Module #1 – Post #3: Kaha:wi Dance Theatre

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As I’ve been exploring the notion of contemporary Canadian Aboriginal identity, it seemed quite obvious that I should be see how this is manifesting in the arts. As with many ‘images’ of First Nations cultures that I’ve encountered growing up, I was often left with a very fixed notion of what Aboriginal art is, giving it the appearance of something that is static and has remained largely unchanged for hundreds of years. We see this kind of work lining the shelves of souvenir shops in Gastown or YVR, always the appearance of something that is a replica of something from the past, rather than a conduit through which contemporary Aboriginal artists explore aspects of identity and history.

From what I’ve read and seen through the promotional trailers, the Kaha:wi Dance Theatre, operating in one form or another, is a great example of Aboriginal art that transcends stereotypes and blends tradition with modernity. According to the company’s mandate, their philosophy is “To explore the intersection of Indigenous and new dance performance, to create and present theatrical productions, and to educate and engage artists, audiences and diverse communities through Indigenous performing arts encompassing disciplines of music, storytelling, theatre and design.”

Among the numerous productions the company has staged, I found the concept of The Honouring quite interesting, as it portrayed these historical events from an Aboriginal perspective. The dance conveys the importance of their role in aiding the British defend Canada from American forces, specifically as sovereign Nation allies to the British. Considering that the Canadian government was making a big push last year to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the War of 1812, I made a point of looking at the official government website and press releases. Predictably, very little was mentioned of the roles of First Nations, apart from key players who fit nicely into the existing, dominant narrative. Check out The Honouring Trailer for a sampling of the Kaha:wi Dance Theatre’s unique interpretation of history through Aboriginal song and dance storytelling.

Module #1: Post #2 – Chinese-Aboriginal Identity

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After thinking about the difficulties that many women and children face obtaining Aboriginal status according to Dr. Lynn Gehl, I began thinking about other segments of the Aboriginal population in Canada that experienced discrimination by the government. I recalled watching a documentary last year called Cedar and Bamboo, which examined the challenges faced by the children of mixed Chinese/Aboriginal parentage. The 2009 film, by Kamala Todd and Diana Leung, can be viewed in its entirety here, or if you’d simply like a sample, check out the trailer here. The Chinese Canadian Stories Project also has some resources on this topic, the most useful being an interview with Larry Grant, who like those featured in Cedar and Bamboo, shares his stories about growing up in mid-century British Columbia amidst the racial prejudices that both branches of his ethnicity had to endure.

Looking beyond the systemic racism these individuals faced (children with Chinese fathers were not allowed to claim First Nations status, nor could they go to school on the Reserve with their Aboriginal cousins and friends, and they were often shunned by both Aboriginal and Chinese communities), the issue that seemed to be the underlying theme of these stories concerned identity. Most of those interviewed in these films convey the sense that at one point or another in their lives, they felt torn between two, sometimes three worlds – none of which truly gave them a strong sense of belonging. As Larry Grant recounts, once he was school age, he and his brother were boarded with a Chinese family off the reserve to attend public school. Because of his Aboriginal background, he was treated as an inferior member of the household and of the Chinese community. This disconnect between individual, place and family seems to be echoed in the larger narrative of First Nations in Canada and an important feature in the formation of Aboriginal identity. In that sense, these stories of cultural displacement are worth examining.

Module 1 – Post 3 – Week of Reconciliation

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The BCTF (British Columbia Teacher’s Federation) has sent out mass emails to all teachers in our district (sd79) about this year’s “Reconciliation Week” which actually began yesterday, September 16th, with the lighting of a fire at Ambleside Beach near the foot of the Lions Gate Bridge in Vancouver. This event includes speeches by esteemed members of First Nations as well as Dr. Bernice A. King, daughter of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. She will be the keynote speaker at the Walk for Reconciliation on September 22, 2013.

The event is sponsored by many major corporations, and no fewer than five different Christian organizations.

Talk about coming around full circle and showing acceptance and support. Christian organizations, who were once involved in the dissolution and destruction of First Nations culture are now supporting this worthy cause.

Talk about forgiveness. First Nations people are willing to accept the support and walk together with organizations that caused them great harm. This is a courageous move on behalf of all First Nations people.

I applaud their efforts as First Nations people, together with members across community “…promote reconciliation by engaging Canadians in dialogue that revitalizes the relationships between Aboriginal peoples and all Canadians in order to build resilience.” (Vision statement)

Mel Burgess.

Module 1 – Post 2 – Sorrow, Fear, and Hope

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After reading Hare’s, “Learning from Indigenous Knowledge in Education” I felt extremely sad. I feel that residential schools are a stain on Canadian culture that will be difficult to ever wash away but we must try to find a new path, new optimisms, and new hopes. While I have heard many shocking stories of residential schools, the quotes from First Nations people in this article brought tears to my eyes. As a father of 2 girls I would be completely devastated to see them taken from me. It made me feel ashamed to be caucasian.

As I scanned the internet afterwards, I found a site called “Warrior Publications” (also a WordPress site!) which report news of current struggles First Nations people are involved in across Canada. Recently, there have been articles posted about mining explorations in Alberta and oil pipelines – hot topics of debate across all of BC right now. The site also promotes “warrior culture, fighting spirit, and resistance movements.“. T-shirts have been fashioned for sale which showcase art by Indigenous artist Gord Hill, Kwakwaka’wakw. The images show traditional animals taking back the land by destroying signs of modern progress (ex. trains and pipelines). Another image “commemorates the 1802 Tlingit attack on the main Russian fort at Sitka” which is a frightening depiction of a First Nations warrior about to “finish off” a settler (?) who has a gun lying nearby.

When I see images like this, I believe that the artist is reflecting on how life would be different today if colonists were not welcomed with warmth by First Nations people. If white people had been “finished off” like in the T-shirt, perhaps the legacy of hurt would have been avoided.

I believe that we can continue to build a new Canada together, where I and my children can learn from the past and from our Aboriginal peoples. Where all peoples can exercise their rights to language and culture, and accept and celebrate our differences. I know that I will be part of a positive change in thinking and will be supportive of educational initiatives promoting First Nations.

Mel Burgess.

Module #1, Post #1 – In Search of Status

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The blog, Black Face Blogging by Dr. Lynn Gehl, focuses largely on the treatment of First Nations women and children who are denied their status because of questions surrounding paternity. Dr. Gehl, herself an Algonquin Anishinaabe-kwe, has been denied First Nations status, as were her great grandmothers and grandmother, because of the absence of the father’s name/signature on their birth documents. The absence of a signature could be a result of one of a number of factors, however, Indian Affairs interprets this as evidence that the father is not of Aboriginal descent, therefore, disqualifies these children from claiming First Nations status. Because of sex discrimination in the Indian Act, children born without paternal documentation are not awarded the same rights and benefits as those First Nations children who do. This places First Nations children and their mothers at a distinct disadvantage, placing an already marginalized segment of a marginalized population at greater risk.

While obviously deeply passionate and often times inflammatory in her rhetoric, Dr. Gehl nonetheless provides a great number of resources such as government policy documents and First Nations produced web content that provides a rich dichotomy of perspectives. In addition, the site provides opportunities for readers to comment on the topics that Dr. Gehl touches on in her post, providing a forum for those who have experienced sex discrimination to share their personal stories. I was struck by the number of people, including Dr. Gehl, who placed a great deal of weight on the importance of the status card as a kind of validation or affirmation of their identity. But as Dr. Gehl notes, the denial of status due to sex discrimination is just another way for the government to further fracture First Nations communities and renege on their treaty responsibilities. In a sense then, the fight to gain status for many First Nations women and their children goes far beyond simply having one’s identity affirmed, and can be seen as a fight against the slow erosion of First Nations communities and cultures altogether.

Module 1 – my first post – Brocket 99

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As I read the articles for this first Module, and think about the power of media on indigenous people, it brought back memories of a good friend of mine, Nilesh Patel. Nilesh and I grew up in Prince George, BC, which, when I used to live there, I described as a “big town with a small town attitude”. It was a tough place – especially if you “stood out”.

Years after we both moved away, Nilesh went on to become a movie producer / creative director. He made a documentary style film to begin what he describes as a “raw” debate between aboriginal and non-aboriginal peoples. The goal – to start real dialogue.

He chose to look carefully at a radio station tape release called “Brocket 99”. I still have yet to listen to this tape. I don’t think I would enjoy it. Nilesh explains how it (the tape / tapes) had a cult like following. They were not being sold or released anywhere, yet people recorded these radio sessions and then passed them on to friends or family. The premise of the radio sessions is a humouristic (I use that term very loosely as I don’t find it funny at all) representation of a radio station, called “Brocket 99”, is run by First Nations people in a small town – the town of Brocket, Alberta. The radio station personalities however are being played by non-First Nations people and it is offensive in all of its aspects.

I find I have many unanswered questions. How popular was Brockett 99? What was the result of Nilesh’s campaign to have dialogue? Why is it okay for people to “bash” their own culture, yet it is repulsive if others outside that culture do it? But then I think of comedians who make a living on bashing their own or other cultures, like Russell Peters. Is it okay for someone, who is perhaps a visible minority in one area to make jokes at the expense of other cultures or their own culture? Apparently the answer is “Yes” if you look at how much money top comedians make. One source I found estimates that Russell Peters earned approximately $10 million dollars in 2008!

I have contacted my friend Nilesh and intend to get to the bottom of this. I am interested in learning more of how media played a role in the “success” of “Brocket 99”, and then the response to Nilesh’s rebuttal, “Brocket 99 – Rockin’ the Country”…

Mel Burgess.

Welcome to the Research Weblog!

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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!