Activity Discussion #11: Decolonizing and Indigenizing education

Consider Faye Ginsburg's assertion (in "Rethinking the Digital Age") that social action and
transformation in Indigenous communities has been linked to control of media, representation,
and access to technology. Then consider Tim Michel's video commentary about the digital
divide. Think back to the potential of responsive math education, as presented in Nicol et. al.'s
article from week 9. How might this contribute to addressing that digital divide? Incorporate all
these ideas to comment on why it is important to advocate for more Indigenous participation in
media creation. Address the role of representation in self-determination: How are self-
representation and self-determination connected?
I really enjoyed the reading and video this week and I found it interesting to have the ah ha
moment when all three pieces we were asked to reflect on suddenly came together. I read the
Faye Ginsburg (2008) chapter first and had difficulty connecting it clearly to the responsive math
education presented by Nicol, Archibald and Baker (2013); however, once I began watching Tim
Michels (n.d.) interview, everything seemed to fall into place. The two points that really
impacted me this week were that the digital divide must be considered within a realistic
context and that we must work to incorporate Indigenous knowledges and values into our current
curriculums to develop feelings of self-representation and self-determination, and to increase the
interest and engagement for First Nations students, allowing them an increased potential for
success in post-secondary science and technology programs.
The term digital divide is one that I have heard referred to quite often. Reading Faye
Ginsburgs chapter, however, has made me consider this divide in a new light. I found the
quotes from Bill Gates and The Economist made me reflect on my own misinterpretations of the
digital divide and what the term actually means on a global scale. Upon reflecting, it does not
make sense to discuss the divide that has been created by technology, or a lack of technology, for
many countries around the world, when the greater issue is one of poverty and illness. At what
point in our lives did technology take over to such an extent that we have begun to believe that a
cell phone or computer will save the children of a country devastated by famine, drought, or
war? Having said that, I do see how the digital divide is applicable to the country of Canada and
for me, more specifically, to the province of British Columbia where I live.
When I think of my own classroom and surrounding communities, I see many of the concerns
around the digital divide that were discussed during Tim Michels interview. This digital
divide appears most significantly in two senses. The first is in the shift from learning from our
elders to learning from our children. This is an important piece to consider when we reflect on
Indigenous cultural traditions and the respected roles of Elders in Indigenous societies. While in
the past, we have all learned from our elders and traditions have been passed on in this way, our
elders are often unable to teach the younger generation about current technologies and children
are more likely to teach their elders about the rapidly changing technologies available today. In
Indigenous communities, this would seem to have the potential to effect the conveying of
language and cultural knowledges from Elders in the traditional way. In the second sense, the
digital divide is in the fact that many Indigenous communities do not have access to the
technology that is available in larger centres. I have many students in my class who bus in from
a reserve half an hour away. The majority of these students do not have the internet at home, and
while there are two facilities (health station and community multiplex) on their reserve where
they are able to go to get internet access, most children will not take time out of their after school
hours (or are unable due to distance) to go to there to independently work on school-related
activities (I teach grade 4/5 so the concept of traveling to a building for homework purposes is a
stretch for them to begin with). The district I work in has a push on right now for connecting
through technology with parents, but I have deliberately not gone to FreshGrade or another
technology-based reporting system for the simple reason that it will leave out many of the
families that I currently teach, contributing, I believe, to a feeling of alienation rather than a
sense of classroom community.
For me, the most significant point made was by Tim Michel when he discussed the fact that we
are not serving our First Nations students in our current school system. This point tied in directly
with the responsive math education presented by Nicols, et al. (2013). As Michel points out,
Indigenous people across Canada already feel alienated from their traditional territories, so if
Indigenous students cannot see themselves represented in their own school curriculum, and feel
alienated from the education systems that are supposed to help them find success as they grow,
then how can we possibility believe that we can help them develop the confidence needed for
self-representation and self-determination. If educators are able to integrate Indigenous
knowledges into every subject at every grade level, perhaps Indigenous students will begin to
feel that both they and their culture are important to and valued in our education system. By
incorporating cultural knowledges related to crab traps, fishing and bentwood boxes, educators in
the study led by Nicols et al. (2013) were able to increase engagement and interaction in math for
Indigenous students. As Tim Michel points out, if we are able to increase Indigenous student
engagement in the maths and sciences, then they are more likely to enrol in post-secondary
courses and experiences related to technology and sciences.
Tied to this are the examples Ginsburg gave of representing Indigenous culture through various
types of media. Because technology plays such a significant role in our society today, it is
important that Indigenous youth see themselves represented not just in their education systems,
but also in the media that surrounds them. For example, by integrating the Raven Tales series
(both books and videos) in the classroom, all children are able to see the stories of Indigenous
cultures as something interesting, engaging and of value. In addition to this, Indigenous students
are able to see themselves represented in media of today and are in turn included in the culture of
technology, rather than alienated from yet another area of the dominant society.
When thinking about incorporating Indigenous knowledges, I always come back to the statement
made by New Zealand professor, Russell Bishop, what is good for Maori students is good for
other pupils, but what is good for other students is not necessarily good for Maori (Lok, 2011).
From a Canadian viewpoint, we have clear evidence that a strict western academic system is not
good for Indigenous children in Canada; however, we are able to see how integrating Indigenous
knowledges will benefit all students in Canada, allowing Indigenous students to feel represented
rather than alienated, leading to increased feelings of inclusion, confidence, and personal
potential (so self-determination) for Indigenous learners.
References:

Ginsburg, F. (2008). Rethinking the digital age, in Global Indigenous Media: Cultures, Poetics,
and Politics. [Wilson, P. & Steward, M., Eds]. U.S.A.: Duke University Press, p. 287-306.

Lok, K. (2011). Maori students need respect: Schools trial cultural teaching programme. The
Dominion Post. Retrieved from: http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/news/local-
papers/horowhenua-mail/4752393/Maori-students-need-respect

Michel, T. (n.d.). Tim Michel. UBC. Retrieved from:

https://connect.ubc.ca/webapps/blackboard/execute/displayLearningUnit?course_id=_83533_1&
content_id=_3608919_1&framesetWrapped=true
Nicol, C., Archibald, J., Baker, J. (2013), Designing a model of culturally responsive
mathematics education: Place, relationships and storywork. Mathematics Education Research
Journal. 25(1), 73-89.