Burt Award for First Nations, Métis and Inuit Literature - CODE

Celebrating FN, M and I literature

http://www.codecan.org/burt-award-canada

The first winners of the Burt Award for First Nations, Métis and Inuit Literature were announced on October 2nd, 2013.

They are:

• 1st place: Indian Horse, by Richard Wagamese (published by Douglas and McIntyre)
• 2nd place: As I Remember It, by Tara Lee Morin (published by Theytus Books)
• 3rd place: As Long as the Rivers Flow, by James Bartleman (published by Random House of Canada Ltd.)
  

Congratulations to all winners and finalists!

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First Nation Elders share language skills with UBC students

A language game to share with the younger generation

https://news.ok.ubc.ca/2013/11/26/first-nation-elders-share-language-skills-with-ubc-students/

A session using WAYK to teach an aboriginal language. I wonder if anyone is offering this in the Mi'kmaq language?

"The Splatsin elders recently came to UBC's Okanagan campus to play a verbal game with students in Christine Schreyer's endangered languages course. The goal was to teach the elders a language game they could take home and share with the younger generation. In exchange, UBC students learned some Secwepemc (Shuswap) language.

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C'est Parti Mon Tipi

Emission de télé ado-autochtone

http://aptn.ca/cestpartimontipi/

http://www.cestpartimontipi.tv

A show in French on APTN for and about aboriginal youth and their communities.

"C'est une émission de télé qui en est à sa troisième année sur APTN et qui est animée par Charles Bender, un Huron-Wendat de Wendake. Mais encore plus qu'une émission de télé, c'est surtout une gang d'ados autochtones qui reçoivent une vedette qu'ils aiment dans leur communauté et qui trippent avec elle en faisant des sketches absurdes et des activités loufoques. En somme, c'est du fun, des niaiseries, des fous rires et des moments inoubliables passés avec une vedette."

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Talking Circles: First Nation Pedagogy

A model that encourages dialogue

http://cce-wakata.blogspot.ca/2013/03/talking-circles-first-nation-pedagogy.html?m=1

"Talking Circles or Circle Talks are a foundational approach to First Nations pedagogy-in-action since they provide a model for an educational activity that encourages dialogue, respect, the co-creation of learning content, and social discourse."

Read more on the Wakata blog about ways to use the circle in class.

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Aboriginal Language Initiative - Mi'kma'ji'jk Song

Mi'kma'ji'jk  - Mi'kmaw Children

http://www.firstnationhelp.com/ali/mikmajijk.php#lyrics

Here's a song about children learning to speak the Mi'kmaw language. Download the clip or listen to it on the web page. The lyrics are included.

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Aboriginal Children's games

Some FN games to try

[Link to PDF activity sheet]

"Games are an important part of Aboriginal society, passed down from generation to generation. Games teach cooperation, team work and social skills. Some games also teach other essential skills such as target practice, hand/eye coordination, agility, and dexterity. They were important for the emotional, physical, and mental development of the community members. Games also provide a good form of exercise and leisure activity for the young and the old. Many games were played in the winter- time."

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Aboriginal content on CBC

A new "channel" on the CBC

http://www.cbc.ca/news/aboriginal

It looks like the CBC is taking aboriginal issues more seriously. There is a channel on the main site that allows viewers to follow targeted news stories as well as upload events and issues in local communities. This is a good step!

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Mi’kmaq assembly starts boosting membership with Corner Brook meeting

Fighting the controversial enrolment process

http://www.thewesternstar.com/News/Local/2013-12-06/article-3531786/Mi%26rsquo%3Bkmaq-assembly-starts-boosting-membership-with-Corner-Brook-meeting/1

Good article on the MFNAN meeting this past week.

"The Mi'kmaq First Nation Assembly of Newfoundland is hoping to boost its membership and got a good start on that during an information session held in Corner Brook Thursday night.

"The assembly has been organized to fight the controversial enrolment process into the Qalipu Mi'kmaq First Nation Band in light of the concern thousands of people will be denied membership in the band...

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Call of the Spirit: Stories of Success in Indigenous-Led Education

Encouraging trends in educational achievement among Aboriginal youth

[Link to series]

"In this new Tyee Solutions Society Series, reporter Katie Hyslop looks at some inspiring models for doing things differently; what society's failure to help our Aboriginal youth learn is costing the rest of us; and how the federal and provincial governments might better spend Aboriginal education dollars."

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Journeying back: a research project

Understanding, reclamation and recovery

http://www.mun.ca/educ/faculty/mwatch/mwatch_sped13/Hanrahan.pdf

Dr. Maura Hanrahan writes a very personal account of reclaming heritage and family history in this paper written at Memorial University. Below is a short excerpt. (Click the link above for the entire article.) Wela'lin for this great testimonial!

     

"Like that of other people of Newfoundland Mi'kmaq descent, my Indigenous  ancestry was stigmatized and largely hidden by my family through my childhood.   Through my research with Indigenous elders, beginning with the Inuit-Metis of  Southern Labrador, I began to realize that stigmatization and the use of denial as a  coping strategy was a common experience in Indigenous Canada.  Here, I go  beyond locating myself in the text to begin what Robert Nash calls a scholarly  personal narrative (2004) rooted in my experience as a person of Mi'kmaq descent  in modern day Newfoundland."

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