I’m back from talking with my son’s grade one class about what a cultural anthropologist is and what a cultural anthropologist does. My invitation to speak to the class came as part of a classroom unit on jobs and the tools people use to do their jobs. As many of you helped me think through [...]
Dear Douglas College Librarians: I saw a wonderful film at the Vancouver International Film Festival tonight. The film is called Cry Rock and it was written, produced, and directed by Nuxalk (Coast Salish; BC Central Coast) filmmaker Banchi Hanuse. It is a story of storytelling, as Ms. Hanuse wonders if she should record for posterity [...]
One of my class assignments is to ask students to provide a short review of chapters in the ethnographies they read. Students are to include the following in the reviews: 1) a concise summary of the chapter; 2) a point or two noting the relevance of the chapter to the course and/or anthropology in general; [...]
It’s that time early in the semester when I am required to submit my book requests for next semester. I will be teaching a first year course called British Columbia Native Cultures during the Winter of 2011. For years, I have required that students read Hugh Brody’s Maps and Dreams: Indians and the British Columbia [...]
I had the pleasure of visiting the Capilano University Archaeology Field School at one of their sites in the Seymour watershed (North Vancouver) this morning. In its twelfth year, and always under the direction of Bob Muckle, the Field School is unearthing a Japanese history in the forests of Vancouver’s north shore. The site is [...]
“Through the tour, workshops, film, and hearing the Skwxwū7mesh language I was left with the sense that the Squamish and Lilwat peoples and their cultures are vibrant and thriving.” The Skwxwū7mesh Liĺwat7ul Cultural Centre (Squamish Lilwat Cultural Centre) in Whistler is a fantastic culmination to the Sea-to-sky Cultural Journey (related post). I arrived at the [...]
“The highway signs look official and authentic and, as such, present the Skwxwū7mesh (Squamish) and/or Liĺwat7ul (Lilwat) languages on equal footing with English all along the route.” Inspired by Quentin Mackie’s recent blog post, rave reviews from friends of the Squamish Lil’wat Cultural Centre, and several recent drives to Whistler, I set out to explore [...]
Right: Klappan Mountain, northwestern, BC (Aug 2009) After a year away from blogging, I am ready to start again. I want to continue blogging about aboriginal rights and issues in British Columbia. But, I also want to blog about two specific topics: 1) I am starting research and writing related to the reader comments on [...]
I’ve been twittering for about a month now. I like it a lot more than I imagined I would. Here’s why: Twitter is much more intimate than blogging Twitter is more immediate than blogging, particularly in feedback and continuing conversation It is like IMing without knowing that someone is listening — but lots of people [...]
Aboriginal Peoples’ Television Network (APTN) will begin airing Finding Our Talk Season 3 on April 1, 2009. From the release: Finding Our Talk 3 is a continuing documentary series of 13 half hour episodes produced by Mushkeg Media Inc. that looks at the state of Aboriginal languages both within Canada and the boarder indigenous world. [...]
