The Urban Native Youth Association is a non-profit organization based in Vancouver.  The organization provides support for Indigenous youth who are living off-reserve in Vancouver.  “UNYA’S mandate is to provide meaningful opportunities for Native youth (Aboriginal, Metis, Inuit, First Nations, Status, Non-Status) in the urban setting. Our goal is to be a safe place for Native youth to come and find out about programs and services at UNYA and in the broader community.”  The website is an example of how groups and Indigenous communities are using technology to reach community members.

The website has multiple resources including information on parenting, health, eating on a budget, empowering youth, sexual exploitation, sports and rec, GLBTQT/ Two-Spirited Youth issues, and post-secondary education. As well, there are links to multiple news articles focusing on indigenous education issues such as: curriculum, Aboriginal Focus School, and graduation.

I felt this site was a worthwhile read because it targets urban Aboriginal youth (which my paper is focused on), is a technological forum for support, and presents pertinent issues for its audience.

Camille

I was fascinated to find this article by one of Canada’s leading environmental activists and scientists acknowledging Traditional Aboriginal Knowledge.  David Suzuki describes how traditional Aboriginal knowledge can assist scientists in protecting the boreal forest.  “Traditional knowledge held by Canada’s First Nations is not just a relic of the past. It offers scientists, policy-makers, resource companies, environmentalists, and anyone else who cares about the boreal a vitally important information source to better manage the region’s land and resources” (Suzuki, 2010).  This article could be used in an ecological systems, environment, or climate change science unit.

Camille

Many (most? Everyone EXCEPT me?) of you are probably aware that this journal existed, but I was not. The Canadian Journal of Native Education is published twice yearly: in spring/summer a theme issue is compiled at the First Nations House of Learning at the University of British Columbia; and in fall/winter a general edition is compiled by the First Nations Graduate Education Program at the University of Alberta.

Aricles I am looking forward to checking out include:

• Doige, L. A. (1999). Beyond cultural differences and similarities: student teachers encounter Aboriginal children’s literature. Canadian Journal of Native Education, 24(4), 383-395.
• Goulet, G. (2001). Two Teachers of Aboriginal Students: Effective Practice in Sociohistorical Realities. Canadian Journal of Native Education, 25(1), 68 -82.
• Kirkness, V. (1998). Our Peoples’ Education: Cut the Shackles; Cut the Crap; Cut the
  Mustard. Canadian Journal of Native Education, 22(1), 10-15.

Get more information about Canadian Journal of Native Education

Dr. Pamela Rose Toulouse of Laurentian Universiy, has authored Supporting Aboriginal Student Success: Self-Esteem and Identity, A Living Teachings Approach. This paper explores the seven good life teachings of the Ojibwe people. Respect, Love, Bravery, Wisdom, Humility, Honesty, and Truth. Through the use of these teachings and the related principles behind them, Dr. Toulouse explores the implications for education, and implications for classroom practice, as well as some suggested applications.

This document lends itself well to my research topic of developing a best practices approach to fostering success for Aboriginal students in my class.

See the whole document

Weblog #4: Entry #2

Since I started ETEC 521, I’ve been wondering how the issue of Western education conflicts with or compliments FN belief systems or ways of knowing. While my question(s) focus more on present day instances of education I am aware of the history of Residential Schools here in Canada. More specifically, I wonder about my school district (SD #62: Sooke) which identifies itself by the Anglicized spelling of the T’So-uke First Nation which resides in the same educational catchment area of southern Vancouver Island.

Our student population is made up of approximately 1000 FN students, or approximately 10% of the students in the district. So how do we, as educators, community members, mentors, leaders etc. educated in Western languages and science, excite, engage and reach out to students from a distinctly different society and culture? Having reflected on the course readings thus far, it is evident that ‘learning’ in school can sometimes run contradictory to FN experiences, stories and values.

Apparently, my school district has been very much concerned with these same concerns and in 2009 proposed the Aboriginal Education Enhancement Agreement. Skimming this document, linked as off of the site below highlights some differences between Western and FN notions of ‘Student Success’ and the ‘Goals’ of education. I was glad to have taken a look at what things are being done in my own district to recognize the real and honest differences/assumptions that we tend to make about our students and their learning.

Site: http://www.sd62.bc.ca/Programs/AboriginalEducation.aspx

Weblog 4.5

NativeWeb is an international not-for profit organisation that aims to use technology to disseminate information from and about indigenous people and nations, foster communication, conduct research and provide resources to support indigenous people’s use of technology. Their purpose “is not to ‘preserve’, in museum fashion, some vestige of the past, but to foster communication among peoples engaged in the present and looking toward a sustainable future for those yet unborn.”

Resources on their site cover 32 geographic regions and there were 36 listings for Australia. As with many internet resources, some links were no longer active, but one that i showcase here is Burarra Gathering. This is a flash animation that takes the user to visit the Burarra people on their own land. The program was developed with the Burarra elders and is bilingual. A great interactive introduction to Burarra country and people!

weblog 4.4

Travers et al (2007) describe the use of touch screen kiosks (with audio feedback) delivering health promotion information to Aboriginal communities. Two modules were developed, one on alcohol use Grog Story and one on sexual health Put it On.

Clarification of the health messages was identified with experts in the field. Community elders were then involved to provide an understanding of social and cultural constraints including language use, explicitness etc. They then worked with youth representatives in the local communities to contextualise the messages. The community and youth representatives were involved in the workshops that developed the narratives. Finally the filming used Indigenous actors to ‘mentor’ local Indigenous people recruited locally. There was a formal community launch of the kiosk.

Evaluation of the  project identified positive impacts on self esteem for individuals who had been ‘engaged in creating their own representations’. There was high level of community engagement in development and then use of the kiosk content. It was not possible however, to identify quantitative evidence of changes to health outcomes (health literacy or behaviour change).

They concluded that this technology was ideal for addressing the ‘triple divide’’ of inequality in health, education and digital engagement.

Travers H, Hunter E, Gibson J, Campion J. (2007) Pride and performance: Innovative multimedia in the service of behavioural health change in remote Indigenous settings.  Proc 13th Intl Conference on Virtual Systems and Multimedia. VSMM 2007, Brisbane, Australia

Weblog 4.3

The Digital Songlines (DSL) project was a digital storytelling project, using a 3D gaming engine. The project  funded by the Australasian Cooperative Research centre for Interaction Design. Unfortunately funding ceased some time after 2007 and it was difficult to find other projects.

Leavy et al (2007) in their article Evaluating the Digital Songlines Game Engine for Australian Indigenous storytelling outline the project. The aim was to use quality gaming to allow users to experience Indigenous virtual heritage in high fidelity simulation with culturally appropriate tools. They describe the importance of Aboriginal collaboration through each project and outline a protocol to address IP and copyright issues that is entirely community focused and driven. The depiction of ‘country’ in each project was not just a backdrop for the game but was the largest ‘artefact’. ‘Country’ is both a receptacle and it actively participates in the telling of the story. (p.164)

The feedback about the game varied with age of participants. The younger participants used to commercial games were either disappointed that it wasn’t the same, or delighted because it was! Older participants appreciated the language, tradition and stories being ‘brought to life’.

Users and developers saw it as a way technology can assist in the empowering of cultural identity.

YouTube example of a Digital songline project

Weblog 4.2

Over the last week there has been discussion about bias, and as we try to truly engage with other cultures the importance of recognising our own biases.

I found this interesting article from our state government education department. I think it is a great summary of the biases that we can inadvertently include in education resources.

They give specific examples for each of these areas:

1. Choosing negatively charged words
2. Inadequate treatment
3. Social Darwinism
4. Colonial presumption
5. Stereotypes and derogatory concepts
6. The exotic stress
7. Objects for study and discussion
8. Distortion and Euphemism

Department of Education (Western Australia) 2012. Aboriginal Education – Eight ways bias shows up in teaching resources

Weblog #4: Entry #1

Having looked at how both the University of Victoria and Royal Roads University demonstrate their respective thanks to the local FN bands/tribes/clans for the land on which these universities presently reside, it only seemed logical to visit the third of the three largest post secondary institutes here in victoria, BC – Camosun College, to complete the comparison.

From the outset, the name Camosun appears to be derived from the name of a Songhees settlement that was near the present day site of the Empress Hotel, in the Victoria causeway. Score one for the community college, as the other two institutions reflect staunchly British names and heritage, which makes sense as we are after all talking about Victoria, British Columbia.

Two easy links from the homepage brings us to the ‘Territory Acknowledgement’ page. A brief introduction is given to the nations which first inhabited these traditional territories. Thanks are given to these same nations for their welcome and graciousness. The site goes on to detail the Legend of Camossung and helps to illustrate the importance of the history, place, people and traditions upon which the college is named. Links to a map of the traditional territories of BC’s FN peoples is prominent. As well there is a link to the Royal BC Museum at the bottom of the page, and a black and white photo of Camossung at the foot of the George Bridge.

Camosun College has by far, in comparison with the University of Victoria and Royal Roads University, done the best job of recognizing the FN groups of their local area.

Site: http://camosun.ca/aboriginal/territory.html