Tag Archives: Metis

Module 3 – Post 5 – âpihtawikosisân

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âpihtawikosisân is the website of Chelsea Vowel, “a Métis from the Plains Cree speaking community of Lac Ste. Anne, Alberta.  Chelsea currently lives in Montreal, Quebec. Her passions are: education, Aboriginal law, the Cree language, and roller derby. She holds a BEd, an LLB and teaches indigenous youth.”

The website features blog posts, links to interviews that Chelsea has conducted, and informational links to a wide range of Indigenous topics including: Indigenous Identity and Culture, Aboriginal Law and treaties, Historic and Continuing Injustice, Specific Myths and Misunderstandings, Indigenous Health and Safety, Organisations, and Attawapiskat.   I was originally attracted to her website to view an article entitled, “You’re Metis? So which of your parents is an Indian?” which attempts to dispel some of the myths and misunderstandings around Metis identity.  Chelsea’s website is well written, easy to navigate, and includes a coverage of a wide variety of timely, topical information.

I would recommend this resources for anyone wanting to know more about how Indigenous peoples are (mis)represented in the media.

You can view the website here: http://apihtawikosisan.com/

 

Module 3: Post 2: Language Nest

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Apihtaikosisan is a website created by a Metis woman who comes from a Plains Cree speaking community but is currently located in an urban setting.  She is a qualified teacher and has experiences teaching in Native communities in the North West Territories.  Her passion is language revitalization.  In her website, she has a blog, a hall of shame which shows images that currently misrepresent Indigenous peoples, and shares educational resources and Indigenous art.  She has started her own language nest.  A language nest is usually a school or pre-school where children are immersed in their Indigenous language and learn traditional crafts.  In creating her school, she followed 5 rules : “Rule 1: Never ask permission, never beg to save the language. Go ahead and get started, don’t wait even five minutes. Don’t wait for a grant. Rule 2: Don’t debate the issues. Rule 3: Be very action-oriented: just act. Rule 4: Show, don’t tell. Don’t talk about what you will do. Do it and show it.”

It is inspiring reading about a woman who is very passionate about saving her culture and language.  Through the Internet, I think it is easier for Indigenous leaders and followers to connect and make a change in revitalizing and evolving their culture.

http://apihtawikosisan.com/

Module 3 – Post 4 – A Gesture of Reconciliation

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People gathered from far and wide at Saskatoon City Hall on October 25th to witness the historic occasion of the raising of two new flags.  Two new Flags representing Treaty Six and the Metis were raised as a gesture of openness and good faith, and to recognize and honour the First Nations Peoples.  The ceremony included presentations from many different First Nations groups: singing, dancing, fiddle music and drumming.  Speeches from local representatives, First Nations elders and Lieutenant-Governor Vaughn Solomon were included as well.

You can read the full article here

You can see pictures from the ceremony here

Module 3 – Post 3 – Voices in the Wind Productions

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Voices in the Wind Productions is the website of Dr Judy Iseke, who is the Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Knowledge and Research and Associate Professor, Faculty of Education, at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario.  Dr. Iseke’s work is focused on “challenging the appropriation and misrepresentation of Indigenous Knowledge in mainstream art and media.”  Dr. Iseke received a $500,000 grant in 2012 for Michif language research, the results of which will be presented on the website.  The site also contains some short films (descriptions sourced from the website) with aspects of storytelling and traditional knowledge:

How the Spirit Moves – In this animated short film, we see the human beings who enter the lodge in their spirit form and the animal spirits who help them heal.

A Living History of Metis Families as told by Dorothy Chartrand – Dorothy Chartrand, a Métis grandmother, tells the story of her Metis families as their lives are affected by the political and social change that impacted Métis lives in the 1800s to today.

Grandmothers of the Metis Nation – This film shares Metis grandmothers stories and histories told by the grandmothers and a narrator, to understand the complex roles and responsibilities of Metis women in the past and today.

Understanding What Life is About – Storytelling with Tom McCallum – Tom McCallum (White Standing Buffalo), Métis Elder and storyteller, explains that stories are a history of our people from many lifetimes and that stories are real. In English, with some Cree, he shares 6 entertaining stories which have been animated.

Paper Mache Totem Poles – Misrepresentation, appropriation, and denigrating Indigenous knowledge is still common practice in educational institutions despite efforts of critical educators to challenge these practices.

If you have time for only one, I recommend “Paper Mache Totem Poles”, as it does a nice job of exposing problematic representational practices common to Western education

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Module 2 – Post 1

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I came across this announcement in the weekly newsletter that’s sent out in our school district so I thought I’d pass it along as part of my weblog posts.  They have recently announced the Metis Youth British Columbia Identity Contest:

http://www.mnbc.ca/features/current/m-tis-youth-identity-contest

Students are encourage to submit artistic works (painting, music, film, photography, storytelling, dance or drawing) before the close of the contest on Nov 1st, 2013.  All entries will receive $25, however the top three will get more ($300, $150, $75).

 

Module 2 – Post 4 – Rights Granted to Metis

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When thinking about how governments need to provide support for Indigenous groups in maintaining their culture, I cam across an article from the CBC News.  The article discusses the recent court victory that affirms that the government of Canada has the same responsibilities to the  Metis and Non-Status Indians under the Canadian Constitution as they do to Status Indians.  While the judgment did not go so far as to spell out what the duties of the government are, it clarified that it is the federal and not the provincial government who bears the responsibility.  The court battle has been going on since 1999, and is widely expected to be appealed by the government of Canada.

The article provides links to a full text copy of the court ruling as well as links to other background information on Indigenous rights issues.

You can read the story here:

Federal Court Grants rights to Metis, Non-Status Indians

Module 2 – Post 3 – Virtual Museum

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The Virtual Museum of Canada has a great website entitled “Back to Batoche”.  The website is a virtual museum of sorts, and includes both historical and contemporary information on Metis culture.  The website is organized into two sections with many subsections each:

1885 Batoche

Involvement from Other Places

  • Duck Lake
  • Fish Creek
  • Red River
  • Western Canada
  • Central Canada

Areas of Interest

  • Tipi
  • Farm Life
  • General Store
  • House Visit
  • School/Post Office
  • Church
  • Cemetary
  • Battlefield
  • Middleton’s Zareba
  • Red River Cart
  • Northcote

Key People

  • Gabriel Dumont
  • Louis Riel

Present day Batoche

Areas of Interest

  • Festival House
  • Race Course
  • Voyageur Games
  • Grandstand
  • Fire Pit
  • Souvenir Stand

Visit Town of Batoche

  • Visitor Reception
  • Church
  • Zareba
  • East Village
  • Rifle Pits and River Lots

The website includes video clips, sound recordings, photographs, and drawings that depict the various sections.  The website also includes interviews, recipes, games, language lessons, and more.  It would be a great resource for anyone wishing to explore aspects of Metis history related to the 1885 Resistance and/or contemporary Metis culture.

The website is here: Back to Batoche

Module 2 – Post 2 – National Film Board of Canada

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While researching Nanook of the North and looking for other film based cultural media, I came across the Daughters of the Country film series that was produced by the National Film Board of Canada.  The series dramatize general themes and time periods in Metis history, from 1770 to present day.  Film descriptions provided by NFB Canada.  All films are available on the National Film Board of Canada’s website for online viewing, and/or purchase.

The films are:

1) Ikwe – This film features a young Ojibwa girl from 1770 who marries a Scottish fur trader and leaves home for the shores of Georgian Bay. Although the union is beneficial for her tribe, it results in hardship and isolation for Ikwe. Values and customs clash until, finally, the events of a dream Ikwe once had unfold with tragic clarity.

2) Mistress Madeleine – This film, set in the 1850s, unfolds against the backdrop of the Hudson’s Bay Company’s monopoly of the fur trade. In protest, some Métis engage in trade with the Americans. Madeleine, the Métis common-law wife of a Hudson’s Bay Company clerk, is torn between loyalty to her husband and loyalty to her brother, a freetrader. Even more shattering, a change in company policy destroys Madeleine’s happy and secure life, forcing her to re-evaluate her identity.

3) Places Not Of Our Own – This film, set in 1929, depicts how Canada’s West, home to generations of Métis, was taken over by the railroads and new settlers. As a result, the Métis became a forgotten people, forced to eke out a living as best they could. At the forefront is Rose, a woman determined to provide her children with a normal life and an education despite the odds. But due to their harsh circumstances, a devastating and traumatic event transpires instead.

4) The Wake – This film , set in contemporary Alberta, is the story of the love affair that blossoms between a well-meaning Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer and a young Metis woman. The Metis have a strong sense of community but there is also a feeling of separateness defined by racial origins and economics. In this atmosphere, the romance offers a new sense of hope. Then, during a dark winter’s night on a frozen lake, something happens to change the lovers’ lives forever.

The films are available here: National Film Board of Canada

Who are the Métis peoples?

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One of the central questions in ETEC 521 is: “How do communities balance educating non-Indigenous people, while preserving their culture?”  However, in order to answer this question as it pertains to the Métis peoples, one first needs to have an understanding of who the Métis peoples are.  However, the answer to the question of Métis identity seems to depend on who you ask. “Métis peoples insist that they are part of a distinctive cultural group.  However, Métis identity is frequently misinterpreted by non-Métis to refer simply to Aboriginal-European ancestry” (Ouellet and Hanson, 2008).

The question of Métis identity is an important one for me personally because my family has Métis ancestry.  In terms of my profession, I am interested in both the traditional and contemporary representations of the Métis presented in K-12 education.

My research project will investigate how the Métis are working to preserve and celebrate their culture while at the same time educate non-Indigenous people as to what it means to be Métis.

I will explore the following themes in my project:

Identity: Who are the Métis Peoples?  How do they define themselves?  How are they defined by others? How have these definitions changed over time?  Why does it matter?

Technology: How are the Métis using technology for historical research, cultural expression, cultural preservation, and education?

Possible sources of information include:

Mod 1:5 SUNTEP and ITEP

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Saskatchewan Urban Native Teacher Education Program (SUNTEP) and Indian Teacher Education Program (ITEP) are four year bachelor of education degree programs that are designed for First Nations, Metis, and Non-Status Aboriginal students. The programs run along side mainstream education programs at the University of Saskatchewan and in Prince Albert, SK.

The programs provide an opportunity for First Nations and Metis students to become educators. The objectives of ITEP include:

  • Provide an opportunity for First Nations people to become classroom teachers and provide an educational experience which will give individuals more freedom to specialize in specific areas.
  • Increase the number of First Nations teachers in Saskatchewan and other parts of Canada who will meet the social and cultural needs of the Aboriginal community, as well as contribute to school systems where Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal children make up the student population. (ITEP: About Us)

The SUNTEP program has similar objectives although it is geared towards students of Metis ancestry. The programs are responding to the needs of First Nations and Metis students and communities by giving young educators tools to bring back to their communities.