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 As with many internet resources, some links were no longer active, but one that i showcase here is Burarra Gathering.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  #3

As I begin to narrow down my research interest, I thought the best course of action would be to investigate what kind of programs are out there locally so that it can be more relevant to my teaching practice. I have added a few posts regarding groups in the lower mainland area that our school works closely with.

1) L.O.V.E.

The leave out violence group has base stations throughout the whole of Canada. It was initiated by a lady (Sheila Rudberg) who had lost her husband in what appeared to be a random act of violence. This group uses various forms of media such as photojournalism to address and empower youth to speak out against violence.

2) Strengthening the Circle Aboriginal Leadership Conference

This annual event hosts students from across the lower mainland along with support staff and brings together important figures from within the aboriginal community. During the 2-day event, students participate in a variety of activities intended to build upon leadership and communication skills.

3) Pacific Cinematheque

This organization is involved in all aspects of video production. They have a 4 day digital bootcamp program where they go to schools and let them use their professional movie making equipment. Students are allowed to take on various tasks such as script writing, casting, editing, etc. The ultimate goal being the production of a mini-movie ready for publishing and entry into contests across North America.

4) First Nations Films

This website provides a catalogue of movies created by first nations communities across Canada. They are open to educators and span a wide range of topics such as residential schooling and politics about life on the reserve. These documentaries have been created by first nations people for first nations people. They range in price from $100-$150 each but showcase some of the finest works over the past decade.

5) CBC – Aboriginal

This link highlights pertinent issues facing aboriginal communities across Canada. It contains links to many issues that face aboriginal communities and highlights a lot of the topics we have been deconstructing in our cohort.  There is also an archive section in which there is a documentary on the “fight for native rights.” It is well worth a quick browse and appeals to many different research interests.

Entry 1

Rural Poverty Portal – IFAD

This resource provides some valuable ideas about how to encourage an Indigenous voice within the discussion about poverty, development and other major world issues. Also a central point is that Indigenous groups often have an “information gap” that media can fill. This article or commentary, put out by IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural Development), also provides details on international forums for Indigenous knowledge.

http://www.ruralpovertyportal.org/topic/voice/tags/indigenous_peoples/ipday

Entry 2

International Labour Organization – Social Media Gives Voice to Indigenous Communities

This website provides information on how social media is supporting the spread of international and local Indigenous issues. It suggests combining community radio and social media to reach the most people, and provides links to documents on Indigenous rights and examples of social media.

http://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/features/WCMS_186824/lang–en/index.htm

Entry 3

Indigenous Media Action

The project coordinator for this site is a Dine’ man who has been a media activist for 10 years. The site is a place to combine the efforts of different Indigenous groups with respect to issues they are facing. It is a very politically-minded site and has excellent resources on current issues for a variety of Indigenous communities. In addition to articles and other resources the site also allows for a variety of content from users. For my specific research it also provides much information on current environmental initiatives and “Calls to Action”.

http://www.indigenousaction.org/

Entry 4

Outta Your Backpack Media

A Indigenous youth empowerment site that promotes media justice. Youth can apply for a “backpack”, which provides them with a camera and tools to encourage the sharing of stories, situations and issues within their own lives and communities. There are additional resources on the site for interested youth and videos of completed projects. It is a great example of promoting Indigenous youth community building and identity through media.

http://oybm.org/

Entry 5

Embedded Aesthetics: Creating a Discursive Space for Indigenous Media

This article by Ginsburg (1994) discusses Australian Aboriginal media and how diverse it is in purpose, production and use. An important consideration presented in the article is the difference between how Aboriginal and non-Aboriginals view the work and what value and level of credibility they assign to it. First Nations Film and Video Makers World Alliance is mentioned in this article and may be a good place for future research regarding my topic.

https://files.nyu.edu/fg4/public/pdfs/Ginsburg%20-%20Embedded%20Aesthetics%20Creating%20a%20Discursive%20Space%20for%20Indigenous%20Media.pdf

I have been thinking about the connection between mass media and indigenous peoples – at the production level, on the screen and behind the scenes, in programming, and in air time.  How is indigenous culture represented on the Canadian screen?

CBC Aboriginal  
Links to the CBC programs and features relating to Canada’s aboriginal communities.
http://www.cbc.ca/aboriginal/

Cultural Diversity on TV and Radio
Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission’s (CRTC) site outlining Canada’s Broadcasting Act and the upholding of cultural diversity on screen and on air – by ensuring equal rights are given based on gender, linguistics, culture and race are represented. Consideration is given to programming by and for specific groups, as well as reflecting diversity in all broadcast services.
Policies Described:

• Native Broadcasting Policy
• Ethnic Broadcasting Policy
• increased licensing of ethnic and third-language stations
• expanded availability of non-Canadian, third-language services
  http://www.crtc.gc.ca/eng/info_sht/b308.htm

Emerging Filmmaker Programs
The National Film Board of Canada offers several initiatives to support new and emerging filmmakers from every part of the country.
http://www.onf-nfb.gc.ca/eng/directing-co-producing-film/emerging-filmmaker-programs.php

imageNATIVE Film Festival
Founded in 1998 in Toronto, imageNATIVE is considered to be the most important Indigenous film and media festival in the world, annually showcasing, promoting, and celebrating both emerging and established Indigenous filmmakers and artists.  “imagineNATIVE is committed to dispelling stereotypical notions of Indigenous peoples through diverse media presentations from within our communities, thereby contributing to a greater understanding by audiences of Indigenous artistic expression.
http://imaginenative.org/festival2012/

The Aboriginal Voice: NFB and Aboriginal Filmmaking Through the Years (Gil Cardinal)
Gil Cardinal, an Edmonton-based Métis filmmaker and producer,  shares the history of the NFB and Aboriginal filmmaking in a playlist of NFB films from 1968 to present day.  A comprehensive body of films is shared to outline the NFB initiatives involved in sharing the Aboriginal Voice. http://www.nfb.ca/playlists/gil-cardinal/aboriginal-voice-national-film-board-/