A Question of Value – Indigenous Students’ Perspectives on Open Education

Discussion of Indigenous OER have largely centred on the benefits, barriers, and tensions related to creation. This panel discussion will focus on Indigenous student perspectives and needs in open education and OER. The facilitated discussion will be followed by a question and answer period. 

Speakers

Justin Langan, Circle of First Nations, Métis and Inuit Students Representative, Canadian Federation of Students  At 24, Justin Langan, an Indigenous advocate from Swan River, MB, has been championing Indigenous youth since the age of 15. Serving on numerous committees locally and nationally, his accolades include the 2021 Métis Youth Indspire Award and the Terry Fox Humanitarian Award, among others. A political studies senior at the University of Manitoba, he aspires to study human rights law post-graduation, eyeing a future as a lawyer and politician to amplify Canadians’ rights on the global stage.

Mikaela LeBlanc is in her second year of the Master of Library and Information Studies program at the University of Alberta. She is one of the Indigenous Interns with the University of Alberta libraries, gaining experience in public service and project work. Mikaela is a Métis woman; originally from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Mikaela first moved to Edmonton for her undergrad, completing a Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in History. She is excited to be working in the areas of her interest, information and history, and looks forward to building her career.

Shannon Cornelson, National Indigenous Advocacy Committee (NIAC), Canadian Alliance of Student Associations (CASA) (cornelse@ualberta.ca)Cree mother, researcher, student at the University of Alberta Shannon is an urban member of the Saddle Lake Cree Nation living in Edmonton, Canada. Shannon’s adventurous spirit has taken her to live abroad in the UK, Germany, and most recently Northern Iraq with her children and cat in tow. Life has continuously presented Shannon with both opportunities for change and lessons in human kindness, including starting her B.A. in Native Studies at the age of 50. As a former Indigenous Peoples interpreter at Fort Edmonton Park, Shannon strives to communicate the effects of intergenerational trauma and PTSD on the children of residential school Survivors to the general public. She is now working with the Women and Childrens Health Research Institute as a research assistant.

Kyle Napier (Northwest Territory Métis Nation) is an instructor, a researcher, and a media-maker. He is a board member for Native Land Digital, and a sessional instructor at the University of Victoria, NorQuest College, Mount Royal University, the University of Alberta, and the Dechinta Centre for Research and Learning. He develops language resources, conducts research, provides consultation, and collaboratively designs media. He is a doctoral student at the University of Alberta in Educational Policy Studies — Indigenous Peoples Education. He remains passionate about Indigenous language reclamation, including Indigenous languages of his ancestry, which include both Dene Dedlıne Yatı and sakâw-nêhiyawêwin.

Facilitators

Brad Wutherick, Associate Provost, Academic Programs, Teaching and Learning, University of British Columbia Okanagan Campus

Michael McNally, Associate Professor, Faculty of Education – School of Library and Information Studies, University of Alberta

Ann Ludbrook, Copyright and Scholarly Engagement Librarian, Toronto Metropolitan University

About the series:

The principles of OER can be in tension with Indigenous Knowledges that are deeply rooted in community defined ethics and protocols and relationships. The Indigenous Knowledges and Open Education Webinar Series is focused on building knowledge, supporting a space for discussion, and engaging both theoretically and practically on how open education (OE) and Indigenous Knowledges can intersect in a respectful way.  

The series of three open webinars will cover: 1) issues, concerns, policies, and approaches to Indigenous Knowledges and OE; 2) case studies of current Indigenous OER development across Canada; and 3) Indigenous student perspectives on the value of Indigenous OER.

The series will also provide vital background to support participants at a subsequent invitational event, the Open Education Summit: Exploring Indigenous Knowledges and Open Educational Resources, at UBC on February 22, 2024. This summit will focus on active engagement and development of a Canadian framework for Indigenous open educational resource (OER) development.

This webinar series is brought to you by the Open Educational Resources (OER) National Strategy – Stratégie nationale en matière de ressources éducatives libres (REL) group, in collaboration with the Canadian Association of Research Libraries, University of British Columbia Libraries, University of the Fraser Valley, and eCampusOntario.