Category Archives: Module 2

Module 2, Post #5: Indigenous Dance

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

Indian Day School

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I found an interesting article regarding attendants of Indian day schools. The day schools were different from the residential schools in that students returned home at the end of the school day. At residential schools, students were kept in residence, away from family. However, like residential schools, the day schools were funded by the federal or provincial governments and run by the churches. In many cases the abuses were the same if not worse, and the only difference was that in some cases, the children got to go home at end of day. Many went home hurt and ashamed of being aboriginal.

The article says that a class action lawsuit will be filed in federal court sometime this month by BC day scholars.

The article can be read here: http://globalnews.ca/news/883196/day-students-seek-class-action-for-suffering-at-b-c-residential-schools/

Source:

The Canadian Press. “Day students seek class action for suffering at B.C. residential schools | Globalnews.ca.” Global News | Latest & Current News – Weather, Sports & Health News. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 Oct. 2013. <http://globalnews.ca/news/883196/day-students-seek-class-action-for-suffering-at-b-c-residential-schools/>.

Module 2 /post 2 : Mary Simon’s book

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The other day I was trying to read about Mary Simon as I became very interested in who this woman is. Her story as a successful Nanook member to break into the field of the media and how she has been trying to raise a lot of issues and concerns regarding the Nanook tribe as an entity that needs more attention than what is given now. I also was interest in her book book Inuit: One Future One Arctic which was devoted to the cause of her tribe and their self-governing perspective. It is a great example of a reformist committed writer. It contains a good section of black and white pictures. Despite the fact that the book has no bibliography, it is still considered a great of source of information about the Inuit.

Simon,Mary , Inuit: One Future One Arctic .Peterborough, Ont. : Cider Press, 1996.

Module 2 – Post 1 – Old Connections

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I had a very interesting and personal day of research for my project. While looking for contemporary indigenous musicians, I stumbled upon the SoundCloud site of one of my childhood best friend’s younger brother. Dean Hunt (a.k.a DJ Deano) is a member of an “Indigenous Audio-Visual crew” called Skookum Sound System based in Sechelt, BC. After further research, I found that he is also doing First Nations carving as his father, J. Bradley Hunt, did while we were growing up. I was able to find that my childhood friend, Shawn Hunt, is also involved in many fine arts media including carving, painting, sculpture, and jewelry. It looks like he is doing very well, as he received the British Columbia Creative Achievement Award in 2011 and has exhibited his work at the Museum of Art and Design in New York, the McCord Museum in Montreal, the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, and the Bill Reid Gallery and Museum of Anthropology in Vancouver.

Looks like it’s time to get reacquainted with them!

Module 2 – Post 1 – Thinking Critically

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Assessing and Validating Resources— Aboriginal Heritage

The Assessing and Validating Resources document was created by the Library and Archives of Canada as a tool to help researchers in vetting their sources. As quoted from the document: ” The assessment tool for validating appropriate content introduces critical thinking and analysis when locating and using both primary and secondary sources. The following checklist assists the researcher to consider how resources present Aboriginal documentary heritage, in text and imagery.”

This tool seems like it would be very helpful to use in the evaluation of cultural resources. The questions are straight forward and easy to understand. In addition, the questions explore a variety of important areas related to content production, language, imagery, Indigenous knowledge vs world views, and traditional vs contemporary portrayals of First Nations Inuit and Metis. While the resource could be made easier with the addition of a scale or checklist, it nevertheless provides though provoking questions that encourage critical reflection. I can’t help but think that if the US school system used this kind of tool then maybe a book like “The Education of Little Tree” would not have made it into their curriculum.

Assessing and Validating Resources— Aboriginal Heritage

Module 2 post 1

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Nanook of the North is a great source of information about a controversial period of time in the history of the North America. Whether we look at the movie as an inaccurate or a perfect reflection of the involved tribes in it, I believe that it still contains the characteristics of a fully-fledged documentary. I mean it is unfair to compare a documentary done at CNN or BBC with this one and the reason is clear for everybody. I look at this documenrtyy, with all the criticism it received, as a good account of the story of some tribes residing in the North. Here is a good source of information about the movie and its maker:
http://www.oneworldmagazine.org/seek/nanook/main.htm

Hussain

Module #2 – Post #1: The Power of Music

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Mike Stevens is a non-aboriginal folk musician who has found a new calling as the founder of ArtsCan Circle, a non-profit organization aimed specifically at providing Aboriginal youth in several remote communities in Canada with access to musical instruments and visits by experienced musicians from different parts of Canada to provide instruction and support.

The idea for ArtsCan Circle emerged after Stevens had been invited to visit Sheshatshiu in 2000, an Innu village in Labrador that at the time had the highest suicide rate in Canada. He was struck by the level of poverty , substance abuse and especially the lack of opportunities for youth. When he began playing his harmonica during a fireside chat with members of the community, he noticed how many youth in particular seemed to be drawn to the music and stopped whatever they were doing to listen. Since then he has devoted his efforts to getting instruments into the hands of as many kids as he can.

The article on Stevens, featured in the September issue of Vancouver’s Common Ground, is worth a look as it underscores the harsh reality that many Aboriginal communities in Canada live in a level of poverty that is substantially lower than the rest of the country. It also provides a message of hope as the healing power of music is described to have a tremendous impact on the community.

Ultimately, what I do find lacking from the article is an Innu perspective. While Stevens observes the benefits and positive influence that an influx of art and music have had on revitalizing the communities he’s worked with, what I would like to know is how the Innu themselves view how the role of the arts have had on their community. Do they see a marked difference in the attitudes of youth in the community? Have young people shown a greater interest in their traditional music and art forms as a result? How is the community itself taking control of the development of the music development program begun by Stevens and ArtsCan Circle? I feel that without this perspective, the Innu and other Aboriginal communities benefitting from this program come across as passive participants with no voice of their own.