The Ancestor Project: Aboriginal Computer Education Through Storytelling

Abstract

The goal of the ANCESTOR program is to use digital storytelling as a means to promote an interest in technology for Aboriginal learners and to increase cultural literacy. A curriculum was developed and first tested with Aboriginal students at the LAU, WELNEW Tribal School near Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Based on feedback from both teachers and students, the curriculum was updated and then tested with non-Aboriginal students. Following more refinements, the curriculum was then delivered to Aboriginal learners using several different approaches depending on local needs. One was a summer camp that took place within a First Nations community over three weeks, and another a special elective for grade 6 Aboriginal students at Shoreline Middle School in Victoria. In two remote communities on British Columbia’s west coast, two different three-day workshops were delivered. The results from all these deliveries highlight student engagement, cooperation and imagination plus an increased interest in technology. However, despite a rich First Nations storytelling tradition, youth were unable to provide cultural perspective in their stories and hence a lack of cultural transference is indicated. Next steps will include more emphasis on the integration of technology with the use of traditional language(s), as well as the inclusion of elders and time “on the land”.