Thursday, January 15, 2015

Map of the Métis Nation of Ontario

Website that celebrates Métis culture, traditions and settlements

"Prior to Canada's crystallization as a nation, a new Aboriginal people emerged out of the relations of Indian women and European men. While the initial offspring of these Indian and European unions were individuals who simply possessed mixed ancestry, subsequent intermarriages between these mixed ancestry children resulted in the genesis of a new Aboriginal people with a distinct identity, culture and consciousness in west central North America – the Métis Nation."

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Wednesday, January 14, 2015

Lessons in the Language -MIP

Reversing the decline of language in First Nations communities
The Mi'kmaq immersion program (MIP) at Eskasoni School in Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, [is] now in its 14th year. It started in 2000, and is based on the early exit model of immersion. Starting in kindergarten, students are totally immersed in Mi'kmaw language until Grade 4, at which point they are transitioned into the English program. Within a period of 10 months, they are expected to achieve a level of fluency in English on par with that of the English language program students. The MIP is part of a growing trend in First Nations language immersion, whose aim is to reverse the decline of language in First Nations communities.

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Tuesday, January 13, 2015

Mi'kmaq: First Nation people - Conne River

Examining the renewal of traditional customs
Video shorts and transcripts:

"Can heritage continue to inform the way we live today? Is it possible to balance traditional ideas with a modern life? The Mi'kmaq people have had roots in Conne River Newfoundland in Canada for generations, but it was only officially designated as a reserve in 1987. Many of its indigenous inhabitants still feel a connection with the past and in recent times there has been a revival of interest in Mi'kmaq culture. These films give insight into Mi'kmaq life and examine the renewal of traditional customs by interviewing key members of the community who discuss the benefits and difficulties in attempting to hold on to their ancestry. This material forms part of the Open University course A332 Why is religion controversial?

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New graphic novel helps dispel myths

A better understanding of Indigenous cultures
"As APTN's Dennis Ward reports, a new graphic novel aims to help people gain a better understanding of Indigenous cultures in Canada."

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Court decision ends ambiguity for non-status Indians and Metis

Metis and non-status Indians are indeed "Indians"
"Thanks to a single court decision, the federal government's responsibilities for Canada's aboriginal peoples have suddenly become a whole lot larger. After more than 13 years of legal wrangling, the Federal Court ruled on Tuesday that Metis and non-status Indians are indeed "Indians" under a section of the Constitution Act, and fall under federal jurisdiction."


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Friday, January 9, 2015

the role of Newfoundland Mi’kmaq in the Great War

Recognizing a gap in the province's written military history.

"A humanities professor hopes to shed some light on the involvement of the Newfoundland Mi'kmaq, the Indigenous First Nations people of the island, in the First World War. The research of Dr. Maura Hanrahan, assistant professor and chair of the humanities program at Grenfell Campus, will inform a detailed database of Newfoundland Mi'kmaq service personnel and provide details on their home communities, families, ages and occupations when they enlisted, the unit they belonged to, whether they were injured or killed, and details of their death."

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Joseph Boyden edits new anthology highlighting plight of First Nations women

Kwe: Standing With Our Sisters
"Sometimes, lamentable and heinous acts bring people together. For author Joseph Boyden, it was yet another violent assault on a First Nations woman that first angered him, but then inspired him to reach out to fellow artists and thinkers. The inspiration led to the new anthology Kwe: Standing With Our Sisters, which features new writing and original artwork by more than 50 contributors, including Margaret Atwood, Michael Ondaatje, Gord Downie, Thomas King, Lee Maracle, and Yann Martel."

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Aeon Magazine - Native American land dispossession

US must not forget its history of dispossession
Claudio Saunt writes about the dispossession of Native American lands in an article for Aeon magazine. (See his time-lapse map!)

"Acre by acre, the dispossession of native peoples made the United States a transcontinental power. To visualise this story, I created 'The Invasion of America', an interactive time-lapse map of the nearly 500 cessions that the United States carved out of native lands on its westward march to the shores of the Pacific."

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Thursday, January 8, 2015

Book of Days for the Mi'kmaw Year

Events from the near and distant past
Some important dates to remember!
"The "Book of Days for the Mi'kmaw Year" is an amalgam of events from the near and distant past which might otherwise be forgotten. Though not intended as a history of a people, it is hoped it may serve as a reminder of the important and not-so-important moments that have gone before."

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This Is Mi'kma'ki - on Vimeo

Home of the Mi'kmaq
Watch this video - beautifully done.

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