Tag Archives: Inuit

Final Project – Gaming as a Strategy for Revitalization of Culture

For my final project I wanted to capture the struggles of the indigenous peoples of Fort McKay, Alberta while shining a light on one strategy often overlooked at engaging youth: videogames.

I believe that while there have been positive changes made to curriculum to become more culturally sensitive, there is still a long way to go. The environment of schooling needs to change, and one strategy which engages many youth, while immersing them in a different virtual landscapes, is gaming.

As First Nations people fight to retain their culture and traditions, we can’t ignore the impacts of white culture upon youth. Embracing technology, videogames could be one method to help draw in youth who struggle to be successful in western approaches to education. Dovetailing videogames with curricula focused on traditional and contemporary indigenous practices could help ensure that the next generation is sensitive to the challenges and pressures that dominant culture puts upon minority groups.

I hope you enjoy my documentary style movie. Due to it’s length (22 minutes) it is captured in two parts. Be sure to set the quality to high resolution to get the maximum experience from this viewing.

To view the full transcript of my movie, with complete set of references, click here.
Mel Burgess.

Entry 16 – the Nunatsiaq News

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The Nunatsiaq News is a newspaper written about the Inuit and the North. This newspaper is published in Iqaluit, Nunavut, in 2 official languages: English and Inuktitut. Each paper offers news, sports, classified, etc written about the people of the North. Through this medium, the Inuit can control the information and image presented about themselves. The Nunatsiaq News is also offered online as a virtual newspaper.

Module 4 – Post 3 – Nunavut Tourism

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I came to the Nunavut Tourism website while researching Inuit music. The Library and Archives Canada webpage on traditional Inuit music references the Nunavut Tourism site as the source for much of their information.

The website appears to be a typical tourism type website with headings like “Things to See and Do”, “Where to Stay”, and “Planning Your Trip”, but a more in-depth look at the individual pages reveals that there is a wealth of information about Nunavut and Inuit Life.

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 4: Learning Inuit

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This is a website that offers online language education materials in different Inuit dialects. It also offers lessons and translations from both English and French to the Inuit language. There is an abundant amount of information and interactive lessons on learning vocabulary, grammar, dialogue and practice from beginner to intermediate levels of the language learner. This allows Inuit peoples who are interested in learning their language to independently practice online for free. I think that an online language tool is not the only answer for helping language revitalization as the daily use of language with community and family is vital. Also, many people may not have access to computers or fast speed internet to be able to access this information. However, I think that by providing online educational resources in the Inuit languages is a step in the right direction in helping to support and maintain local Inuit languages.

http://www.tusaalanga.ca/splash

Module 4. Post 1 – “IQ and Gaming”

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In order to reduce redundancy, I will refer you to my e-Portfolio where I posted a reflection relating to the Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit Adventure website, specifically describing my experience(s) playing their interactive “movie”.

As I move towards building the final project, this “Adventure” website has given me new perspectives to build upon.

Mel Burgess

Module 1:2 – Going Places

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Going Places: Preparing Inuit high school students for their future in a changing, wider world

This video describes the hopes and challenges of bicultural, bilingual high school education in two Nunavut communities, Clyde River and Pangnirtung. Interviews with students, school administrators, parents and other community members encourage students to stay in school, to have hope for the future. Inuit leadership in the education system recognize the importance of deep connections and relationships with culture and community, yet they also express a desire that their children’s education be “on par with the rest of the world” – an education that will set them up to live anywhere, to succeed wherever they choose, and even to be Prime Minister one day. The challenge for students to maintain a positive outlook in the face of so many suicides of friend and family is discussed.

Naively, I was struck by the use of the word “bicultural” to describe how students are learning about their Inuit culture and the culture of the Canadian South. Upon reflection, I think that I have subsumed Inuit and Aboriginal cultures (in my mind) as part of the wider Canadian culture, when really they are distinct and stand alone.

Module #1 – Post #5: Contemporary Inuit and Innu Music

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Music provides a natural outlet for Aboriginal artists to carry-on an important aspect of their oral culture. With advances in recording technology and the ability to share content online, Aboriginal musicians have more opportunities than ever before to share their work with the international community. Similarly, technology has afforded isolated communities the opportunity to experience music of other cultures, which has surely influenced many contemporary Aboriginal artists. I found this to be an interesting notion, placing into question how we might perceive work by Aboriginal artists that transcend aspects of their musical traditions. In other words, what does music produced by Aboriginal (or even non-aboriginal artists) that incorporate elements from other cultures reveal about Aboriginal identity and interaction with a wider world? Should they be criticized for not adhering to tradition, or is there value in seeking ways to bridge cultural divides through art? What significance lies in the appropriation of Aboriginal language and music by Western artists and vice-versa?

I’ve selected a few artists whose work occupies a unique milieu of traditional Aboriginal and Western influences. Specifically, I sought out work by Inuit musicians to see what kind of a presence their work has online. I was pleasantly surprised by the diversity of musical styles that have emerged in the past couple of decades and the interesting cross-pollination of cultural influences evident in the music being produced. In the case of Quebecois musician Chloe Ste. Marie, the influence went the other way, as she decided to record her 2009 album, Nitshisseniten e tshissenitamin, entirely in the Innu language. Follow the links below to sample some of the diverse music produced by a few of today’s top talents:

Susan Aglukark – an Inuk singer who began her career in 1993 and has amassed 6 albums and multiple Juno awards.

Tanya Tagaq – Inuk throat singer who often incorporates Celtic influences; has recorded and toured with Icelandic singer, Bjork.

Lucie Idlout – Inuk singer/songwriter in English, whose work is heavily influenced by modern rock.

Chloe Ste. Marie – Quebecois singer/songwriter who in 2009 recorded Nitshisseniten e tshissenitamin, an album sung entirely in the Innu language.

Module #1 – Post #4: Song

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Earlier this week, I created a post that focused on one example of contemporary Aboriginal dance that incorporate traditional elements with modern dance sensibilities. This got me thinking further about how the internet might serve as an effective tool for the preservation and continuation of Aboriginal arts. Media Smarts, a website devoted to digital and media literacy in Canada, provided a good jumping off point for me, with links to artists pages and informational websites organized by medium – all with an Aboriginal focus. The coverage here is, as I said, a good jumping off point, but it is limited in scope as it is not the sole focus of the website. Needless to say, there’s a lot more to explore.

This took me to the Library and Archives Canada website, which houses information and audio files specific to Inuit, First Nations and Metis music, its history and influences. Unfortunately, the sound clips are limited to 30 seconds each, so the full breadth of each song can’t be experienced. (As an interesting aside, many elders were resistant to the idea of having White anthropologists record Aboriginal music during the late 19th century and early 20th when recording technology first became available. As songs were often tied to sacred rites and rituals, they feared this music would be misappropriated and taken out of context, which incidentally is what happens here as no information is given regarding the origin and significance of each audio clip). What I did find useful was that each category of Aboriginal music is divided into traditional and contemporary sections, providing listeners with an opportunity to experience the diversity inherent in Aboriginal music. This also provides listeners with a way to experience traditional sounds married with contemporary influences, which are particular evident in the Inuit and Metis sections of the archive.