Tag: indigenous knowledge

Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas – Haida Artist

This morning I stumbled across an article about Haida artist, Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas (including a link to his website).  The article describes the artist as the creator of the Haida Manga genre.  Yahgulanaas translates the Japanese word managa as meaning images without a limitation, or without borders.  Navigating this site provides glimpses of amazing art work, and some interesting perspectives around global and local indigenous knowledge, and influences of new media and technology.

Scroll to the bottom of the main page web gallery.  Here you will find a link to Yahgulanaas other works, the Haida Manga page and the Rocking Raven cartoon page.  The Haida Manga page,  includes links to several indigenous stories such as Tree Spirit that would also certainly have a great appeal for school children learning about the Haida culture.  The Rocking Raven page includes links to cartoons, like the Red Stump link that have a definite flavour of cultural/political commentary.  I think this artist/site does a great job of providing some good insights into Northwest Coast indigenous traditional culture and the issues faced by advancing globalization and technology.

Anash Interactive

Anash Interactive is aimed at teaching children about the Tlingit peoples.  The website is based on an APTN television series called Anash and the Legacy of the Sun-Rock, and has links to the series and episode synopses.  They have won awards in the US, Germany, and Canada.

The site also enables creation and sharing of stories.  The site includes an interactive comic/story creator, as well as resources and information for parents and teachers (grades 4-6) such as crossword and word search puzzles, a teaching and home education guide, and a PDF outlining specific learning outcomes and curricular connections for Western Canada.

Isuma

The Isuma website is aimed at Indigenous filmmakers, and at highlighting independent Inuit film.  Isuma’s mission is to produce independent community-based films, television, and Internet media that promote preservation and enhancement of the Inuit language and culture.

The photographs on the home page (and throughout the website) are stunning.  The site provides a portal for Indigenous filmmakers, and provides viewers with synopses and samples of what these filmmakers are making, as well as “live on the set” that give great insights to the culture.

Isuma has been involved in a number of award winning films. The Isuma website includes an extensive set of links to their other films and documentaries.    Perhaps most famously, Isuma was responsible for the film Atanarjuat The Fast Runner.  Atanarjuat was based on a traditional Igloolik legend, and was filmed in Inuktitut and sub-titled.  The Isuma site includes a link to the Atanarjuat website.  Another interesting link is to the website for 2007 Isuma film Before Tomorrow.  This site includes discussion and photos about the Inuit cast and crew, the remote Nunavit sets, and a synopsis of the film about Inuit life in the 1840’s, and focusing on the life and reflections of an aging woman.

The Isuma website includes a For Teachers page.   This page showcases special DVD packages (and books and audio CDs) of the Isuma films and documentaries and is aimed at bringing Inuit culture into schools.

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