Story – Svetlana Gibson

.[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fHJW_rHwRQ[/youtube]

I found this Youtube video on a whim when I searched for “First Nations Story”. There are many First Nations stories done as videos. I feel this makes YouTube a very powerful resource. This was a story of hardship and how people must rely on each other. It exposes the folly of pride, as the hunter refuses food from neighbours to feed his family. It also speaks to how the larger group can be affected by the actions of one individual. In this case, the father’s daughters die of starvation because he will not accept help when he needs it. It is done in in a First Nations language that was not identified, but subtitles were provided

HorizonZero

http://www.horizonzero.ca/index.php?pp=29&lang=0

HorizonZero is an online site for digital art, ideas and culture. It was created in 2002 as a collaboration between the Banff New Media Institute and the Culture.ca Gateway. It is an interactive web production with 18 thematic issues. However, it only lasted for 3 years so it is not currently being updated. The objective of the project was to: “to commission fresh Canadian new media content; to promote and disseminate Canadian talent in digital arts and culture, both nationally and worldwide; and to facilitate dialogue and innovation in the converging fields of science, technology, media arts, and research.”

Issue 17 drew my attention because it deals with Aboriginal Story in Digital Media. It tells the story of Iktomni the Trickster. The story is narrated with simple animation. The most engaging part is that you can select the language you want to hear the story in – English or Nakoda.

The site is well organized and provides a wealth of information on Aboriginal culture and art. Many of the illustrations in the story are interactive and link you to other sites for even more info.