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.

Module #4-3: First Nations Logos and Mascots

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On November 16, CTV News reported in “Staff at Saskatchewan university calls for end of First Nations logos, mascots” that the department of educational foundations of the University of Saskatchewan’s College of Education had issued a statement calling for the use of Indigenous peoples as mascots, logos, and slogans to cease.

The resolution, which was posted to a Facebook page, stated that the Department of Educational Foundations does not support the use of Indigenous peoples depicted as school mascots, in logos, slogans, or team names and the idea that such logos and mascots are positive representations of Indigenous peoples is false and constitutes century-old racism.

This type of controversy comes up in the media from time to time. In the article “Native names, logos have long tradition in sports” CTV News also presented the potential racist inferences of logos and mascots used by companies or sports teams. Honestly speaking, I am not sure if using these logos can always be designated racist and offensive to Indigenous peoples. That is something they should weigh in on. Sometimes such issues must be discussed among activists and the people concerned, who are sometimes left out of the loop on the discussion.

Module #4-2: First Nations University of Canada

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The First Nations University of Canada (FNUniv) is a university in Saskatchewan. FNUniv, formerly Saskatchewan Indian Federated College until 2003, is open to students of all cultures and nationalities—not only restricted to First Nations descendants. According to the figures on their website, they have 750 registered FNUniv students and 4,000 students from other schools taking their courses in fall 2013. I was very interested in seeing the quota of Indigenous to non-Indigenous students at FNUniv but I could not find it.

The school’s vision is “to enhance the quality of life, and to preserve, protect and interpret the history, language, culture and artistic heritage of First Nations people.” They designed special programs in partnership with Aboriginal communities in order to meet the human resource needs of Aboriginal communities in areas such as health, education, and the environment.

FNUniv offers academic programming through the Department of Professional Programs (Indigenous Education, Indian Social Work, Business and Public Administration, Health Sciences and Nursing) and the Department of Interdisciplinary Programs as well (Indigenous Studies, Indian Fine Arts, Indian Communication Arts, Indigenous Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, etc.).

They also provide a unique opportunity to study in an environment that supports First Nations cultures, languages, and values. The students can participate in and learn through ceremonies with elders as well as through classroom-based experience. I think that FNUniv is a unique institution not only because they specialize in Indigenous knowledge but because they also know how to take advantage of the elders by letting them play a crucial role in propagating their culture.

Module #4-1: Board of Studies in NSW, Australia

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I have been searching through online materials about Indigenous education. One website I came across is for the Board of Studies in New South Wales in Australia, which has an Aboriginal Education section. Their website has many examples and resources of school-developed teaching and learning projects collaboratively developed by teachers, Aboriginal education workers, and local community members.

The website consists of different sections, such as languages, art, and support materials for primary and secondary education. The language section offers practical advice and lessons from various Aboriginal language programs developed in NSW since 2004, including examples of units of work, practical advice, and the experiences of schools and communities running these programs. The art section shows an Indigenous artists’ gallery of artworks, along with a Teacher’s Handbook that supports the teaching of the Visual Arts, a bibliography, and PowerPoint slide shows of Aboriginal artists’ works. In the support material section they provide examples of teaching, learning and assessment resources that demonstrate ways in which the Aboriginal and Indigenous cross-curriculum content. The website provides examples of processes that teachers might use to develop contextual classroom teaching units, which connect learning outcomes with the needs of students.

This website seems like a good resource for Indigenous education, especially for primary and secondary teachers and students. Teachers, schools, and communities can use the materials as a guide for their educational engagement to improve the educational outcomes of Indigenous students.

Entry 20: Nunavut Sivuniksavut: Our Land Our Future

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The Nunavut Sivuniksavutnavut  (NS) is a 8 month college program in Ottawa, Ontario.  “In combination with traditional and cultural teachings, the NS program provides students with an opportunity to learn about Inuit history, organizations, land claims and other issues relevant to their future careers in Nunavut.”

Nunavut youth get a chance to live in an urban setting, experiencing life away from their home, yet still learning the Inuit lifestyle and culture.  As one student proclaims, “the different courses that we study here at NS are Computers, Inuktitut, Inter-government Relations, Land Claims, English, Contemporary issues and lots of other different interesting courses”  The student learn skills that will enable them to live successfully in the South, while being ambassadors for the Inuit culture. It is ironic that the students are learning the Inuit way of life in Ottawa.

Watch a video online about the NS.   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=64WPCgytad0

Module 4 Post 3: E-Learning Access Opportunities For Aboriginals

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This study (E-learning Access, Opportunities, and Challenges for Aboriginal Adult Learners Located in Rural Communities) done in 2012 examined the potential for expanding educational e-learning access to rural Aboriginal communities. It examined 2 key things 1) the learning needs of Aboriginal adult learners from selected First Nations communities in rural Alberta. 2) the potential for increasing access to e-learning education through open dialogue with FN leaders, FN adult learners, and Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal adult educators. Four key themes emerged from the data: 1) Building Capacity: Onsite Education, 2) Success Factors: Needs and Perspectives, 3) Relationships and Learning: The Human Factor, and 4) Technology: Bridges and Barriers.

At the end of the study, it was concluded that the focus for all participants was on supports needed for Aboriginal adult learners to suceed in adult education programs.  The need for human interaction, on-site support, encouragement, hands on learning, and interactions with other learners was of the utmost importance, far eclipsing the modes of delivery. Relationships, whether it be face-to-face or online delivery was deemed the critical factor impacting Aboriginal adult learner success.

Web Source: http://www.collegequarterly.ca/2012-vol15-num02-spring/kawalilak-wells.html

Module 4 Post 2: Assembly of First Nations Youth Summit

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Last week (week of Nov 18, 2013) more than 300 First Nations youth across Canada gathered for the Assembly of First Nations Youth Summit, a summit held every five years and presents a five-year action plan to the AFN. This years focus was on leadership and empowering youth to have a voice.

According to this article from Star Pheonix Saskatoon News, the average age for FN in Saskatchewan is 20, compared to the median age of 40 (and rising) for Canada.

These young ‘warriors’ are described as ever more armed with education, social media and political awareness, and are geared towards protecting their people and fighting for their betterment.  Although this article doesn’t identify how success is ascribed to these youth, it provides an encouraging signal that youth are active for change and a hope for the future.

Source: http://www.thestarphoenix.com/news/Youth+engagement+promising+First+Nations/9199131/story.html