Category Archives: Module 2

Module 2 Post 2 – Residential School Promotional Film (CBC)

The link below is to a YouTube clip of a residential school promotional video. The clip shows the school as a fun place for the students where they enjoy their daily lessons and outdoor activities.

All of the activities are ‘Canadian’ – the children are playing ice hockey outdoors, table tennis, and exercises. Note the western style haircuts and clothing, as well as they lessons they are learning (science lessons on the movement of the sun, for example).

Of course, nothing shows any of the atrocities that are claimed by so many aboriginals in Canada from this period. The school does look like it is doing its job, however, in assimilating the children to Canadian culture.

YouTube Link.

Module 2 Post 1- Residential School Syndrome

Leave a reply

This paper from the BC Medical Journal suggests a ‘residential school syndrome’ is similar to post-traumatic stress disorder.

Much has been written on the atrocities of the Canadian government and the residential schools and many of the horrors that occurred at some of these schools have come to light of late. Residential school syndrome shares similarities with post-traumatic stress disorder in that both include someone who has either witnessed or experienced past trauma and continue to have recurring memories.

The article in the BCMJ can be found here.

Module 2 – Post #5 – Through the Eyes of Youth

Leave a reply

In her video interview for ETEC521 Module 2, Amy Parent mentions the deep insights that she felt were captured through the film projects undertaken by youth, at the Centre where she was working, in collaboration with an exceptional organization called Reel Youth.

After some searching, I tracked down three film projects (Residential Truth: Unified Future, Bandaid, and Decolonization) that had been produced with Reel Youth, expressing the thoughts and feelings of First Nations youth regarding residential schools and the concept of decolonization. The longest of these three films conveys how raw the feelings are and how much of the hurt from the residential school system endures in the current generation. This project includes footage of video interviews with young people and their parents, sharing their thoughts and emotions in a frank and very moving way. The two shorter films are both claymation projects, which employ simple and beautiful imagery that evokes just as powerful a reaction as the video interviews.

This site and these film projects served as good reminders to me of the range of ways, (music, image, voice) in which messages can be conveyed when there is an important and compelling story to be told.

Module 2 – Post #4 – Second Chances

Leave a reply

The digital storytelling project for First Nations women, which I described in my previous post, led me to the corresponding project posted by the Oral History Centre, which is known as ININIWAG DIBAAJIMOWAG: FIRST NATIONS MEN AND THE INTER-GENERATIONAL EXPERIENCES OF RESIDENTIAL SCHOOLS. The men’s digital stories associated with this project are equally poignant to those of the women mentioned in my previous post. However, the one that I found most impactful was the story called Second Chance, by Dan Highway. He is a residential school survivor, who shares in simple and clear terms how the theft of the opportunity to be with his own parents impacted his abilities as a father and how his process of healing has resulted in a second chance to be a parent to his children and grandchildren.

Numerous other stories emerging from this project can be found on the Oral History Centre’s YouTube Playlist.

Mod 2:5 Saskatchewan Indian Cultural Centre

Leave a reply

The Saskatchewan Indian Cultural Centre is committed to helping maintain the languages and cultures of First Nations people. Their website has information on the various First Nations in Saskatchewan as well as a section on how to respect Elders. The website has information that could easily be used with students.

http://www.sicc.sk.ca/elders_faq.html

Module 2 – Post #3 – Generational Journeys

Leave a reply

As part of my research into digital storytelling as a means of expression for indigenous culture and knowledge, I have been seeking out digital stories that are shared online for public review and consideration.

Six such stories have been made available through the Prairie Women’s Health Centre of Excellence, and their project kiskino mâto tapanâsk: Intergenerational Effects on Professional First Nations Women Whose Mothers are Residential School Survivors . Each storyteller, in this project, has a unique perspective on the long term effects of the residential school system on her family and relationships. However, as Lisa Forbes states in the opening of her video story, there is a great value in viewing all of these pieces together, to understand the collective strength of their message. Each woman has the opportunity to introduce her digital story, providing insight into her choices and her motivation for the piece. While much of the material has a sombre tone, there is also a common thread of strength and resilience passed along from one generation to the next. The journeys of these storytellers provide snapshots of the ongoing legacy of the residential schools, but also reflect the plans and hopes of these women for the generations that follow them.

Module 2 – Post 5 – Who Owns Native Culture?

Leave a reply

The first reading on Dr. Norman Stanfield’s UBC blog page “Canada’s First Nations Music and Dance” is a book by Michael Brown called Who Owns Native Culture? Brown has now created a website by the same name that includes current issues relating to the ownership of indigenous culture. This site has a page called “Protecting Native Art and Music” which includes many links to articles and websites related to the topic.

Mod 2:4 First Nations Education Reform

Leave a reply

According to a recent media release, First Nations education is funded at 40-50% less than non-First Nations education in Saskatchewan. The discrepancy is due to First Nations education being funded by the federal government while non-First Nation education is funded by the provincial government however the gap is putting First Nations students at a huge disadvantage.

The first link is to the media release. The second link is to the report on the state of First Nations education. The second link is valuable because part of the document sets the stage for the discussion on First Nations education with a section on history including pre-contact, the mission and residential schools period, and integration. I would be tempted to use this in a high school setting on First Nations history.

http://www.fsin.com/index.php/media-releases/894-first-nation-students-still-not-funded-the-same-as-provincial-counterparts.html

http://www.fsin.com/images/stories/fsindownloads/education/2012/Aboriginal%20Senate%20rep03dec11-e.pdf

Module 2 – Post 4 – Simon Moya-Smith

Leave a reply

Simon Moya-Smith is a journalist currently working as a breaking news reporter for NBC and previously as a freelance writer and editor for Indian Country Today. I came upon him while researching indigenous “Wannabes” and found his blog titled “I Am Not a Mascot“. It is a personal blog in which he includes some writing that challenges many indigenous stereotypes, as well as poetry, and stories. His entry titled “Ask an Indian: How to Spot American Indian Wannabes and A Counterfeit Culture: Too Many Cherokees to Count” is an entertaining and sarcastic guide on the “wannabe” culture.

Module 2 – Post 3 – Ethnomusicology

Leave a reply

Dr. Norman Stanfield is a lecturer with the UBC School of Music where he teaches two courses. One is on the Introduction to the Study of Ethnomusicology and the other is called Introduction to the Study of Popular Music. He has a UBC blog that is used as a compliment to these courses. It includes the syllabi for his courses as well as pages on various aspects of each course. One page is titled “Canada’s First Nations Music and Dance” that includes a list of readings and links related to this field. Many of these have provided me with a great starting point to continue my research into indigenous music.