kgreenhalf | ETEC 521: Indigeneity, Technology and Education (September 2013)

I wanted to share a link to a documentary I watched called I AM.

I Am is a 2010 American documentary film written, narrated, and directed by Tom Shadyac. The documentary explores the nature of mankind and world’s ever-growing addiction to materialism. The film asks two central questions: What’s Wrong With the World? and What Can We Do About it?

The reason I found this film relevant to this course is because in it they discuss the idea behind Aboriginal society and culture understanding that the need for materialism and greed being seen as mental illness. There is one part that discusses the idea of the Native Americans describing the Europeans as “cannibals” not because the consume the flesh of other humans but because the consume the life and spirit of other humans. There is an excellent Aboriginal tale and animation in the film that describes what happens to a tribe when one skilled hunter decides not to share equally and keeps all of his food for himself. Eventually other hunters do the same and eventually the old and the weak start to starve and die off and over time people stop noticing the weak dying. This tale of warning is reflective to how our current society is. We all want more than we need and are unwilling to share because we don’t feel connected to anyone else. Aboriginal culture wasn’t like this prior to contact they understood that community and sharing in wealth was not just the right thing to do but it was a necessity for survival.

The film is available on Netflix and can be watched online here: http://www.disclose.tv/action/viewvideo/104294/I_AM__The_Documentary__Part_1_of_3/

Resource

Shadyac, T. (Director). (2011). I am [Documentary]. United States: Shady Acres, Inc.

I taught as a teacher in a remote, First Nations community in BC for 4 years. During this time I have found there are some good, and some “not so good” resources that the Ministry of Education provides in the area of Aboriginal Education. One resource that applies to the topic of educational goals for First Peoples that I thought would be good to share is a publication by the BC Ministry called the “First Peoples Principles of Learning”. The principles outline the values in which many Aboriginal cultures place high and often differ from modern societal values.

First identified in relation to English 12 First Peoples, the following First Peoples

Principles of Learning generally reflect First Peoples pedagogy.

Because these principles of learning represent an attempt to identify common elements in the varied teaching and learning approaches that prevail within particular First Peoples societies, it must be recognized that they do not capture the full reality of the approach used in any single First Peoples society.

Learning ultimately supports the well-being of the self, the family, the community, the land, the spirits, and the ancestors.
Learning is holistic, reflexive, reflective, experiential, and relational (focused on connectedness, on reciprocal relationships, and a sense of place).
Learning involves recognizing the consequences of one’s actions.
Learning involves generational roles and responsibilities.
Learning recognizes the role of indigenous knowledge.
Learning is embedded in memory, history, and story.
Learning involves patience and time.
Learning requires exploration of one’s identity.
Learning involves recognizing that some knowledge is sacred and only shared with permission and/or in certain situations.

The document is available online at http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/abed/principles_of_learning.pdf

References:

Aboriginal Education Home Page – BC Ministry of Education. (n.d.). Ministry of Education. Retrieved September 20, 2013, from http://www.bced.gov.bc.ca/abed/