Author Archives: aisaac

Module 2, Post #5: Indigenous Dance

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In my search for interactive classroom resources, I came across a website that posts footage of a variety of traditional dances from Canadian indigenous groups across the country. Since the arts play such a key role in indigenous culture, it only makes sense that a cross-curricular art or dance lesson could easily be linked to a unit on indigenous studies. The site provides lesson plans and teacher kits, as well as interviews with members of different indigenous tribes. Follow-up activities could include re-enacting a pow wow in the classroom or participating in a real pow wow with a local tribe.

I was particularly intrigued by the “Paddle Dance.” I wanted to attach the clip but was unable to do so. As I watched this community dancing, wearing their traditional headdress, and as I listened to the background music being played on traditional instruments, I was suddenly struck with how amazingly special our indigenous culture is. It reminded me of cultural dances I have seen performed by indigenous groups throughout South East Asia. One of the first things tourists do when they travel to exotic parts of the world is encounter the traditional, local song and dance. What I realized this week is that you do not need to travel to exotic parts of the world to experience and explore traditional cultures. This seems like an obvious realization I know, but it was something that hit me with new meaning.

Native Dance. Assembly of First Nations. http://www.native-dance.ca/ Web. 5 October 2013.

Module 2, Post #4: “Kids Stop”

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Kids Stop is another government initiative. This is a child-friendly web-site that would appeal mainly to Elementary students. The site is divided into 4 sub-categories:

  • Online games – that teach students about indigenous symbols, stories and places
  • People and History – profiles of famous indigenous leaders or artists and their successes
  • Multimedia – recordings indigenous oral stories read by elders
  • Classroom Resources – includes teacher guides to accompany activities and stories

Our discussions have brought up the value of tackling real issues in the classroom. The information on this site is on the superficial side; however, the activities are a solid introduction into cultural symbols and stories of indigenous people. For example, the objective of a game called “Turtle Island” is to find certain cultural symbols, items such as a totem pole, a sugar bush, a canoe, snow shoes, a fiddle and a drum. This game is fun, interactive and informative, but it provides a basic knowledge adequate only for Primary grades. Teachers at the Junior level would need to extend what can be learned on this site and elaborate through deep classroom discussion.

Click the following link for an indigenous culture activity..

Module 2, Post #3: Bias-Free Educational Resources

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I stumbled across a fabulous site that proclaims to offer ‘bias-free teaching and educational resources related to Native American, First Nations, Indigenous and Aboriginal studies.” GoodMinds.com  is an aboriginal-owned family business based on the Six Nations of Grand River, Ontario. The site provides a compilation of storybooks and novels, along with accompanying classroom activities. Some of the featured book titles include:

  • As I Remember It, by Morin, Tara Lee  —- (first-hand account of being raised on a reserve)
  • Indian Horse, by Wagamese, Richard —- (touches on deep issues such as alchoholism)
  • 500 Years of Resistance Comic Book, Hill, Gord — (recounts the resistance against european colonization)
  • Adventures of Rabbit and Bear Paws: The Voyageurs. Solomon, Chad — (recounts early contact with fur traders)
  • Aboriginal Peoples in Canada: Teacher Resource. GoodMinds.com — (teacher resource focusing on residential schooling)

These are only a few of the many titles suggested. My initial delving has shown that several books would be easily transferable to the classroom. I plan to look more in-depth into a few titles in future web-posts.

Module 2, Post #2: Canada’s History for Kids

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I purposefully selected a topic that would become practical for me in my future teaching career. My paper will include a variety of teaching resources that provide accurate, authentic portrayals of Indigenous People and that promote fun, interactive means of teaching them.

The Canadian government has produced several websites aimed at teaching children about Canadian indigenous culture. I realize there could be debate among Indigenous People about whether or not government-directed teaching resources are considered an authentic account. However, I found some sites offered a great teaching ideas. “Canada’s History for Kids” is a website that includes interactive games, fun facts, video clips and profiles of students living throughout the country (including on reserves and in the Arctic):  http://www.canadashistory.ca/kids/home

The site also promotes Heritage Fairs, which “encourages students to explore Canadian heritage in a dynamic, hands-on learning environment.” Students use the medium of their choice to create a project that tells stories about Canadian heroes, legends, milestones, and achievements. They then present their findings at public exhibitions across Canada. I personally think this is exactly the type of project which can get students excited about studying indigenous cultures. Researching an indigenous hero and taking on the role of this character would encourage students to put themselves in someone else’s shoes for a moment.

Canada’s History for Kids. Government of Canada, Department of Canadian Heritage. http://www.canadashistory.ca/kids/home.aspx. Web. 3 October 2013

Statement Connecting Blog to Research

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Possible Title: Teaching the Teacher: a Look at How Canadian Schools Portray its Indigenous Population

Issues surrounding Canada’s indigenous population have long intrigued me. My undergraduate studies raised questions about the role of the mainstream population in threatening indigenous culture, through displacement and residential schooling.

As we read through the course readings and I gain more knowledge, I am interested in studying possible supports that could alleviate the historical tensions between indigenous and mainstream populations.

More specifically, I am interested in exploring what role Canada’s school system can play in reviving and inspiriting its nation’s indigenous culture. As an educator, I am eager to extend my knowledge of the teaching methods available to promote a positive, accurate portrayal of Canadian indigeneity, in the hopes that improved education will lead to improved relations between the two cultures.

My research will be founded on Marker’s seven suggestions for the classroom, as well as the writings of Mohawk leader Lamb, who describes the ideal relationship between the two populations. Chad Solomon, a member of the First Nations, is currently actualizing some of Marker and Lamb’s recommendations. His educational program “Rabbit and Bear Paws,” uses humour and interactive puppetry to teach native traditional stories to indigenous and mainstream populations alike.

 

List of resources:

http://rabbitandbearpaws.com/presentations

http://www.bimose.ca/

http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/aiq/summary/v027/27.1lambe.html

https://circle.ubc.ca/bitstream/handle/2429/44152/Balfe_W_Letting_Go_LLED590_2013.pdf?sequence=1 (Section 4, pages 37-47)

Module 2, Post #1: Canada’s Centre for Digital and Media Literacy

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Looking to extend what we learned from this week’s readings, I stumbled upon the website for Canada’s Centre for Digital and Media Literacy. I was surprised, but encouraged to see that the Centre provides a wealth of insight about the following topics:

  • The common portrayals of indigenous people in media
  • Indigenous people in the news
  • The development of indigenous broadcasting in Canada
  • The impact of stereotyping on young people
  • Indigenous expression in the art and media
  • The importance of media education

The website walks its readers through a historical development of the indigenous identity, as portrayed through mainstream media and examines the impact of media’s portrayal. It also offers teaching resources for parents and teachers, including detailed lesson plans on topics such as “Bias in the News” or “Who’s Telling My Story.” I found this to be a very useful resource that will support my research paper, aimed at teaching teachers how to effectively educate their students about indigenous cultures in the world.

I would recommend that everyone view this site. It was both informative and practical: http://mediasmarts.ca/diversity-media/aboriginal-people/common-portrayals-aboriginal-people

Impact of Tourism on Indigenous Culture

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Having lived in Viet Nam for over two years, I have had the privilege to visit remote villages throughout Southeast Asia, in Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Thailand and Burma. On more than a few occasions, I have taken part in eco-tours or homestays where local, indigenous people have been my guide, cook or instructor. My initial assumption has always been that tourism is mutually beneficial for both parties. I still believe that is true in most cases. However, I was disheartened after a tour of the local Kayan ladies in Burma.

The ladies seemed disconnected, despondent and dispirited as they performed a traditional dance for us. I felt as if I was encroaching on their home, their space, and their culture. It felt wrong.

I have done some further research into the impact of tourism on indigenous culture and found that, as I presumed, there are pros and cons. The following slideshow presentation goes through several case studies, which outline these threats and benefits. http://www.slideshare.net/guest809599/tourism-impacts-on-indigenous-people

Some negative impacts:

  • Staged authenticity – the performing of shows as if it were in real-life (this is what I experiences in Burma)
  • Cultural Erosion – cultural goods may be sold as souvenirs, possibly lessoning the spiritual or cultural importance
  • Westernization: growing contact with outsiders can affect the culture’s religion, values, language and values.

Some positive impacts:

  • Economic stability
  • Western cultures learn to appreciate diversity
  • Eco-tourism encourages locals to preserve the environment

Overall, this slideshow was a useful resource. It offered interesting case studies of indigenous people from Ecuador, Australia and East Africa. I do; however, feel that it is worth searching for other credible resources on this topic.

Research on ‘The Digital Divide’

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Whether or not indigenous communities have equal access to Internet is important in determining if technology is culturally neutral. Our first discussion left me with more questions surrounding ‘the digital divide.’

Research done by Christine Smillie-Adjarkwa in 2005 compared the access to Internet among indigenous communities in Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Conclusions from this study can be found at the following link: http://research.arts.yorku.ca/nhnf/DigitalDivide.pdf

Smillie-Adjarkwa asserts that Canada has made significant strides in closing the gap and increasing connectivity in remote indigenous communities. Her studies show that a digital divide exists in Canada, New Zealand and Australia resulting from:

  • lack of awareness
  • lack of affordability
  • low education
  • los literacy levels
  • lack of culturally appropriate material
  • lack of reliable power supply
  • lack of technical support

It is perhaps not the most stimulating read, but the document does present some intriguing facts and comparisons. If you are interested in statistics relating to the digital divide, I would recommend reading this document.

 

Connecting Canadian Indigenous Issues to Viet Nam

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Many of the struggles that Canadian indigenous people endure are shared by other indigenous cultures throughout the world. Since I am living in Ho Chi Minh City, I felt compelled to explore the current conflicts facing Viet Nam’s indigenous people.

In comparing the two indigenous cultures, I found there to be many similarities. Viet Nam’s indigenous people are marginalized and live in greater poverty than the rest of the population – as is the case in Canada. Throughout history, they have been discriminated against and treated as ‘second class citizens.’ There is also a significant disparity in education.

UNICEF recently conducted research in Viet Nam and discovered that “school dropout among ethnic minority pupils has become something like a predestined fate.” Even though the government mandates that primary school be free to all citizens, corruption runs rampant and many public schools will not accept students without bribes, which most indigenous families cannot afford. Due to poverty, most indigenous children feel pressure to dropout and begin working at a young age.

One notable difference between the plights of these two cultures may be the degree to which the government supports their freedom of expression. In one of our discussions, Keith explained that the Canadian government does not allow indigenous communities full Jurisdiction over their education system. In Viet Nam, the socialist government has full control over mass media, how information is portrayed and how its population is educated on the matter. This lack of freedom of expression certainly prohibits Vietnamese indigenous people from sharing their values, their feelings of bitterness or their stories of unfair treatment.

http://www.crin.org/docs/resources/treaties/crc.32/vietnam_indigenous_ngo_report.pdf

Intergenerational Impacts of Residential Schools

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I would like to tread lightly on the topic of addictions, as it relates to Canada’s indigenous population. Deborah Chansonneuve has conducted research for the Aboriginal Healing Foundation and written an article entitled “Addictive Behaviours Among Aboriginal People.”

The article is well researched and includes several recounts from recovering clients of the Healing Foundation. These recounts suggest that addictive behaviours among Indigenous people are derived from this group’s strenuous history, and with the implementation of residential schooling.

One anonymous client spoke of how impacted she was by her mother’s experience in a residential school. Her mother had difficulty surmounting the anguish she felt toward mainstream society and was unable to support her own child emotionally. The client was therefore raised in foster and group homes for most of her life. Without a stable home environment, the client never learned how to express or manage her emotions – completing a cycle of abuse. The ultimate result was that she relied on alcohol as a means of ‘dealing with,’ or suppressing, her emotions. This correlates directly to what Dr. Lee suggested in his podcast, the idea that emotional awareness helps prevent addictions.

Evidence from Chansonneuve’s research has shown that “the most effective addictions prevention and intervention programming for Aboriginal people is grounded in the wisdom of traditional Inuit, Metis, and First Nations teachings about a holistic approach to a healthy life.”

The article outlines the impacts not only of residential schooling, but of other indigenous struggles throughout history, including the Metis resistance, the Indian Act of 1876 and the relocation of Inuit.

This article is informative and compelling. I would welcome anyone interested in the addictive behaviours of indigenous people to at least glance at some of the client stories it presents. It is well worth the read.

http://www.ahf.ca/downloads/addictive-behaviours.pdf                                                                **(pages 13-17 are particularly relevant to the topic)