Course Profile Issues of Indigenous
Peoples in a Global Context (NDW4M), Grade 12, University/College Preparation,
Catholic
Unit 1: Indigenous World Views
Time:
20 hours
Activity
1 | Activity 2 | Activity 3
Unit Description
In this unit, students discuss and compare terms that are used to define indigenous peoples. Students explore and investigate the diversity as well as the world views of groups of indigenous peoples in a global context. Students respond to the manner in which the world views of indigenous peoples express their autonomy, sovereignty and self-determination. Finally, students apply their understanding of the strategies that indigenous peoples use to preserve and sustain their cultures and languages.
Teachers should review with the terminology and activities inherent in the Grades 9 to 12, Native Studies Courses. They should also locate selected articles and verify websites.
|
Activity 1 |
Shared Perspectives in Indigenous World
Views in |
6 hours |
|
Activity 2 |
Expression of Autonomy, Sovereignty and Self-determination |
7 hours |
|
Activity 3 |
Maintenance and Sustenance of Culture, Languages and Traditions in a Context of Change |
7 hours |
If students have not taken previous Native Studies courses, teachers will need to supplement the materials provided. Students also need to be familiar with basic research techniques, including the knowledge of how to use search engines.
Overall Expectations
IDV.01 - demonstrate an understanding of how certain terms relating to Aboriginal peoples change when they are used in an international context;
IDV.02 - identify where indigenous peoples are situated throughout the world;
IDV.05 - demonstrate an understanding of the commonality of world views of indigenous peoples around the world;
SOV.01 - identify the nature and scope of “self-determination” as articulated by indigenous peoples worldwide;
SOV.02 - describe the basis for the autonomy of indigenous peoples;
CHV.01 - identify the common issues facing the world’s indigenous peoples;
CHV.02 - demonstrate an understanding of the factors that influence indigenous peoples’ participation in international affairs or the global economy;
CHV.03 - describe a variety of approaches that indigenous peoples are taking to preserve and maintain indigenous knowledge as it relates to such things as culture, language, and the environment.
Specific Expectations
ID1.01 - demonstrate an understanding of the similarity in world views of the world’s indigenous populations;
ID1.02 - describe the legal and political perspectives of the world views of indigenous peoples concerning their own social, economic, or cultural development (e.g., regarding governance, resource development, or the preservation of indigenous languages);
ID1.03 - describe how indigenous peoples throughout the world have maintained the core principles of an indigenous world view (e.g., land stewardship; cooperation; reciprocal relationships, such as “people with the Creator”, “people with people”, and “people with the environment”) or have lost their traditional ways (e.g., destruction of the rain forest);
RE1.01 - describe the world view that
Aboriginal peoples in
RE1.02 - describe the dialogue on issues of reconciliation (e.g., reciprocity, sharing) between indigenous peoples and their nation states in various parts of the world;
RE1.03 - demonstrate an understanding that the North American Aboriginal cultural perspective on land is shared by indigenous peoples in various parts of the world;
RE1.04 - identify views and concerns that unite indigenous peoples around the world (e.g., sovereignty and sustainability);
RE3.03 - demonstrate an understanding of how an indigenous group has used a philosophical attachment to its traditional lands (e.g., the Maori of New Zealand, the Aborigines of Australia) as a means of maintaining the group’s cultural identity;
SO1.01 - explain the meaning of the term self-determination;
SO1.02 - identify universal characteristics of indigenous sovereignty (e.g., a land base bestowed by the Creator; a traditional body of knowledge, language, and law; a self-identifying population);
CH1.01 - demonstrate an understanding of the global roles that indigenous peoples see for themselves (e.g., stewardship of the environment, co-management of resources with national governments);
CH1.02 - describe the strategies that indigenous peoples are using to sustain their cultures and languages, and to protect the environment;
CH1.03 - describe how indigenous peoples are using their cultural practices and traditional teachings when developing new strategies to cope with change.
Time: 6 hours
Students work in small groups to research and create a short presentation on a specific global indigenous people. The teacher pre-selects and assigns the indigenous groups to be investigated to ensure a global perspective is shared in the presentations. Each group of 3 or 4 students includes writings and stories from the indigenous group as part of their presentation. At least one of the pieces should reveal the indigenous group’s connection to the land as revealed through stories and mythology. Following all of the class presentations, students use the research provided in the presentations to complete an essay response to the following thesis: Globally, the stories and beliefs of indigenous peoples reveal a connection to their ancestral lands that is similar in many respects.
Overall Expectations
IDV.01 - demonstrate an understanding of how certain terms relating to Aboriginal peoples change when they are used in an international context;
IDV.02 - identify where indigenous peoples are situated throughout the world;
IDV.05 - demonstrate an understanding of the commonality of world views of indigenous peoples around the world.
Specific Expectations
ID1.01 - demonstrate an understanding of the similarity in world views of the world’s indigenous populations;
ID1.02 - describe the legal and political perspectives of the world views of indigenous peoples concerning their own social, economic, or cultural development (e.g., regarding governance, resource development, or the preservation of indigenous languages);
RE1.01 - describe the world view that
Aboriginal peoples in
RE1.02 - describe the dialogue on issues of reconciliation (e.g., reciprocity, sharing) between indigenous peoples and their nation states in various parts of the world;
RE1.03 - demonstrate an understanding that the North American Aboriginal cultural perspective on land is shared by indigenous peoples in various parts of the world;
RE1.04 - identify views and concerns that unite indigenous peoples around the world;
RE3.03 - demonstrate an understanding of how an indigenous group has used a philosophical attachment to its traditional lands as a means of maintaining the group’s cultural identity.
Students have a basic knowledge of world
political and cultural geography from Grade 9 Geography. Students will have
knowledge of Aboriginal peoples in
Review Grade 9, 10, and 11 course
outlines for an explanation of terms and activities related Aboriginal peoples
in
1. Begin the lesson by defining the term Aboriginal peoples as it is used in a Canadian context. Share/review other terms related to Canadian Aboriginal identity, e.g., First Nations, Metis. Introduce the term “indigenous peoples” and its meaning, i.e., “Indigenous peoples are descendants of the original inhabitants of a given geographical territory.” (30 minutes)
2. Inform students that they are going to begin a short, focused group research project. Each group is given an indigenous group to research using the Internet and available print resources. The group then reports back to the rest of the class. Inform students that the indigenous groups selected for investigation were chosen so as to highlight the global diversity of indigenous culture.
3. Hand out (or have the students create) KWL charts (see Appendix 1). The K (know) portion of this organizer provide students with an opportunity to make explicit and share what they already may know about the topic (Global Indigenous Peoples). The W (want to know) portion of the organizer allows students to direct their own educational agenda. Knowing students’ particular interests in respect to the course content can also be valuable for the teacher as they plan the unit of study. The L part of the organizer (what I learned) can be filled in at the end of the unit. This can be turned into a valuable reflective activity near the end of the course. (30 minutes)
4. Divide
students into research groups of 3 or 4. Possible choices for student research
could be: Ainu (
Each presentation should be limited to approximately 10 minutes. (4 hours - includes time for research and classroom presentations.) It is expected that some of the research will be done as homework.
5. After the presentations are complete, students will have a range of literature that represents global indigenous world views. As a final task, students write an essay to support the following thesis: Globally the stories and beliefs of indigenous peoples reveal a connection to their ancestral lands that is similar in many respects. (1 hour.) This task is primarily intended to be a homework assignment, but the teacher may want to devote some class time to the activity in its initial stages (e.g., model writing of the introductory paragraph, collaborating with students to develop evaluation criteria for the essay, etc.).
The first activity (strategy 4), a small group presentation and research on a pre-chosen global indigenous group, should be assessed formatively. A checklist could easily be developed from the Presentation and Research Criteria (Appendix 1). Each presentation is expected to demonstrate a knowledge of the basic facts surrounding the indigenous peoples examined. Teacher observation during the research process provides information about students’ ability to apply inquiry process skills. Finally, the presentation is assessed for clarity and a sense of audience and purpose.
The essay (strategy 5) should be completed as an independent task and assessed with a teacher-developed rubric or checklist-style marking guide. Students have the opportunity to apply, make connections between, and transfer concepts from strategy 1. The focus for evaluation in this activity is student demonstration of the degree to which they recognize and understand the commonality of world views of global indigenous peoples.
Research materials, at an appropriate reading level, should be pre-selected by the teacher and made available to students, if necessary. Peer support for identified students should be arranged. A possible enrichment option would be to ask students to investigate ideas and concepts by thinkers in what has become known as “deep ecology” (e.g., The Dream of the Earth by Thomas Berry) and comment on the degree to which these perspectives reflect and borrow from traditional indigenous thought.
Books
Bernstein, J. “Maya Traditional
Knowledge: Preserving Forests in
V. 13:1 (Spring 1996): 30-37.
Knudtson, Peter and David Suzuki.
Wisdom of the Elders.
Lewis-Williams, J.D. Stories
That Float From Afar: Ancestral Folklore of the San of
Maybury-Lewis, D. Millennium: Tribal
Wisdom in the Modern World.
Roberts, E. and E. Amidon. Earth
prayers from around the world.
Websites
Aini Moshiri –
http://www.pasifika.net/pacific_action/voices/ainu.html
(the Director of the Ainu Association of Hokkaido, Mr. Tokuhei Akibe, speaks
about his people)
Cultural Survival Publications Department – http://www.cs.org
First Peoples on SchoolNet –
http://www.schoolnet.ca/aboriginal/elders-e.html
(traditional teachings from Canadian indigenous peoples)
The Center for World Indigenous
Studies – http://www.cwis.org/
(has a variety of articles and information on the world’s indigenous peoples)
Storytelling: A Unit of Study –
http://www.galileo.org/tips/storytelling/storyunit.html
(material on oral storytelling, including material on African indigenous
peoples and the Ainu)
Time: 7 hours
Students explore the meanings of the
terms autonomy, sovereignty, and self-determination. Then they
respond to articles, videos, and statements in which indigenous peoples from
North, Central, and
Overall Expectations
SOV.01 - identify the nature and scope of “self-determination” as articulated by indigenous peoples worldwide;
SOV.02 - describe the basis for the autonomy of indigenous peoples;
IDV.05 - demonstrate an understanding of the commonality of world views of indigenous peoples around the world.
Specific Expectations
SO1.01 - explain the meaning of the term self-determination;
SO1.02 - identify universal characteristics of indigenous sovereignty (e.g., a land base bestowed by the Creator; a traditional body of knowledge, language, and law; a self-identifying population);
ID1.02 - describe the legal and political perspectives of the world views of indigenous peoples concerning their own social, economic, or cultural development (e.g., regarding governance, resource development, or the preservation of indigenous languages).
Students should be familiar with generating ideas, and gathering and analysing information from a variety of print, audio-visual, and Internet resources. Students should be familiar with the uses and conventions of different forms of writing developed in the Grade 11 course, English: Contemporary Aboriginal Voices or in the Grade 11 English program.
Teachers
should:
· review the terms self determination, autonomy, and sovereignty prior to class;
· review the uses and conventions of the different forms of writing;
· locate selected articles from books, magazines, or newspapers on Aboriginal sovereignty;
· verify websites prior to assigning them for student use.
1. Review
shared world views of indigenous peoples in
2. Place the words autonomy, sovereignty, and self-determination on board.
Students brainstorm the meanings and subtleties of these words, i.e., self-determination does not imply autonomy or sovereignty, but the freedom of a people to choose their form of government.
Locate meanings in the dictionary and place them on the board. (Sample definitions: autonomy – “independence; self-government”; sovereignty – “freedom from outside control; independence in exercising power or authority”; self-determination – “direction from within only, without influence or force from without; the deciding by the people of a nation what form of government they should have, without reference to the wishes of any other nation, especially one to which it has been subject” from World Book Multimedia Encyclopaedia.) Students record definitions in notebooks.
3. Ask students: Why do indigenous peoples want self-determination?
4. Place the following statement on the board, “In international law, the concept of self-determination encompasses the right of people to freely determine without external interference their political status and to pursue their economic, social, and cultural development” found in Aboriginal Self-Determination, p.191. (See Resources.) Students record statement in notebooks.
Ask students the following: What are some of the ways indigenous peoples pursue their economic, social, and cultural development?
5. Show
video, Indigenous 500 or Five Centuries Later (North, South, and
In response to the video, students write a short persuasive essay that defines and argues for indigenous self-determination.
6. Show
video, Issues Update and/or Native People and the Future (
Discuss issues related to sovereignty raised in these programs.
7. In pairs, students read teacher-selected articles from books, magazines, or newspapers on Aboriginal sovereignty.
Students then write an editorial for or against Aboriginal sovereignty. Students share these editorials with the class.
8. Ask students the following: How do indigenous peoples make their views on sovereignty known?
9. Students read “A Declaration of the First Nations”(1981) in Surviving as Indians (p. 323), “Rights of Indigenous Peoples and Other Ethnic Groups in the New Colombian Constitution” in Aboriginal Peoples (pp. 178–179), and “Convention 169 of the International Labour Organization” (1991) in Aboriginal Peoples (pp. 161–165). (See Resources.)
In small groups, students compare and contrast these or other indigenous statements of sovereignty. Then have students list universal characteristics of indigenous sovereignty in chart form.
10. Show
video, Hanging On, Keep the Circle Strong, Pachamama, or My Macondo
(Central and
11. In
small groups or pairs, students use the Internet to gather information on other
indigenous peoples’ legal and political perspectives on sovereignty, autonomy,
or self-determination from
Assessment/evaluation includes:
· diagnostic assessment of a short persuasive essay that defines and argues for indigenous self-determination, with teacher using a writing convention checklist (Knowledge/Understanding and Thinking/Inquiry);
· formative assessment of “universal characteristics of indigenous sovereignty” chart with teacher, using anecdotal comments (Knowledge/Understanding and Communication);
·
formative assessment of small
group oral report on indigenous peoples’ legal and political perspectives on
sovereignty, autonomy or self-determination from
Students with who have difficulty with written communication may choose to present their written work orally or choose alternate forms of writing for this activity.
Teachers should consult local Aboriginal communities and organizations for resources in addition to the print and electronic materials referenced in this document.
Boldt, Menno. Surviving as
Indians: The Challenge of Self-Government.
Cassidy, Frank, ed. Aboriginal
Self-Determination.
Bird, John, L. Land, and M. MacAdam,
eds. Nation to Nation: Aboriginal Sovereignty and the Future of
Fleras, Augie and Jean Leonard
Elliot. The Nations Within:
Léger, Marie, ed. Aboriginal
Peoples: Toward Self-Government.
Magazines and Newspapers
Cultural Survival Quarterly.
Maclean’s (www.macleans.ca)
The Globe and Mail (www.the globeandmail.com)
The National Post (www.nationalpost.com)
The
Audio-Visual
Indigenous 500. MLC, 1991. 30 min. (137-31-152)
Issues Update (from CHRO-TV).
Native People and the Future (from CHRO-TV).
Hanging On.
Keep the Circle Strong.
Pachamama.
My Macondo.
Five Centuries Later.
Yakonana:We Walk to the Future in the Footsteps of Our Ancestors (FilmWest Associates).
Multimedia
World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia, IBM, 1998.
Internet
Cultural Survival – http://www.cs.org/main.htm
Self-Determination in the Information Age – http://hawaii-nation.org/sdinfooge.html
The World Wide Web Virtual Library: Indigenous Studies – http://www.cwis.org/wwwvl/indigvl.html
Organizations That Focus on Self-Determination– fpif.org/selfdetermination/experts/index.html
Foreign Policy in Focus – fpif.org/selfdetermination/index.html
FindArticles.com – http://www.findarticles.com
Google.com – htpp://www.google.com
Websites
The URLS for Websites were verified by the writers prior to publication. Given the frequency with which these designations change, teachers should always verify the websites prior to assigning them for student use.
A Layperson’s Guide to Delgamuukw – www.bctreaty.net/publications/layweb.html
Actions and Solutions: World
– www.earthday.net/goals/worldsummit.stm
Aguinda v. Texaco, Jota v. Texaco – http://www.texacorainforest.org
Annotated Reading List (languages) – http://collections.ic.gc.ca/afn/lngpg12.htm
Center for World Indigenous Studies – www.cwis.org
Cofan Guardians of the Rainforest – www.cofan.org
Endangered Languages Endangered Lives, Summer 2001 – www.cs.org/publications/CSQ/252/index.htm
Federation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Languages – www.fatsil.org
Forging a New Relationship: Proceedings of the Conference on the Report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples. 1997 Ed. D.B. Smith. – www.arts.mcgill.ca
Foundation for Aboriginal and Islander Research Action – www.faira.org.au
Hawaiian Language, Literacy and Technology – http://english.ohio-state.edu/people/lum.6/hl/main.html
Hawaiian Language – http://www.ncbe.gwu.edu/miscpubs/stabilize/additional/hawaiian.htm
La Selva Ecotourist Lodges – http://www.laselvajunglelodge.com
Sacha Lodge – http://www.sachalodge.com
Sami Culture in a New Era (Introduction
and resources)
– www.utexas.edu/courses/sami/papers/Gaski.pdf
Stabilizing Indigenous Languages – www.ncbe.gwu.edu
The Sami in
The Best of Foreign Policy on Globalization – www.foreignpolicy.com
The Best of Foreign Policy – www.foreignpolicy.org
Toward Earth Summit 2002 – www.earthsummit2002.org/es/life/2002pdf._
UNESCO – www.unesco.org/education/hst
World Intellectual Property Organization (W.I.P.O.) – www.wipo.org
Video
“Our Healing Journey.” Chippewa of
the
Time: 7 hours
Students use their knowledge of indigenous world views to examine how these views influence participation in the new global economy. They investigate approaches to sustaining indigenous knowledge in a global context. Finally, students work in small groups to present one of these approaches, as it relates to culture and language or the environment, in preparation for a role-playing activity.
Overall Expectations
CHV.01 - identify the common issues facing the world’s indigenous peoples;
CHV.02 - demonstrate an understanding of the factors that influence indigenous peoples’ participation in international affairs or the global economy;
CHV.03 - describe a variety of approaches that indigenous peoples are taking to preserve and maintain indigenous knowledge as it relates to such things as culture, language, and the environment.
Specific Expectations
ID1.03 - describe how indigenous peoples throughout the world have maintained the core principles of an indigenous world view or have lost their traditional ways;
CH1.01 - demonstrate an understanding of the global roles that indigenous peoples see for themselves;
CH1.02 - describe the strategies that indigenous peoples are using to sustain their cultures and languages, and to protect the environment;
CH1.03 - describe how indigenous peoples are using their cultural practices and traditional teachings when developing new strategies to cope with change.
Students apply the core principles of
indigenous world views developed in previous activities. Students should be
able to describe the relationship between Aboriginal peoples in
Teachers should locate and review all materials prior to use in the classroom to ensure fundamental issues are addressed, to assist independent and group reading, and to guide class discussions.
Students require a
The role-play activity is designed so that students learn by doing. Do not limit the roles to those provided in Appendix 2. Students may develop a new position through their readings that can be added to the list.
The teacher should prepare a sample overview of the roles to be modeled for the class as outlined in Teaching Strategies.
Day One:
1. (60 minutes) Define Globalization and lead students in a brainstorming session about its characteristics. Select excerpts from globalization articles for small groups to read independently. Under the heading Global Economy small groups of students make a chart of the “buzz words” that appear in the articles. Students look up some of the buzz words on an Internet encyclopedia or website of your choice. Lead a class discussion on the various positions that arise (e.g., indigenous groups’ change from subsistence to market economy, capitalist, opponents of the free-market economy), positions that could be taken in the role-play activity to follow.
2. (10 minutes) Once students can identify global market values, they begin to consider how global economic and environmental practices are interrelated. For example, international human rights laws are being used to argue that both environmental devastation and indigenous language policies, resulting in language loss, are human rights violations. Students prepare a list of the arguments for and against this position to be discussed next class, e.g., sustaining core principles of indigenous world views including connection to the land, sustenance economies, and collective thinking as opposed to the emphasis on the individual.
Day Two:
3. (20 minutes) Using poetry as an introductory activity, the teacher assigns a poem for students to read in small groups or individually. A preselected word is highlighted and students come up with another word to replace it. For example, the use of the word “settled” versus another word in the following quotation taken from the Aboriginal Peoples: Building for the Future text: “Europeans settled all of those lands hundreds of years ago and dispossessed the original inhabitants (Quinlan p. 92)”. The teacher asks how the meaning of the description is changed if a word such as “exploited” is used?
4. (40
minutes) Review their arguments for and against the position that indigenous
groups’ human rights have been violated. Students consider movements that
oppose corporate globalization and consider the role of indigenous groups.
Using the same articles, students re-read, highlight key information, make
notes, and write down ideas as they o
5. (10 minutes) Introduce the
roles to be played to conclude this activity. Roles are assigned to small
groups by the teacher. Students begin to research their assigned roles (see
Appendix 2). Each group prepares a short written statement outlining their role
and position on the issue(s) of the environment and language retention.
Students are reminded that careful word selection will strengthen the force of
their position. All members of the group must agree on the statement. Their
submission should be a strong statement that clearly defines the issue and
includes an explanation of the facts and opinions. Each group member must
locate and read two additional resources not provided by the teacher. A variety
of sources must be submitted, e.g., Internet, personal a
Day Three:
6. (10 minutes) Model overview of elders’ role. (See Appendix 2)
7. (60 minutes) Teacher-guided research. Are there other groups that would agree with you on a certain point? Are you trying to convince the others to agree with your point of view? (See Appendix 2)
Day Four:
8. (70 minutes) Model overview of activist’s role or the role of corporate business. Teacher-guided research continues. (See Appendix 2)
Day Five:
9. (70 minutes) Introduce each group represented in the role play activity. After each group has presented the prepared statement, students begin the discussion and decision-making process, while playing their roles. The teacher may have to prompt discussion and decision-making (e.g., list the various alternatives, specify the pros and cons of each alternative, express as many of the advantages and disadvantages as possible, decide on a course of action).
Day Six:
10. (70 minutes) Wrap-up: List some of the impediments students faced in their roles to improving the situation they were trying to solve. Students write a journal entry, explaining whether they personally agreed with the role they were playing. Were there any suggestions that they had that they could not voice while in character?
Formative
Assessment
Day One: Teacher makes anecdotal comments on class-generated charts and discussions, with a focus on student use of their knowledge about indigenous world views, e.g., knowledge of facts, understanding of concepts.
Day Two: The teacher uses a checklist noting individual preparation for class discussions, e.g., analyse and interpret information, know how facts and opinions relate to the information presented, communicate thoughts clearly and persuasively to others during class discussions. Individual student notes, including a list of arguments regarding human rights violations, notes made from articles read, and additions of ideas missed after group discussions, are to be evaluated for completeness and evidence of critical thinking skills.
Day Three and Four: Teachers make anecdotal comments on guided research, e.g., making connections, generating ideas and information, following instructions, use of familiar concepts in new contexts.
Day Five: Teacher-developed rubric used for role-play group evaluations, e.g., in-class presentation and ability to discuss an issue; evidence of background reading to defend their group’s position; correct use of terms and language, symbols or images; clear identification of their position.
Day Six: Teacher uses a checklist of assignments for submission, including additional group resources, a copy of a written statement of the group’s position, all rough notes (including evidence of peer evaluation), and a final independent journal entry (including evidence of self-evaluation).
Depending on the articles available to teachers, students may require assistance identifying the point of view of the author. Assign small selections for students or groups to read with a group follow-up led by the teacher.
Groups who are having difficulty may require a format to follow when preparing their position on the issue, e.g., outline questions and answers, such as: Briefly state what you want to convince the other groups to believe. List the evidence or reasons why. Summarize position in one sentence.
For enrichment students could prepare an annotated bibliography in MLA format.
Globalization Articles
Choudry, A. “Bringing It All Back Home: Anti-globalization Activism Cannot Ignore Colonial Realities.” Canadian Dimension, V.35 (5) (September 2001).
Grant, Agnes. Our Bit of
Truth: An Anthology of Canadian Native Literature.
Micklethwait, J. and A. Wooldridge. “The Globalization Backlash.” Foreign Policy (September 2001).
Moses, D. and T. Goldie, eds. An
Anthology of Canadian Native Literature, 2nd ed. Don Mills, Ont.:
Putsche, L. “A reassessment of
resource depletion, market dependency and culture change on a Shipibo Reserve
in the Peruvian Amazon.” Human Ecology: An Interdisciplinary Journal,
V.28 (1)
(March 2000).
The Best of Foreign Policy on Globalization – www.foreignpolicy.com
Group Members
___________________ ___________________ ___________________ ___________________
Your Topic: _____________________________________
1. Your presentation should provide the class with a clear sense of the indigenous populations’ geographical location, e.g., a global map showing the indigenous groups’ ancestral lands should be provided to each student in the class.
2. Your presentation must provide each class member with a short piece of writing from an indigenous person in your researched group. The piece of writing, e.g., written draft made from interviews and discussions, draft of speech given to a political body, oral transcripts from educational institutes devoted to the preservation and promotion of indigenous knowledge, should reveal the indigenous group’s connection to the land as revealed through stories and mythology.
3. Some
interpretation must a
4. Your presentation must provide resource suggestions to other students who may wish to seek more in-depth information about the presented group.
KWL Chart for: Global Indigenous Peoples
|
K |
What I Know about the topic |
|
|
W |
What I Want to know about the topic |
|
|
L |
What I Learned about the topic”) |
|
You are a member of the United Nations’
International Decade of the World’s Indigenous Peoples
(1995-2004) Committee on Languages and Environments. Your role at the inaugural
meeting is to state your group’s position and make recommendations to solve the
problems facing indigenous peoples’ languages and environments.
The Environmental Activists
Your major concerns are the detrimental effects globalization poses to the environment.
Review sources such as the following:
Aguinda v. Texaco, Jota v. Texaco – http://www.texacorainforest.org
Cofan Guardians of the Rainforest – www.cofan.org
Toward Earth Summit 2002 – www.earthsummit2002.org/es/life/2002pdf
World
Markels, A. “Texaco’s crude legacy.” Mother Jones, V. 24(3)(May 1999).
Maybury-Lewis, D and T. Macdonald
(eds.) Cultural Survival: Studies in Ethnicity and Change Series. (Video)
National Political Leaders
Your mandate is to promote open trade and economic cooperation among nations by promoting international trade and investment. You will have to respond to charges that developing nations are often viewed as valuable only as a reservoir for raw materials. As well, consider your own history of colonial policies and practices. Review sources such as the following:
Myers, S. “If not reconciliation then what?” Review of the Social Economy, V. 58(3).
Godden, D. “The interaction of planning law and native title.” Environmental and Planning Law Journal. V. 7(5) (October 2001).
Pires-O’Brien. “Indian Land
Rights and Land Conflicts in
Ward, S. “Indian Education Policy and Politics 1972-1982.” Canadian Journal of Native Education,
V. 13(2) (1986).
Asian-Pacific Economic Cooperating Forum – www.apec.org
Elders
You are members of a self-identifying people, from various indigenous groups sharing similar colonial histories and the bonds of traditional languages and culture. You must explain why your presence at this international conference is important. Review sources such as the following:
Thomson, B. “Beyond Ecotourism:
Going Native.”
Tidwell, T. “Uru life more than a tourist attraction.” Cultural Survival Quarterly. (Fall, 2001).
La Selva Ecotourist Lodges – http://www.laselvajunglelodge.com
Sacha Lodge – http://www.sachalodge.com
Palmer, P. “Listening for the Reindeer’s Heartbeat: An interview with Harald Gaski.” Winds of Change,
V. 13(2)(Spring, 1998): 14-24.
Sami Culture in a New Era (Introduction and resources) – www.utexas.edu/courses/sami/papers/Gaski.pdf
Federation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Languages – www.fatsil.org
Stabilizing Indigenous Languages – www.ncbe.gwu.edu
Endangered Languages Endangered Lives, Summer 2001 – www.cs.org/publications/CSQ/252/index.htm
The Sami in
Annotated Reading List (languages) – http://collections.ic.gc.ca/afn/lngpg12.htm
Hawaiian Language, Literacy and Technology – http://english.ohio-state.edu/people/lum.6/hl/main.html
Hawaiian Language – http://www.ncbe.gwu.edu/miscpubs/stabilize/additional/hawaiian.htm
Corporate Business
Your major concerns are the costs associated with programs that aim to limit environmental damage.
Focus on the positive opportunities, e.g., the use of technology to spur powerful new forms of cross-border political awareness and the availability of environmentally beneficial products. Review resources such as the following:
CO2 Magazine – www.co2science.org
The American Petroleum Institute – www.api.org
The Heartland Institute – www.Heartland.org
Global Climate Coalition – www.globalclimate.org
1. What
are the challenges faced by indigenous groups who pursue sustainable and
ecologically sensitive economic development? Research and report on an
indigenous group that is currently a “su
2. Investigate ideas and practices of an indigenous group in respect to health care. How are these “non-western” approaches to medicine informing current holistic approaches to treatment?
3. Research
an ancient indigenous culture and describe its worldview and cultural a
4. Using one or two indigenous groups as examples, describe how their traditional life ways and teachings are relevant and necessary tools for those seeking to solve global challenges in the new millennium, e.g., growing disparity between rich and poor.
5. Discuss a contemporary conflict between an indigenous community or population and a national government, highlighting the perspectives and world views behind the conflict. Describe potential solutions to the conflict.
6. Describe ways that international organizations, e.g., Greenpeace Central America, are collaborating with indigenous groups and populations to pursue common goals.
7. Examine the economic impacts of legislation developed by national governments on indigenous populations, e.g., “Former Aboriginal Act” Ainu-Japan, 1989.
8. Using
a case study approach, examine how different indigenous groups have su
9. Research and describe the potential effects of global climate change on global indigenous peoples.
10. Research the historic and current status of certain indigenous peoples’ languages around the world.
11. Compare
and contrast the degree to which different national governments have provided a
legislative basis for indigenous self-determination. What factors a
12. Examine and report on the supranational strategies being pursued by various indigenous organizations. Discuss ways the supranational strategies can have local impacts.
13. Investigate indigenous peoples’ activities in the United Nations, particularly their participation in the United Nations Working Group on Indigenous Populations.
14. Examine
social indicators and demographic data for various global indigenous groups.
What differences can be noted in the data from “developed” versus “
15. Discuss ways that global indigenous groups are challenging national governments that make public policies without reference to moral norms promoted by the international community.
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