Established in 1979, and located in Gastown Vancouver, the Inuit Gallery of Vancouver specializes in exhibiting Canadian Indigenous art of both senior and contemporary Inuit and Northwest coast artists (mostly sculptures in stone and bone, graphics, masks and other ceremonial objects, and jewelry).
The exhibition archives of the gallery presenting art exhibitions from February 2011 to date can be found on http://www.inuit.com/.
Inuit Youth in a Changing World
Condon Richard G.
CSQ Issue: 12.2 (Summer 1988) Hydroelectric Dams and Indigenous Peoples
In his article, “Inuit Youth in a Changing World”, Condon Richard G. examines the social, cultural and economic changes that have faced Inuit youth, namely the Copper Inuit of the Holman region in the Canadian Arctic over the past generation, especially pertaining to the shift from a nomadic to a more sedentary lifestyle. The author’s opening sentence emphasizes the “host of challenges and dilemmas” that face Inuit youth in a rapidly changing world, however, the body of his article gives almost equal weight to the possible advantages that said change has entailed. Of these advantages, the author particularly sheds light on the economic and educational. On the other hand, the author indicates that “many young people lack sufficient employment opportunities, are inadequately prepared for advanced high schooling and are unwilling or unable to relocate to larger northern communities where jobs are more available.” The author then carries on to trace said adjustment dilemmas, at least in part, to high rates of alcohol and drug abuse, suicide and juvenile delinquency, which, according to the author, “are characteristics of Inuit teenagers and young adults throughout the North.” I dare to say, the author has misread the misfortune of Inuit youth, and has placed the proverbial carriage before the horse. What the author nonchalantly describes as “characteristics of Inuit teenagers” in a matter-of-fact kind of way is, in my opinion, the elephant in the room. Such behavioral problems are not, as the author implies, the reason why Inuit youth find trouble adjusting in a rapidly changing world, but the effect of it. The author totally understates the potentially debilitating effect of a waning family and indigenous community ethos, and the endangerment of a rich and vibrant indigenous culture. The scholar’s disregard for the sense of alienation and socio-cultural disorientation cannot simply be redeemed by his subsequent overview of the Inuit’s social history, recent demographic, economic and cultural changes. At the end, the author concludes that more research is needed to better understand the implications of change on Inuit youth. However, I feel that no amount of research, data-collection and statistics can make up for a lack of a deep understanding and appreciation of Inuit culture and the extent of loss associated with its endangerment.
Source: http://www.culturalsurvival.org/publications/cultural-survival-quarterly/canada/inuit-youth-changing-world
The Interactive map of Canada found on http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/customcode/Media.cfm?Params=A3native-people.swf provides data on Canada’s different Native groups in a very informative yet succinct presentation. The map designates Canada’s parts not according to administrative provinces and territories, as one would initially expect, but according to natural regions and First Nations’ habitats. Each region is first described geographically and environmentally, before proceeding on to state facts relating to its indigenous people – a more organic, indigenous-people-centered approach to study, which implies the indigenous peoples’ elemental and profound relation to the land they have inhabited for centuries, and in many cases millennia.
My focus thus far has been in educating myself about Canadian residential schools as well as Australia’s policy of assimilation of Aboriginal peoples. I am now interested in learning more about current curricula available to teach students about residential schools and government policies of assimilation.
The Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) has created a comprehensive Residential Schools Curriculum for grades 9 – 12. They have an impressive website that is rich in information, resources and lesson plans. What I particularly like about this curriculum is that residential schools are examined in many countries across the world: USA, Australia, China/Mongolia and New Zealand. Lesson plans cover topics such as: traditional knowledge systems, residential/boarding schools around the world, survivors’ stories, Prime Minister of Canada’s apology, healing, intergenerational impacts and so on. This website/curriculum is an excellent resource for any secondary teachers wishing to teach students about residential schools.
Previously, I have discussed the website Where are the Children on this blog. It bears mentioning again with a more specific focus on its resources and teachers guide. Each resource is written for a specific age group, grades 9/10, grades 11/12 and lifelong learners, and contains age appropriate information divided into similar chapters (Government policy, implementation, outcomes, impacts, revitalization). The accompanying Teachers Guide identifies learning objectives and alludes to unit and lesson plans but does not provide information on where those lesson and unit plans are. Although frustrating to not be able to access the unit/lesson plans, the textbooks provided on the website as well as the website itself are a valuable teaching resource for secondary teachers.
Although there is not an extensive amount of curricula/resources available currently, it appears that what is available will enable teachers to effectively teach students about residential schools. It is also promising that there seems to be a push to develop more curricula/resources about residential schools.
In 1964 the Canadian Government commissioned UBC Professor Harry B. Hawthorn to complete a study on the current state of Indigenous peoples in Canada. Hawthorn and his team of researchers considered areas such as: economic, socio-economic, political, educational and administrative realms of Indigenous peoples. Hawthorn’s report, A Survey of the Contemporary Indians of Canada Economic, Political, Educational Needs and Policies,(Parts 1 and 2) was published in 1966.
Hawthorn largely concluded that Indigenous peoples in Canada were not treated fairly and were generally at a disadvantage. In particular, Hawthorn noted the impact the residential school system had on creating the poor conditions of Indigenous peoples. He recommended an improvement to Indigenous peoples’ rights and the end of forced residential schools.
From the findings of the Hawthorn report, the Canadian government began to make changes to the Indian Act and the Department of Indian Affairs.
Canada’s first Prime Minister, Sir John A. Macdonald commissioned Nicholas Flood Davin to explore the industrial schools for Indigenous children in the US. Davin did so and wrote his 1879 report: Report on Industrial Schools for Indians and Half-Breeds.
Davin’s report speaks favourably of the US Industrial school system noting its success in assimilating Indigenous children into American society. In the report, Davin notes that the US experienced similar concerns as Canada with Indigenous men: “Little can be done with him. He can be taught to do a little at farming, and at stock-raising, and to dress in a more civilized manner, but that is all.” (pg. 2) Davin seems to go on to suggest that the creation of industrial schools allows the government to have greater success at assimilating Indigenous children into the dominant society.
The report strongly supports boarding schools over day schools, noting that in the case of day schools: “the influence of the wigwam was stronger than the influence of the school” (pg.2).
There is also extensive information on the creation and establishment of an industrial school system in Canada. Davin notes costs associated with the creation and management of the schools and recommends that the government partners with various Christian groups in the running of the schools.
Davin’s report ultimately led to the creation of the residential schools system in Canada.
It is quite remarkable reading this report as I am struck by the author’s feelings of the inferiority of Indigenous peoples, something I am not used to seeing/reading. Also, it is interesting to see a document that was integral in the creation of the residential school system.
Interactive media is pushing the boundaries of contemporary film.
A few weeks ago, we were encouraged to visit several websites promoting indigenous culture. When visiting the “Unikkausivut – Sharing our Stories” webpage of the National Film Board of Canada, I noticed an “Interactive” link at the top and found myself engaging in an experience known as “Bla Bla”.
I dare you to try it. It is so strangely compelling. I couldn’t help being drawn into the animation and had to explore by clicking just to see what would happen next.
This is game theory in its purest form. No instructions. Just subtle clues and the knowledge that the user will become impatient and will try “something”. And when you do try something, you can’t help trying something again.
When art or knowledge is presented in such a way, the audience is compelled to continue to “play” and engage in “experiential learning” which I believe is one of the central tenets to First Nations culture – the belief that that which is worth learning can be accomplished through situational experience.
Mel Burgess
This week we read Faye Ginsburg’s “Rethinking the Digital Age”. Within this article was a detailed description of a website called “US Mob“. The site appeared to be loaded with good material for my final project – I was immediately interested in finding out more about it’s interactive nature, how it represents Aboriginee culture in Australia, what affordances it presents to its audience, how it allows the user to move through it’s game-like interactivity and bring about increased knowledge of the indigenous peoples of Australia…
Alas, my hopes have been dashed.
This site, while still active, leads to many dead end links. In fact, I have clicked every single link on their homepage and none work. I get….”Oops! Google Chrome could not connect to www.usmob.com.au”
This experience is a powerful one when reflecting upon Ginsburg’s article. We often describe the internet as a place to represent knowledge and perhaps influence culture, yet, the sites which hold information can be removed without warning and poof! – knowledge, representation, revitalization efforts, are all gone.
It makes me wonder if this move to break all the links from this site was…
1. Purposeful? Was the site just not attracting enough attention?
2. Driven by corporate interests? Was funding pulled to maintain and improve upon the site?
3. Temporary? Is my experience due to maintenance on the site with all links to be re-established in a moment?
4. Software driven? Is my device too new? Too old? Not supportive of the media necessary to run the interactivites of the site?
This experience also makes me reflect on the idea of “permanence” on the internet. Some believe that what is posted online lasts forever. Perhaps this example is just one of many that what is posted online is subject to change just like the rest of our natural world.
In an effort to find the truth, I have emailed the contact reported on the site. I hope for news, but expect none – another pre-determined conclusion from past experiences of attempts to get in touch with “contacts” reported on websites….
Only to find my communication has been put into the proverbial “e-bottle” and cast out into the cyber-abyss.
Mel Burgess.
Dr. Sasha Barab is a professor of Learning Sciences at Indiana University. He offers some great insight into the power of gaming within education and how it can be applied to challenge traditional practice.
He is also the “principle investigator” of the Atlantis Remixed project [formerly known as “Quest Atlantis”] – a 3D educational experience (ie. avatar-style video game).
For my final project, I will be exploring the role of new medias, specifically gaming, and how it is being used by indigenous cultures and why it is important to engage today’s learner.
I believe that some of his most salient points regarding gaming and education are:
“Instead of treating these kids when they come in as people who are ignorant and our job in education is to get them smart enough to demonstrate some sort of high score on a test. Our goal is to position them as really empowered kids who get to feel what is it like to try on the role as scientist and to see themselves as people who could possibly have that future….in a game we can create a storyline where they are the hero. They get a chance to see why the stuff we’re learning in school could matter.”
“When we look at how kids are being positioned to engage, to tinker with, to explore, to represent themselves, to pursue their passions with these new media tools, and then we look at how disciplinary content of schools is being positioned – we have a real disconnect; and we wonder why when they finish school they run home, jump in these new media, where they have agency, they have consequentiality, they have people taking up what they are doing – they have a legitimate role for using these [new media].”
“What is exciting about this world [Atlantis Remixed] is ultimately what determines whether something is valuable is how the next community takes it up; not because a teacher gives me an F or an A.”
“Teachers have been really enthusiastic of finding different ways of meeting standards…the standards are set out in a way that is well-intentioned in their design; the problem is that the spaces…of the schools are very uninteresting for kids and very limiting.”
“In a game I am immediately positioned with a purpose. What are the rules of this game? When I do ‘this’ what happens?”
“In a game I am considered someone who has a really powerful role to do something significant with my time and that significance requires that I learn a bunch of things so I can do that thing even better.”
“I am told thank you for doing that.”
“Failure is motivating. I am allowed to tinker. I am allowed to try being something that I couldn’t normally be. And if we limit kids in schools to being just ignorant children – vessels to be filled with things – we’re not creating futures for them at all.”
Sasha Barab speaks about textbooks and current resources:
“We are in a different time. We are at a point where its not so much about getting information; it’s about using information to accomplish particular ends.”
“The tools that teachers are provided with are not the tools that children will use outside of schools…We’re setting the teachers up for failure. I think teachers are in a hard, hard space. Teachers need to advocate for themselves and parents that there are other literacies [new media literacies]…that will be determining these kids’ futures.”
“Getting information, memorizing facts is no longer part of our current process. I can grab my iPhone and within 5 seconds I can find more than you can remember in your entire High School career.”
“…50% dropout rate in school (Chicago)… is totally unreasonable. There has to be a point where we say, “You know what? It’s not all those kids that’s the problem. It’ sthe way that we are thinking about school. It’s the way we use textbooks, it’s the resources we give the kids and ultimately it’s the kinds of things that we are allowing the kids to do, and as long as they don’t care about those things then we are going to lose more kids in our educational system.”
“I would really like to see teachers start to appreciate the power of what game has to offer and then work with parents, administrators, and local companies to start to use that to develop resources that they can use to prepare kids for the 21st century.”
Dr. Judy Willis has some great material related to gaming and education. Traditionally, gaming has been seen as a “waste of time”. Now, research is showing that the skills employed during gaming can be valuable, and the positioning of the individual within a game environment is conducive to learning in radically different ways from traditional styles of learning. Particularly, I enjoy Dr. Willis’ approach to assessment through a gaming perspective. To learn more about the science of neurology and why gaming supports learning, click here.
This video of Dr. Willis sheds light on her views of how new media supports learning and constitutes “brain-based” strategy for education…
Dr. Willis takes it further on her blog and shows educators how to plan instruction and assessment techniques using a gaming framework. To see examples and learn more about her approach to game-centred assessment and instruction, click here.
Mel Burgess.