Category Archives: General

Module 1.4. A book: Guns, Germs and Steel

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Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies 
By Jared Diamond
 
In his book, Guns, Germs, and Steal, Jared Diamond gives a thorough and convincing explanation as to why the world’s great surviving civilisations have managed to do so, and how they’ve come to conquer others. Diamond stands against the idea that such civilisational success is the result of any kind of intellectual, moral or genetic superiority.
Diamond notes that many indigenous people around the world (e.g., Native Americans, Aboriginal Australians, Sub-Saharan Africans, and New Guineans) have to a great extent been colonised, displaced from their places of habitation, and (at least in some cases) even exterminated and killed. Primarily, Diamond explains, this happened because of certain societies’s combative and political power, which is a consequence of the emergence of agriculture thousands of years ago. Agriculture, howerver, only emerged in geographic locations where there was one or a few species of plants and animals, which were suitable for domestication and herding. This, Diamond asserts, is a relative rarity in the world of flora and fauna, and was naturally limited to a very few geographic locations in the world (the Middle East, Ganges River Valley, China, and Central America). And consequently, everything else emerged from the advantage of the early rise of agriculture.
Therefore, the variance in wealth, power and technology in various human societies, Diamond writes, is the result of environmental differences. In other words, any advantage a human society has managed to achieve over others is due to the influence of geography on cultures and societies, and was never inherent in anybody’s genome.
Web links
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guns,_Germs,_and_Steel
http://www.mcgoodwin.net/pages/gungermsteel.html

Statement Connecting Weblog – Ecotourism in BC

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http://www.aboriginalbc.com

“This spectacular province is home to our people who have preserved our way of life.  We are proud of our culture and heritage and most importantly we want to share it with the world.  We want to celebrate the fact that we’re still here.”  (promotional video for Aboriginal Tourism Association of British Columbia).

Ecotourism is a niche market that includes responsible travel to fragile, pristine and usually protected areas.  The goals of ecotourism are to

      • educate the traveler
  • provide funds for conservation
  • directly benefit the economic development and political empowerment of local communities
  • foster respect for different cultures and human rights. (encyclopedia of ecotourism)

While there is a strong tendency to focus on case studies in countries such as Costa Rica, Brazil and Ecuador, I am interested in the growing ecotourism industry here in British Columbia.  I teach a class focused on ecotourism at the highschool level (I’m currently teaching it for the second time) and I include a unit on First Nations ecotourism in BC.   Ecotourism affords First Nations communities a chance to educate visitors in their culture and history, which aids in the breaking down of stereotypes.  It also affords new economic ventures coming from sustainable use of land and natural resources.

However as with all tourism, there are both benefits and threats.  The ETEC 521 course shell points out that there is a need for Indigenous communities to protect vital resources from outside exploitation.   How do communities balance educating non-Indigenous people, while preserving their culture?  What are the other potential threats to culture that an increase in ecotourism would bring?

I would like to start by surveying the variety ecotourism opportunities available in British Columbia and then follow by assessing the potential threats/benefits to First Nations culture.  The Journal of Ecotourism will likely be a valuable resource as it includes articles such as:

Indigenous Ecotourism in Central British Columbia: The Potential for Building Capacity of Tl’azt’en Nations Territories

 Not “Ecotourism”?: Wilderness Tourism in Canada’s Yukon Territory

I have also obtained a copies of the following books:

Indigenous Ecotourism – Sustainable Development and Management

Ecotourism – Management and Assessment

Module 1.3. Indigenous Language iPhone Apps

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Many smart phone applications intended for “indigenous language” use on iPhones, iPads and iPods abound, making such tools accessible to users worldwide – although their use require somewhat advanced computer literacy.

More than 3,000 languages around the world are facing extinction today. Aramaic, for example, the language that Jesus spoke, has been lost in the Middle East for long centuries. However, in two small villages in Israel/Palestine and in one in Syria Aramaic is still being taught to young children at schools. In desperate hope of saving, preserving and reviving Aramaic as a part of humanity’s cultural heritage, an Aramaic application has been launched. The app teaches the alphabets and their pronunciation, as well as, a few phrases.
Another example is the vulnerable Tamazight, the indigenous language of the Berbers of North Africa. The surviving Berber languages receive some official support from North African countries, and some of them have been made available through applications for smartphone and tablet users.
First People’s Cultural Council published a list of indigenous language learning apps; hundreds of these apps teach endangered languages through word games, interactive lessons, word lists, writing tools, flashcards, etc.
Web Links

Module 1.2. Indigenous Arab People

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I think Arab Bedouins present a special case as far as indigenous people are concerned. I would say there are four criteria when it comes to the definition of an indigenous people: 1) ethnicity; 2) language; 3) culture; and 4) lifestyle. If we take Arabia as an example, the term “endangered” indigenous culture or language is a far cry from reality. The only Arabs who can (proudly) claim pure Arab descent are Arabia’s tribes, almost all of which have Bedouin roots. Arabs of Bedouin descent, albeit long settled, constitute the ethnic majority in Arabia (and a considerable portion of the population in Iraq, Jordan, and even Syria). It is a linguistic fact that Classical Arabic emerged in the desert among the nomads, and exploded out of Arabia to replace the ancient (indigenous) languages of the fertile crescent and North Africa. Traces of Bedouin culture are present in different degrees in pan-Arab culture, and it was the culture of the Arab nomad that overtook and subdued that of long-settled agricultural societies even within Arabia itself (e.g., the Yemen). As for lifestyle, being a nomadic people versus a sedentary people, I doubt that alone would make the few remaining Arab Bedouins stand out as an “indigenous” people, except where they are socially marginalized (e.g., Egypt, Lebanon) or constitute an actual ethnic minority (e.g.,Israeli desert, Persian Iran).

Web Links

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bedouin

http://www.geographia.com/egypt/sinai/bedouin.htm

http://www.kinghussein.gov.jo/people1.html

Module 1.1 Traditional Aboriginal Children’s Games

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Play represents a natural process through which young children are able to learn and explore their environment. As an early childhood educator, I, therefore, decided to begin by researching games in aboriginal cultures in an attempt to discern their unique characteristics and better understand their educational benefits.

Around the world, people pass on their games across generations as a part of their heritage. Aboriginal people played games to develop hunting skills. A form socio-cultural interaction, a number of games also served as educational tools, entertainment tools or as a form of religious practice.

Many of the sports games we see today, namely games that use a ball, have evolved from or were inspired by the traditional games of the past (e.g., baseball, football, cricket, shinny or bandy, lacrosse and tennis, bowling, golf, etc.).

For example, according to Wikipedia, Marn Grook or marngrook, from the Gunditjmara language for “game ball”, is a collective name given to a number of traditional Indigenous Australian recreational pastimes believed to have been played at gatherings and celebrations of up to fifty players.

Moreover, other games served as problem-solving tools, embedding mathematical concepts and logical patterns.

I have gathered that there are three prevailing types of games;

1) Chance games;

2) Strategy games; and

3) Mathematical games.

Web Links

http://www.nativetech.org/games/index.php

http://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/sport/traditional-aboriginal-games-activities

http://www.manataka.org/page184.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marn_Grook

 

Mod 1:5 SUNTEP and ITEP

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Saskatchewan Urban Native Teacher Education Program (SUNTEP) and Indian Teacher Education Program (ITEP) are four year bachelor of education degree programs that are designed for First Nations, Metis, and Non-Status Aboriginal students. The programs run along side mainstream education programs at the University of Saskatchewan and in Prince Albert, SK.

The programs provide an opportunity for First Nations and Metis students to become educators. The objectives of ITEP include:

  • Provide an opportunity for First Nations people to become classroom teachers and provide an educational experience which will give individuals more freedom to specialize in specific areas.
  • Increase the number of First Nations teachers in Saskatchewan and other parts of Canada who will meet the social and cultural needs of the Aboriginal community, as well as contribute to school systems where Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children make up the student population. (ITEP: About Us)

The SUNTEP program has similar objectives although it is geared towards students of Metis ancestry. The programs are responding to the needs of First Nations and Metis students and communities by giving young educators tools to bring back to their communities.

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.

 

Module 1 – Post 1: Minute cultural details count!

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This is my first blog posting in this course. After reading the other postings and after spending sometime in regard to the password to get into the blog, I feel I am a bit focused now on a lot of some important points that are considered essential in understanding the ups and downs of technology when it comes to the First Nation culture. I am an ESL teacher. I have been teaching ESL or ELSA ( this is for adults) for more than 20 years now. I taught English in many countries. The two main countries I worked in for a longer time was Russia ( ten years) and Yemen ( three  years). My students in Yemen were Yemenis only. Actually the unifying point here is that most of the students in Yemen belonged to tribes.  In Russia 80% of my students were Russians and the rest were from different ethnic backgrounds. What attracted my attention to the Russian educational system is that it was unified by centrality of the political system at that time. Whether you are Russian or not you need to follow what is given in class. Failing to do so will not secure a good job. I am not hailing this system and I am not condemning it as it was the only educational system in the country. Any changes to it at that time would be looked at a dangerous step.

In Canada the situation is a bit different because the First Nation people are not obliged to follow the main stream educational system. Actually this step might lead to more lapses in handling this delicate case. As a result of that I feel that the Canadian ( and probably the American and Mexican )educational system(s) is more flexible in containing any educational issues in regard to educational technology and First Nation culture. I am not saying here that these issues are solved. The case is much more complex than saying that. There are a lot of minute cultural details that need to be taken into consideration  before suggesting any solution.

Here are some good sites that I found useful:

http://www.firstnations.org/program-main
http://www.fnesc.ca/  

Module 1 – Post #2 – “Modern” Education vs. Indigenous Knowledge

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Dr. Lee Brown’s video got me thinking about how Indigenous approaches to knowledge and learning could be of great benefit to our planet. As Indigenous knowledge has been sacrificed for the more abstract approaches of “formal” educational systems, our natural environment has paid a price. How can we honour and support a more indigenous style of education for all young learners in the interest of their futures?

Indigenous Knowledge and Sustainability is one module of a UNESCO supported education programme called Teaching and Learning for a Sustainable Future. The module supports a number of learning objectives including an understanding of the role of ‘modern’ education in undermining indigenous knowledge and ways of teaching and learning. It links out to a number of other sites and resources such as the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. 

The module materials include a variety of engaging learning activities, templates and resources, including a helpful table comparing Indigenous Education and Formal Education. Case studies are provided to illustrate the integration of indigenous knowledge into classroom teaching.

This module echoes many of the arguments emerging from our Module 1 readings and provides additional food for thought re: thinking “locally” when identifying learning goals.

Welcome to the Research Weblog!

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eagle in tree

These weblogs provide information on the collective research conducted by the students in the MET’s ETEC 521 Indigeneity, Technology, and Education. These annotated weblogs describe resources available, links to other sites, and usefulness for research on Indigenous knowledge, media, and community reality.

Only students in the MET course ETEC521 can author postings on this weblog. Please refer to the instructions in the ETEC521 course site for instructions on how to add yourself to this weblog.

You can also look at the archives to find the research journals of students from previous years, going back to 2005. Not all of the postings are still available in these archives, but there is a wealth of information pertaining to potential research resources to be found in the archives.

For each posting you make to the Research Weblog, please assign an appropriate category (e.g., Connection to Research Topic, Module 1, Module 2, Module 3, or Module 4). You are expected to make 5 entries per Module in addition to a description of how your weblog postings will connect to your research topic. By adding the categories, it will be easy for you (and for others in the class), to quickly see any postings relating to the Modules. Also, if you add tags (keywords) to your postings, we will also be able to generate a “tag-cloud” of thematic terms that provide an additional way for people to find resources that might be of interest to them. This tag-cloud will grow as the number of postings made to the weblog grows and will, in time, become an interesting way to explore the material we are creating together.

Please feel free to comment on one another’s postings!