Monday, November 9, 2015

MediaSmarts' Youth Safety Guide Translated for Aboriginal Teens

"Think Before You Share" available in Ojibwe, Cree and Inuktitut
"To help Aboriginal teens make smart decisions when sharing online, MediaSmarts, Facebook and the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network (APTN) partnered to translate MediaSmarts "Think Before You Share" guide into three common languages: Ojibwe, Cree and Inuktitut. The guide offers teens advice on safe, wise and ethical online behaviour. The new resources are freely available on MediaSmarts' website."

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Thursday, November 5, 2015

Native American worldviews and the environment

A different, genuinely sustainable relationship with nature
Peter Whitely:
"As an anthropologist, I am a scientist, and profess the standard commitment to search for objective truth via observation and reason; I cheerfully accept established scientific laws. Yet this commitment has often been challenged by my experiences among Native communities involving the natural world, which I am unable to explain by scientific reason. I have come to believe that such experiences point towards a different, genuinely sustainable relationship with nature. But taking account of them means listening much more carefully to other people's world views than we have done to date."

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Eskasoni Mi’kmaw Nation Opens First Mi’kmaw Immersion School

A milestone for Mi'kmaw Education
"After years of careful planning and hard work, the Eskasoni Mi'kmaw Nation has opened its first Mi'kmaw Immersion School. The initial program, developed in the early 2000s, started as a single class of Mi'kmaq immersion students that soon expanded to include students from K–grade 4. The increasing interest in the program led staff and language specialists to discuss developing a separate school, within which all communications — on the playground and in the classroom — would be held in Mi'kmaw.

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Monday, November 2, 2015

Hiqw Sto:lo - The Big River

How salmon came to the Fraser River


"Musqueam Elder Larry Grant and Sto:lo Cultural Historian Dr. Sonny McHalsie oral histories of how salmon came to the Fraser River and discuss their personal connections to the Fraser River. Produced by Kamala Todd, this film is part of Our Bones are Made of Salmon, an education program at the Fraser River Discovery Centre. (For more information contact programs@fraserriverdiscovery.org)"

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Monday, October 26, 2015

Jen Adomeit - A Canadian Artist creates aboriginal inspired art

An 'interpretive representation' of the Northwest Coast style
Jen writes:
"My heritage includes Swiss, German, French Canadian, and Ukrainian – I am Canadian. Although I have no Aboriginal ancestry, I have always been fascinated by the striking artistic style of the Northwest Coast First Nations. ... In 2006, I created a painting called 'Our Home and Native Land' [...] which is an 'interpretive representation' of the Northwest Coast style. [...] I recently completed 'The Spirit of BC' with hopes of creating more Canadian inspired pieces in the future."

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Mi'kmaq resistance kept British holed up in their forts, historian finds

Cornwallis was ineffective in suppressing Mi'kmaq
"In the early clashes between the British and Mi'kmaq, the British usually came out on the losing end, new research suggests.  The Mi'kmaq were so successful at defending against the settlers, British soldiers were often too scared to leave their forts, according to historical documents."

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Canada Heirloom Series: "Micmac" Aboriginal Life

Government, conservation, science and education pre-contact.

This is a webarchive link to a the "Canada Heirloom Series" materials. Chapter 1 of this particular volume introduces pre-contact Mi'kmaq practices and customs.

 "...the Micmacs had their own territory, a civilization with a distinct system of government, education and economy."

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Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Traditional Mi'kmaq (Micmac) Culture

History and traditions


excerpted from a longer article:

"Today, Mi'kmaq culture has changed considerably since the days when the first European vessel arrived off the shores of Mi'kmaq country, but we should remember that all cultures, including our own, change over time, and today's Mi'kmaq are no less Indian simply because they wear the same clothes as other Canadians, drive cars, and watch television. Glooskap still lives in today's Mi'kmaq."

Uncovering UBC’s Hidden History

A commitment to increase engagement & educational opportunities for FNMI peoples



"....In addition to many long‑standing programs, UBC has formed an Aboriginal strategic plan, has one of the largest contingents of indigenous professors on permanent appointments at any research‑intensive university, and has increased Aboriginal enrolment to more than a thousand students."

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Saturday, October 17, 2015

Aboriginal presence - all around us

While walking from Granville Island towards Terra Breads around False Creek, my wife and I came across this beautiful welcoming pole - with no inscription or explanation - a silent witness to the historic presence of the Coast Salish people.