I never realized the potential of Google Earth to preserve cultures.  Chief Almir Surui of the Brazilian Indigenous Surui recognized that Google Earth would enable his people to create and preserve a cultural map of their ancestral lands.  The article on Mashable provides an overview of the Surui project in text and video format.

Chief Almir Surui was concerned with two issues: loss of culture and unsustainable illegal logging of the Amazon. “These days you can’t separate talking about culture from talking about technology, there’s no separation between these things,” Chief Almir Surui told Mashable.  Chief Almir embraced technology and partnered with Google: training Elders and a group of young students on how to use laptops and cellphones to take pictures, videos, map locations and record stories.  The result is a technological record of Surui historical sites, land, animals and traditions.

I was struck by this story because I believe Chief Almir Surui recognized that his tribe was fighting a losing battle, and therefore needed to combine traditional methods with western technological approaches.  Combined, the elders and students have brought awareness to Amazon deforestation and the challenges affecting Indigenous people.

Camille

Resistance through Re-presenting Culture

“If not us, then who?”  The Traditional Pathways to Health Project encouraged students to use video to record their culture’s perspective on healthy living.  This paper reviews the journey students and teachers undertook to educate themselves and their community on health related issues, while preserving their culture via video.  Students were required to plan, research and develop their video to be shared with their community.

Students believed this activity provided them with an opportunity to resist the Eurocentric education system and connect with their traditional culture.  The project empowered students to learn about their community and to share their experiences in order to promote awareness and understanding.

Camille

Crossing the Digital Divide: College of Menominee Nation uses technology to restore language

Like many Indigenous cultures, the Menominee Nation’s language is threatened. This article describes the action the Menominee Tribal College took to preserve their language and culture, while preparing their students for the future.  Three aspects are discussed: online education, teacher-student interactions, and a Community Technology Center.

In order to reach Menominee students across the country the college began using on-line classes.  Instructors have further embraced technology: downloading over 100 hours of audio recordings on to iPods and creating new digital movies involving students and elders.  Social media may also be a valuable tool by connecting youth with elders who support them in their language development.   The tribal nation recognized that not all people have access to technology, thus they built the Community Technology Center, which offers computers and internet access for the public.

The Menominee example highlights the capabilities of technology to preserve Indigenous culture and encourage youth to make connections to tradition and elders.

Camille