Category Archives: Module 4

Module 4 Weblog – Post #3 – Digital Harvest

One of the most interesting aspects of researching digital storytelling and its use in Indigenous communities, has been the variety of initiatives supported by the strategy of digital storytelling. Digital Harvest is one such initiative. Organized in 2012 by the Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities Indigenous Food Network, the project provided an initial event/opportunity for collaboration and learning between First Nations youth and elders, which later resulted in the compilation of multimedia presentations. Once posted, these presentations, in turn, provided materials for learning in other communities.

Some of the results of the Digital Harvest project can be found on YouTube. As part of the workshop associated with the project, the group observed the difference in the effects of traditional vs. colonial food (e.g. bacon, Kool aid, hot dogs, etc.) on their bodies, energy, etc. Not surprisingly, the traditional foods left the group energized and enthusiastic, while the colonial foods left them exhausted.

In describing the project, the project coordinator explains the strengths of the initiative in terms of …”the correlation between the traditional aspects of the oral First Nations cultural practice of storytelling and the contemporary technologies associated with digital storytelling and video production.”(http://www.indigenousfoodsvi.ca/updates/digital-harvest-2012/)

Module 4 Weblog – Post #2 – Indigenous Waves

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In searching for podcasts associated with Indigenous culture and education in Canada, I discovered a resource that originates from right here in my own city of Toronto. Indigenous Waves is a radio show, broadcast on CIUT 89.5 FM. The show’s website offers articles and podcasts organized by a range of categories relevant to Indigenous issues. One of the most recently posted podcasts is a discussion with Anishinabek Grand Council Chief Patrick Madahbee and author/educator Niigaanwewidan Sinclair regarding the First Nations Education Act, for which draft legislation was released in October.

The discussions in this podcast, like much of the media coverage at the time that the draft legislation was released, help to remind us of how the strategies of the federal government in Canada, even in 2013, are ultimately still openly controlling in their approaches. My participation in ETEC521 has instilled a type of hopefulness in me for the future of education in Canada in general, as well as Indigenous education. However, the reality of this draft legislation is sobering and discouraging. Resources like Indigenous Waves certainly help to keep this reality in focus.

Module 4- Post 4: Teaching through technology

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A good source, I came across this week, is a report about using technology in addressing the learning needs of the aboriginal learners. Traditionally, if there are any attempts of improving or designing any learning program technology is put in the second place. This situation probably suited a period when technology was in its first steps. The link to the report I am putting here is a hub for a lot of reports that tackle different issues. I just focused on this specific report as it offers a direct and effective treatment of the issue of using technology by the aboriginal people. The link doesn’t really offer a full reading of the articles but it gives general overview of these articles. If there is a need to see the full text then you can just google the title of the article. Accessing these articles is really easy as the government of Canada has sponsored their publication. Thus they are open to the public.
http://www.conferenceboard.ca/e-library/abstract.aspx?did=66
Hussain

Module 4 – Post 5 – University of Calgary Multimedia History Tutorials

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The University of Calgary has a series of websites put together by The Applied History Research Group. This group is comprised of faculty members from the University of Calgary and other institutions. The research, narrative, and web design of the tutorials is done by honours level undergraduate and graduate students in the faculty of History. The website has a copyright date of 2001, so while the page is relatively old, the information is still quite valuable.

Most of the tutorials are a general history of Canada, but there is a section on “Canada’s First Nations”. This includes a history of the First Nations People from Antiquity up to approximately the 1870s when the numbered Prairie treaties were signed.

Module 4 – Post 4 – Metis Culture and Heritage Resource Centre

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The Metis Culture and Heritage Resource Centre is an organization based in Winnipeg that has a mandate to “honour the richness of Metis culture and history through preservation, restoration, education and sharing.” They provide a newsletter, a Metis genealogy service, workshops, community outreach programs and various other community and advocacy programs.

The MCHRC website has information about all of these, as well as an online version of the newsletter, Historical Maps of the Metis culture, lessons on the Michif language, and information on many important Metis landmarks.

Module 4 – Post 3 – Nunavut Tourism

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I came to the Nunavut Tourism website while researching Inuit music. The Library and Archives Canada webpage on traditional Inuit music references the Nunavut Tourism site as the source for much of their information.

The website appears to be a typical tourism type website with headings like “Things to See and Do”, “Where to Stay”, and “Planning Your Trip”, but a more in-depth look at the individual pages reveals that there is a wealth of information about Nunavut and Inuit Life.

Module 4 – Post 2 – RPM

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RPM.fm is a website that promotes itself as “a new music platform to discover the most talented Indigenous musicians from across Turtle Island and beyond.” The site provides music news, a curated selection of downloadable music, videos, interviews and artist profiles, all of Indigenous musicians. While it seems like a great site with very relevant information on current Indigenous music, there have not been any news posts since January 2013, and their Tumblr blog says they are about to “relaunch” so hopefully it will be active soon.

Module 4 – Post 1 – KAYA

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In researching urban music programs for aboriginal youth, I came across the Songweavers Studio in Vancouver, run by a group called the Knowledgeable Aboriginal Youth Asociation (KAYA). Their mandate is to provide advocacy for for the participation, representation, and voice of aboriginal youth. They encourage youth to communicate and make decisions with assertiveness and informed consent. They provide a mentorship program, career and educational workshops, and community events. The Songweavers Studio is a recording studio that provides free access to aboriginal youth aged 13-29, and seeks to provide them with an opportunity to empower their voices, preserve their culture and pass on traditions by using technology.

Module #4-5: Indigenous Portal

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Indigenous Portal is a website that offers a broad array of resources such as articles, videos, and podcasts regarding Indigenous peoples from all over the world.

The Indigenous Portal is an outcome of the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), which was a pair of United Nations-sponsored conferences about information, communication, and the information society that took place in 2003 in Geneva and in 2005 in Tunis (it was coincidentally mentioned in Ginsberg’s article in week 12). One of its chief aims was to bridge the global digital divide separating rich countries from poor countries by spreading access to the Internet in the developing world.

In the Portal, articles and resources are divided up into a number of regions and categorized by various subjects (culture, education, technology, etc.). Not only can visitors search for documents by regions or topics, but anybody can submit content (press releases or other text articles) to the Portal once they create an account. These documents provide guidance to Indigenous peoples, non-governmental organizations, or academics who are interested in improving communications and the quality of life for Indigenous peoples around the world.

Module #4-4: Indigenous Women

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There are always minorities within minority groups, and women often find themselves in that place. They may face double discrimination, not only do they experience discrimination from the surrounding society but also from within their own communities.

The National Indigenous Women’s Resource Center, Inc. (NIWRC) is a Native nonprofit organization in the United States specifically created to protect Native women from domestic violence. Their board of directors and staff consist of Native women from throughout the United States. They have extensive experience and commitment in providing technical assistance/training and resource information to safeguard Native women and their children.

International Work Group for Indigenous Affairs (IWGIA) is an international, non-governmental human rights organization staffed by specialists and advisers on indigenous affairs. IWGIA supports Indigenous peoples’ struggle for human rights, self-determination, right to territory, control of land and resources, cultural integrity, and the right to development. The IWGIA website presents their view regarding Gender and Indigenous Women as well. According to them, Indigenous women suffer from a range of problems related to the violation of their rights, such as lack of participation in decision-making processes and lack of land rights, lack of access to education, and domestic violence.