  The paper states that:

“… ethnomathematics directly challenges the cultural stereotypes and genetic myths most damaging to both minority and majority ethnic groups.” (p. 2)

This research paper, Does Mathematics Education in Australia Devalue Indigenous Culture? Indigenous Perspectives and non-Indigenous Reflections (Baturo, Cooper, Matthews & Watego; 2005) has a unique perspective.  Two of the researchers are Indigenous people and two of the researchers are not.  The paper is written using two different fonts – each font representing one of the perspectives.  The paper states that:

“… it is likely that a stereotypical belief in the primitiveness of Indigenous culture is the driving force behind the actions of mathematics teachers, educators and researchers who work in Indigenous communities” (p. 514)

I need to read and review this paper in greater depth, but I feel that it matches both my research interests and the emphasis of Module 2 on stereotypes.

For many of us, Walt Disney cartoon movies have been one of the dominant experiences of childhood. Many children have enjoyed Dumbo, 101 Dalmations and Lady and the Tramp. But cartoon treatment of the American Indian has not been kind. The portrayal of Indians in 1953’s Peter Pan is hardly complimentary, and 1995’s Pocahontas is not much better. Surprisingly, the Native Peoples are shown to have a connection with the land and the White Man is seen as shown inept and clueless invaders. While this may be palatable to some, the character of Pocahontas still places herself in the power of the very white John Smith – a symbolic surrender of one people to another. This traditional connection to the land (see Marker, Michael, Teaching History from an Indigenous Perspective: Four Winding Paths up the Mountain) ” is “Disneyfied” and given the Western “mystical Indian” treatment with some cute little animal friends and an ancient grandmother tree that carries on conversations with our Indian Princess. Disney based this on true historical events, but the reality of this story is much less kind, with a 12 or 13 year old Pocahontas captured by the British, held in the boat for a year, and then transported back to England. But that wouldn’t have made as good a movie…

Weblog #1: Entry #5

Thus far, my thoughts and feelings around indigenity and technology have meandered liked a tributary heading toward a large body of water. At times ideas rush forward in class 3 rapids while most other times the body of thought is happy to move downstream in careful, ponderous reflection. Being interested in the factors that have lead to the community of which I am a part of, I decided to take a closer look at the Western Communities, made up of View Royal, Langford and Colwood, approximately 15 min North of Victoria, BC. More specifically, I plan to focus on how the Western dominant culture has at times worked with, clashed or merged with the three Nations in the immediate area. My sense is that the dominant culture, although it may have initially bullied its way into determining what our community has come to look and be defined as, has been tempered by the communities, beliefs and values of the T’Souke, Songhees and Esquimalt Nations to produce a uniquely hybrid sense of community. I am eager to discover how technology has played and continues to play a role in this hypothesized relationship.

Weblog #1: Entry #4

While viewing the Esquimalt Nation’s Community Building site I happened upon the statement:

“At the core of the plan are the Natural Laws, which guide the Cycle of Life. These, in turn, inform the Plan, which will consist of a series of goals, objectives and policies covering topics of importance to the community.”

I’m interested in the Natural Laws and the Cycle of Life as defined by the Esquimalt Nation. These two factors will clearly have a role in the emerging community and must therefore have an impact on the larger Western Communities. It’s just a hypothesis at this stage so I’ll look to refine my ideas as I progress.

http://www.esquimaltnation.ca/planningprocess.html

Weblog #1: Entry#3

The more surfing/research I do the more I realize that I have so little knowledge about the communities around me. Just looking at the Songhees Nation website you get the sense of just how organized and structured a Band can be. There are departments and systems in place to help foster a growing community.

http://www.songheesnation.com/html/band.htm

Another point of interest to me was the clear link and partnership with two post secondary institutions, UVic and Camosun College, which were linked directly on the Songhees’ Community Development Page:

http://www.songheesnation.com/html/community_development/educational_management.htm

Weblog #1: Entry #2

So I decided to start with the T’Sou-ke Nation as a jumping off point by which to frame my research into how indigenous and the Western dominant community have worked together to create a larger community. Check out the Solar-Power Project on the T’Sou-ke Nation Website – apparently the largest solar power project in BC. Here is a prime example of FN sustainability and environmental awareness blending with Western Science.

http://www.tsoukenation.com/