Tuesday, January 7, 2020

Smiley faces - Haida style

Totem emojis for the digital age
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/haida-emojis-a-digital-first-for-b-c-indigenous-community-1.5413482



From article:
"Jaalen Edenshaw's traditional art, which includes masks, canoes, and red cedar totem poles 13 metres high, is on display in galleries around the world. Now, his Haida emojis are available on the Apple app store, free to all."

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Wednesday, December 18, 2019

Canada’s Stonehenge

An ancient medicine wheel geoglyph
https://calgaryherald.com/uncategorized/penner-canadas-stonehenge-older-than-many-great-spirit-sites-of-the-world

From the article:

"The ancient medicine wheel — more accurately, it's a geoglyph, which is essentially a man-made design made on the ground with stones or earth — was constructed over the span of a few thousand years. Incredibly, its first stones were placed approximately 5,000 years ago. So, to put this into context, the wheel is 1,000 years older than Stonehenge, 3,500 years older than the Mayan Pyramid of Chichen Itza, 500 years older than the Great Pyramid of Giza. Now, perhaps, you have a clearer picture of what we're dealing with here. In Alberta. Just a couple of hours from Calgary."

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Tuesday, December 3, 2019

O Canada - Our Home and Native Land

The national anthem in traditional languages

Why not have students listen to the national anthem in a traditional language? Many First Nations have translated or adapted the words or intent of the song and given it a uniquely "Canadian" flavour.



Cree version:
https://youtu.be/TuUK666l5u4 
https://youtu.be/vSu150kZ0ZU 

Nisga'a
https://youtu.be/4S6aWgygwRU

Mohawk (Cheri Maracle)
https://youtu.be/9hZFCQTBxrA

Ojibwe
https://youtu.be/_Z-GYZmCJR4

Dene
https://youtu.be/j_kD7FeHm8Y

Inuinnaqtun
https://youtu.be/5ofKc20OVPE


Inuktitut

https://youtu.be/QAzoO-0RG5s

Inuvialuktun
https://youtu.be/R4n3ZwCip4s

Mi'kmaq
https://soundcloud.com/mikmaq-confederacy/oh-canada-mastered-dec-817
http://firstnationhelp.com/ali/okanata.php

The story of one school
https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/news/oh-kanata-learning-canadas-national-anthem-mikmaq


also:
11 versions back to back (Indigenous and others) :
https://youtu.be/1jROsqdrLdk

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Thursday, November 28, 2019

Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada

An Outstanding Resource
https://indigenouspeoplesatlasofcanada.ca/


From the foreword:
 "In this atlas, you will find outstanding reference maps of Indigenous Canada, as well as a section devoted to Truth and Reconciliation, including detailed pages on many aspects of the topic with contemporary and historical photography, maps and more. There's also a glossary of common Indigenous terms. This atlas was created by The Royal Canadian Geographical Society in conjunction with the Assembly of First Nations, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, the Métis Nation, the National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation and Indspire."

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Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Language Nesters | ta’ulthun sqwal

Hul'q'umi'num' Language Academy

Lyrics and phrases in the Island Dialect. (with audio files.)

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Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Dean’s Distinguished Lecture | Senator Murray Sinclair

"We have to ensure that students grow up knowing who they are."

The Dean's Distinguished Lecture with Senator Murray Sinclair – November 19, 2019 at 7:00 p.m.


The presentation starts at about the 35 minute mark in the recording.

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Floral Beadwork

A Métis Cultural Heritage to Rediscover
http://www.ameriquefrancaise.org/en/article-476/Floral_Beadwork:_A_M%C3%A9tis_Cultural_Heritage_to_Rediscover_.html



"By developing their own style and by making large quantities of objects that were then sold or exchanged, women played an important economic role within the Western Canadian Métis nation. At the same time, they have also helped spread the cultural identity of the Métis ,a proud nation unique to Canada."


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Wednesday, November 13, 2019

Cedar Bark Weaving Videos

The Art of Cedar Weaving
https://www.revolvy.com/page/Cedar-Bark-Weaving?stype=videos&cmd=list&sml=VgnQZppNrU0

A nice collection of videos that focus on cedar weaving:
"Cedar bark textile was used by indigenous people in the Pacific Northwest region of modern-day Canada and the United States. Historically, most items of clothing were made of this material."

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Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Getting started in Hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓

Vocab and phrases to get you speaking
http://www.sfu.ca/~gerdts/Josephine/index.html

From the webpage: "Our language teacher is Mrs. Josephine Good. Her native name is Laha. She lives at Snuneymuxw First Nation, in Nanaimo, British Columbia. She was born on July 14, 1914, in Port Coquitlam, British Columbia. The language she speaks is called Hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓. This is the dialect that is spoken in the Lower Mainland in the vicinity of Vancouver. We enjoy studying Hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ with her and we hope you will too."

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Thursday, November 7, 2019

Coast Salish Artwork at the Mall

Tsawwassen Mills features Indigenous Art
https://www.tsawwassenmills.com/en/mall-artworks/

Of the 22 artworks present in the mall, the majority feature Coast Salish artists from the region. The link above will let you view images of each piece and learn more about the artists. After viewing them virtually, why not head over to the mall to see them in person?

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