One of the most interesting aspects of researching digital storytelling and its use in Indigenous communities, has been the variety of initiatives supported by the strategy of digital storytelling. Digital Harvest is one such initiative. Organized in 2012 by the Vancouver Island and Coastal Communities Indigenous Food Network, the project provided an initial event/opportunity for collaboration and learning between First Nations youth and elders, which later resulted in the compilation of multimedia presentations. Once posted, these presentations, in turn, provided materials for learning in other communities.
Some of the results of the Digital Harvest project can be found on YouTube. As part of the workshop associated with the project, the group observed the difference in the effects of traditional vs. colonial food (e.g. bacon, Kool aid, hot dogs, etc.) on their bodies, energy, etc. Not surprisingly, the traditional foods left the group energized and enthusiastic, while the colonial foods left them exhausted.
In describing the project, the project coordinator explains the strengths of the initiative in terms of …”the correlation between the traditional aspects of the oral First Nations cultural practice of storytelling and the contemporary technologies associated with digital storytelling and video production.”(http://www.indigenousfoodsvi.ca/updates/digital-harvest-2012/)