Tag Archives: research

Research Interest: Treaty Essential Learnings SK

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This barcode allows you to follow the Office of Treaty Commissioner with your smartphone. The picture is also linked to the Office of the Treaty Commissioner website. http://www.otc.ca/

The Treaty Essential Learnings is an initiative in Saskatchewan to teach all students, K-12, about treaties 4, 5, 6, 8, and 10 which cover our province. It has been in development since 2008 and teachers throughout the province now have resource kits to help teach about treaties. The resources available are well put together however it would be beneficial for teachers and students to have as many resources at their fingertips as possible. At this moment, teachers have been finding their own supplemental resources. I would like to put together a website that would gather as many online resources as possible the support the TELs as well as about First Nations culture in general. I envision it for both teachers and students with short synopsis’s of each one and/or recommendations on how to use the resource.

 

I am interested in this topic because I am a grade four teacher in Saskatchewan with little experience of First Nations culture. I have been teaching the TELs for the past few years with the resources available however I have always felt I could do a better job.

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:

Module 1.5. Scholarly Journals and Publications

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I would like to share two web-pages embodying multidisciplinary information that spans a great variety of indigenous cultural themes.

The International Journal of Indigenous People (http://www.alternative.ac.nz/) is a scholarly journal that presents views from ethnic minorities around the world. The themes tackled by the journal cover issues of origins, communities, culture, history and heritage, colonialism and power, intervention, development and self-determination.The journal was established in 2005; it publishes articles in English with one article in each volume published in its original language.

The Center for World Indigenous Studies, (http://cwis.org/), is an independent American organization whose mission “is to advance traditional knowledge in the fields of traditional healing arts and sciences, fourth world geopolitics, and human rights through public policy analysis, clinical services, research and education.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Module 1 – Post 5 – Metis Museum

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One of the central themes of Etec521 investigates how technology can be used by Indigenous peoples to reconnect with, archive, and share their identities and culture.  With that in mind, most of my posts for this module have centered around websites that provide online access to historical documentation and information on Metis culture.  For my final post for this module I chose to feature the website: The Virtual Museum of Metis Hitory and Culture.  This website is designed and maintained by the Gabriel Dumont Institute of Native Studies and Applied Reseach in Saskatchewan, Canada.

The virtual museum provides a wealth of information in the following categories:

  • Indigenous Voices – Contains video clips of Michif language interviews
  • Metis Celebration – Video and audio files celebrating Metis music, dance and storytelling
  • Metis Heritage – Oral histories, photographs, and Metis Resistance documentation
  • Learning Resources – Information on traditional Metis lifestyle and education
  • Artistic Expressions – Materials honoring traditional and contemporary Metis art forms
  • Moccasin Telegraph – Links to other Metis resources around the web

The website is very user friendly, and I think provides a wonderful example of how technology can be used by Indigenous groups to preserve and share the visible aspects of their culture.

The website can be found here: Metis Virtual Museum

Module 1 – Post 4 – Glenbow Museum

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I had an opportunity last September to visit the Glenbow Museum, which is located in Calgary, Alberta.  My quest was to visit their archives in hopes of finding information for the family tree project I have been working on for the past ten years.  Glenbow’s website contains links to searchable databases of resources that are available at the archives.  Unfortunately, very few of the materials have been digitized and therefore a visit to the archives will be required if you wish to investigate your initial finds further.

The website is available here: The Glenbow Museum and Archives

 

Module 1 – Post 3 – The Metis Centre

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I found the Metis Centre when researching for articles on Metis health.  The website hosts a large, searchable database that include census referenced statistical tables and a great deal of literature on Metis health and well-being.   Also included on the website are links to current projects, cultural videos, fact sheets, and a Metis Newsletter.  The Metis Centre’s moto is, “Our Health: Strengthened by Sharing”.

From the website: “The Métis Centre is one of three population-specific centres within the National Aboriginal Health Organization (NAHO). Incorporated in 2000, NAHO is an Aboriginal founded and guided institution whose aim is to advance and promote the health and well-being of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis.  The Métis Centre strives to develop accessible, culturally relevant and safe health and well-being information for a variety of audiences including, but not limited to, researchers, governments, and Métis individuals, families, and communities.”

The Metis Centre would be a great jumping off point for any heath related research of the Metis community.

The website is located here: The Metis Centre

Module 1 – Post 1 – Metis Culture and Heritage Resource Centre

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The Metis Culture and Heritage Resource Centre’s mandate is, “To honor the richness of Metis culture and history through preservation, restoration, education and sharing.”

The website provides a great deal of resources including:

  • Information on the history of the Metis People
  • Research and Genalogy Services
  • Access to maps and other historical documents
  • Online Michif language lessons

the site is easy to navigate and includes links to many other Metis based resources.  It is a great place to start your Metis research.

Access it here: http://www.metisresourcecentre.mb.ca/