<incom> FW: [ricta] FW: Write to Copy/South

[Michael Gurstein]

I sent this thread to a group of folks I work with, First Nations and
others, in Canada doing research on ICTs and Aboriginal peoples and I
got this very interesting reply from a First Nations colleague at the U.
of Manitoba with whose permission I am sharing this with you with only
some very minor changes to mask third parties...

MG

-----Original Message-----
From: ricta-admin at lists.knet.ca [mailto:ricta-admin at lists.knet.ca] On
Behalf Of Marlene Atleo
Sent: April 26, 2007 4:16 PM
To: ricta at lists.knet.ca
Subject: Re: [ricta] FW: <incom> Write to Copy/South

Traditional Nuu-cha-nulth First Nations (of which I am a member) and 
neighbours in coastal bc attribute their cultural production to 
spiritual sources and embodied knowledge.....traditionally one did the 
practice in secret...and others tried to spy...so what else is UTUBE 
but an opportunity to spy....
and of course when someone else learns to do it.....people in power 
say....indigenous knowledge...whats indigenous about something that 
anyone can do.....and so it goes....
indigenous knowledge is embedded in a matrix of relations material and 
spiritual and completely embodied and the reproduction of anything is 
re-embedded and re-embodied....the elders may not be able to say that 
but that is what they know....sure the kids are using all the 
technological stuff...but they don't understand the matrix of relations 
in which the knowledge is held in.....the elders understand that too 
well...
it suggests to me again that...indigenous education is a thing unto 
itself.....
as one who learned from the elders and who teaches at the post 
secondary level...I am siding with the elders....the rest is 
expediency...there is no web of accountability....even the beginnings 
of one such as Judith Butler suggests.....



marlene atleo....U of M
?eh ?eh naa tuu kwiss,
Ahousaht First Nation