Tag Archives: Aboriginal culture

Module #4-3: First Nations Logos and Mascots

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 – Post 4 – Distance Education

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As more and more interest appears in the those wishing to study aboriginal issues, the question arises as to what is the most effective way in communicating this knowledge. The online course or distance education model is becoming increasingly more popular and it is evident that the there must exist a way to bring these two areas together. This article represents a survey of distance education courses that focus on First Nations issues and how the curriculum is developed and delivered. Its very interesting to consider that challenges in this educational model and the distinct challenges in communicating the ideas and cultural sensitives that are essential to this subject.

http://www.culturalsurvival.org/publications/cultural-survival-quarterly/united-states/indigenous-distance-education

Module 4 – Post 2 – Bio-regional Education

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Ron Scollon’s Axe Handle Academy Paper brought to the forefront the importance of individuals learning about their environment and being aware of the details that comprise it. This interview with Larry Merculieff is a vivid example of how knowing your bio-region can bringing you closer to understanding yourself. This knowledge extends not only from geography, but the very plants and animals, their behaviors can bring upon an individual a profound sense of awareness. This interview is one of a series focusing on the thoughts of various community leaders and their view on knowledge and what it means in a First Nations context.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NUI6tUCtY28

Entry 14: Aboriginal Youth and Technology

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On June 19, 2013, Camosen College announced that 2 of its instructors were invited to present their research (case study) on Aboriginal youth and technology. The paper, entitled Digital Storytelling: A Case Stduy of Aboriginal Youth Engaging in Technology,

examines their ANCESTOR (Aboriginal Computer Education through Storytelling) project that introduces Aboriginal youth to careers in technology, an area that has very few Aboriginal professionals.

The authors utilised a 3D program which enabled Aboriginals to create their own stories in an environment which “parallels the Indigenious world view…[Moreover] the project …addresses the problem of cultural kiteracy lost to the younger generation.”

link: http://camosun.ca/news/press-releases/2013/june/aboriginal-youth-technology.html

Module 3 Post #3

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This paper is from the Aboriginal Healing Foundation and deals with resiliency and the legacy of the residential school system. It provides sections pertaining to the distinct impacts on individuals, families and communities – recognising the atrocities inflicted on aboriginals with these forced school systems but also discussing healing and moving forward.

Aboriginal People, Resilience and the Residential School Legacy

Module 3 Post #2

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A paper written by Cheryle Partridge detailing the intergenerational impact of residential schools and her own experiences and the experiences of her family. Cheryle discusses what aboriginal education was like before the residential schools, what it was like during, and what she hopes it will continue as for generations to come.

Residential Schools: The Intergenerational Impacts on Aboriginal Peoples

Module 3 Post #1 Residential Schools and Decolonization

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Looking more into the effects on culture from the impact of residential schools (in general), there are a number of good resources to consider. This article from the Canadian Journal of Law and Society, titled Introduction: Residential Schools and Decolonization, provides a good introduction (as you would expect from the title) to many of the issues that had such a direct impact on the culture of First Nations children.

Canadian Journal of Law and Society
Volume 27, Number 1, 2012

Module 2 – Post 5 – Who Owns Native Culture?

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The first reading on Dr. Norman Stanfield’s UBC blog page “Canada’s First Nations Music and Dance” is a book by Michael Brown called Who Owns Native Culture? Brown has now created a website by the same name that includes current issues relating to the ownership of indigenous culture. This site has a page called “Protecting Native Art and Music” which includes many links to articles and websites related to the topic.

Indigenous Canadian Communities and ICTs

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Indigenous people are isolated by definition, largely due to socio-cultural, economic, political and historical reasons. However, rapid growth and advancement in digital technologies have achieved a level of affordability and ubiquitous access, which have empowered billions of people worldwide by bringing such technologies ever closer to their grasp.

A growing number of aboriginal communities, which now have access to ICTs, are appropriating technology in order to meet their knowledge purposes. However, there still prevails a major economic, social, cultural and technical factor that may influence how ICTs can be effectively utilized as far as meeting the needs of aboriginal people is concerned.

The proposed research will attempt to tackle the state of ICT adoption in Aboriginal communities, with specific reference to Indigenous Canadians. The research will attempt to investigate the following questions:

How do new technologies affect aboriginal Canadian communities?

What challenges do these communities face in adopting ICTs?

Source:

KTA Aboriginal Practice Group. (2005). Aboriginal Culture in the Digital Age: Aboriginal Voice Cultural Working Group Paper. Toronto: KTA – Kaufman, Thomas & Associates.

Ramirez, R., & Richardson, D. (2005). Measuring the impact of telecommunication services on rural and remote communities. Telecommunications Policy.

Scott, T. (2005, June 27-July2). Community Perceptions of Student Multimedia Technology Projects in a Remote First Nations Village. Paper presented at the ED-MEDIA 2005: World Conference on Educational Multimedia, Hypermedia & Telecommunications, Montreal.