15
Sous la di ec ion de
Flo en MICHELOT e Simon COLLIN
P é ace de
Daniel Pe aya
La compé ence
numé ique en
con ex e éduca i
Rega ds c oisés
e pe spec i es in e na ionales
Sous la di ec ion de
Flo en MICHELOT e Simon COLLIN
La compé ence numé ique
en con ex e éduca i
Sous la di ec ion de
Flo en MICHELOT e Simon COLLIN
P é ace de
Daniel Pe aya
La compé ence
numé ique en
con ex e éduca i
Rega ds c oisés
e pe spec i es in e na ionales
Ca alogage a an publica ion de Biblio hèque e A chi es na ionales du Québec
e Biblio hèque e A chi es Canada
Ti e : La compé ence numé ique en con ex e éduca i : ega ds c oisés e pe spec i es
in e na ionales / sous la di ec ion de Flo en Michelo e Simon Collin.
Noms : Michelo , Flo en , 1982- édi eu in ellec uel. | Collin, Simon, 1982- édi eu in ellec uel.
Collec ions : Fo ma ion à dis ance (P esses de l’Uni e si é du Québec) ; 15.
Desc ip ion : Men ion de collec ion : Fo ma ion à dis ance = Dis ance Lea ning ; 15 | Comp end
des é é ences bibliog aphiques.
Iden i ian s : Canadiana 20240025369 | ISBN 9782760561465 (PDF)
Vede es-ma iè e : RVM : Technologies de l’in o ma ion e de la communica ion pou l’éduca ion. |
RVM : Connaissances en in o ma ique. | RVM : Technologie éduca i e.
Classi ica ion : LCC LB1028.43.C635 2024 | CDD 371.33/4—dc23
Ré ision
Michèle Beaudoin e Riham Alkhaka
Concep ion g aphique
Ma ie-Noëlle Mo ie
Mise en page
Flo en Michelo
Image de cou e u e
iS ock
Dépô légal : 4e imes e 2024
› Biblio hèque e A chi es na ionales du Québec
› Biblio hèque e A chi es Canada
© 2024 – P esses de l’Uni e si é du Québec
Tous d oi s de ep oduc ion, de aduc ion e d’adap a ion ése és
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N6146-1 [01]
C ha p i e
15
Add essing Indigenous Needs
and Fos e ing Inclusion Using
he Medicine Wheel
An Indigenous lib a y pe spec i e
Paula DAIGLE
Dimension co e ed
Using digi al ools o os e inclusion and add ess di e se needs
Keywo ds
Digi al Di ide; indigenous s uden s; in e ne access; medicine wheel eachings
School le els co e ed
Pos seconda y
Summa y
This chap e is a e lec ion on how knowledge o he medicine wheel can be used
o guide 21s cen u y digi al li e acy and skills o wa d in Fi s Na ions and
Indigenous communi ies. Wha is he medicine wheel and how can we use i as ou
guide o mo e o wa d in a good way? Anecdo al s o ies and examples o digi al
ools and skills in use in communi ies show ha we should be wo king o mee he
men al, spi i ual, emo ional, and physical needs o communi y membe s, and ha
he medicine wheel can be ou guide o build skills in all communi ies.
Résumé
Ce chapi e p ésen e une é lexion su la maniè e don la connaissance de la oue
de la médecine peu ê e u ilisée pou a o ise la li é a ie e les compé ences
numé iques du 21ᵉ siècle aup ès des communau és au och ones e des P emiè es
Na ions. Qu’es -ce que la oue de la médecine e commen pou ons-nous la
mobilise comme guide pou alle de l’a an ? Des exemples e des anecdo es su la
açon don les ou ils e les habile és numé iques son u ilisés mon en que nous
de ions nous e o ce de épond e aux besoins men aux, spi i uels, émo ionnels e
physiques des memb es de ces communau és. Le ce cle d’in luences peu nous
se i de guide pou dé eloppe les habile és dans ou es les communau és.
La compé ence numé ique en con ex e éduca i
308
io o COVID-19’s lockdowns, ou lib a y and uni e si y o e all we e illed
wi h s uden s, mos ly Indigenous, all wan ing o lea n mo e abou hei own
cul u e and/o Indigenous cul u e as a whole. This would ha e likely included
classes om he Indigenous a p og am, Indigenous language classes such as
C ee and Saul eaux; pe haps classes in Indigenous Educa ion o Indigenous Social
Wo k, o name bu a ew. This chap e would look e y di e en i i was no o
Co id. The e would be many quo es om s uden s and acul y who u ilize ou campus
lib a ies speaking abou hei digi al li e acy knowledge, skills, and gaps. Howe e ,
un o una ely when hings mo e online wha you miss ou on a e he imp omp u
mee ings and cha s. Hence mos s o ies and anecdo es a e om he expe ience o
wo king wi h Fi s Na ions Uni e si y o Canada (FNUni ) and i s s uden s and
acul y o o e se en yea s unning he h ee campus lib a ies.
While we belie e ha e ec i e Indigenous engagemen in ol es no jus
me e consul a ion bu should ha e di ec and meaning ul s uden in ol emen wi h
ou Fi s Na ions s uden s, he iming o engage in pe son jus could no be wo ked
ou . While inishing his chap e in Sep embe 2022, s uden s, acul y, and he
communi y did come oge he in uni y o he agedy a James Smi h C ee Na ion,
shoo ing how impo an i is o be pa o a communi y o ca ing indi iduals. “All my
ela ions” is a e m ha is used widely among Fi s Na ions people in Canada, and i ,
along wi h he medicine wheel, helps guide e e y hing we do he e a FNUni .
The digi al compe ency in ques ion
1. How can we use he eachings o he medicine wheel o add ess needs and
o e come digi al skill and esou ce ba ie s?
2. Wha a e he ba ie s o success ul digi al compe ence wi hin Indigenous
communi ies?
3. How can digi al ools be used e ec i ely o add ess cul u e and language loss?
1 Backg ound
Fi s Na ions Uni e si y is he la ges Indigenous-go e ned academic ins i u ion in
Canada. C ea ed in 1976 unde he o iginal name o Saska chewan Indian Fede a ed
College wi h he signing o a ede a ion ag eemen wi h he Uni e si y o Regina, i
changed i s name o Fi s Na ions Uni e si y o Canada in 2003. C ea ed wi h he goal
o “. . . se [ing] he academic, cul u al, and spi i ual needs o Fi s Na ions s uden s”
(Fi s Na ions Uni e si y o Canada, 2021, “Mission” sec ion), i has g own om 9
s uden s in 1976 o main aining an annual en ollmen o o e 3,000 s uden s ac oss 3
campuses, o -campus h ough communi y-based p og ams, and online p og amming
(Fi s Na ions Uni e si y o Canada, 2019). O -campus p og amming has been
acili a ed wi h he g ow h o digi al ools o allow s uden s o o en emain in hei
home communi ies o comple e hei ce i ica es, diplomas, and deg ees.
P
Chapi e 15 / Add essing Indigenous Needs and Fos e ing Inclusion Using he Medicine Wheel
309
1.1 In oduc ion o he Medicine Wheel as i Rela es o a S uden s’
Spi i ual, Emo ional, Physical, and Men al Needs
“The medicine wheel is an ancien and powe ul symbol o he uni e se. I is a silen
eache abou eali y. I shows he many di e en ways in which all hings a e
connec ed” (Bopp e al., 1988, p. 34).
Figu e 1
The medicine wheel
No ma e which ibe a pe son belongs o, all gene ally e e o he ollowing gi s
a each di ec ion o he medicine wheel: spi i ual, emo ional, physical, men al, and
oli ional (Bopp e al., 1988). Ou uni e si y emphasizes all hese aspec s o li e in ou
communi y. As poin ed ou in The Sac ed T ee (1998), “A pe son who does no
achie e his balance in he li e will no be able o de elop he ull po en ial as a human
being. She will no be able o become all ha she can be. This is one o he g ea
lessons o he Medicine Wheel” (p. 41). The medicine wheel is used o show he igh
connec ion o a pe son wi h e e y hing else in c ea ion, and in o de o ou s uden s
o ha e a ull and comple e exis ence, we ake ou suppo o hem in his ega d o
hea . Jus as he sun begins i s a el om he Eas , so oo does he medicine wheel
(Bopp e al., 1988).
The Eas is he Spi i ual di ec ion, cen ed in guidance and leade ship, and
wa ching o e he well-being o o he s (Bopp e al., 1988). FNUni o e s elde s
se ices o guidance, mon hly pipe ce emonies, and counseling se ices o name bu
a ew o c ea e ha spi i ual communi y. Many cou ses inco po a e spi i ual and
cul u al componen s. Many o ou biology classes, o example, inco po a e medicinal
plan eachings om communi y elde s, and ou Indigenous S udies classes ha e
included impo an spi i ual eachings abou bu alo in he pas .
The Sou h is he Emo ional di ec ion, a place o p epa ing o he u u e,
gene osi y, being sensi i e o he eelings o o he s, he abili y o choose goals and
decide o go a e hem and being able o exp ess eelings in a kind way (Bopp e al.,
La compé ence numé ique en con ex e éduca i
310
1988). I is ou job o p epa e s uden s o hei u u e since, wi hou a goal, a s uden
could lounde . The e a e many oppo uni ies o s uden s o pa icipa e in s uden
associa ions, ound dances, powwows, and eas s ( ood is a common elemen in many
cul u es o b ing people oge he ) he e a he uni e si y as s uden s lea n abou se ice
o o he s and being kind and ca ing.
The Wes is he di ec ion o he Physical. I is a place whe e you accep you a e a
physical as well as a spi i ual being and ha keeping in close con ac wi h you spi i ual
na u e is impo an . O i s many gi s, i includes espec o elde s, he gi o
ce emony, and he gi o ision: “We mus ha e some ision, some ideal o goal o
look owa d, o else we will ha e no way o knowing wha we mus do” (Bopp e al.,
1988, p. 63). Besides ou many cul u al ac i i ies, ou Ce emonial Teepee is always
open o s uden s who wan o smudge, and ou elde s and o he knowledge keepe s
ha e o ices o s uden s o isi and gain knowledge.
The No h is he di ec ion o Men al o in ellec ual gi s. The abili y o hink,
syn hesize, imagine, sol e p oblems, analyze and unde s and, calcula e and c i icize,
and in e p e hidden meanings (Bopp e al., 1988) – i is hese kinds o capaci ies ha
we hope ou s uden s will achie e h ough guidance om ou uni e si y communi y.
While many may a i s conside he No h o be he end o hei jou ney a ound he
medicine wheel, he e is knowledge ha “[ ]he e is no ending o he jou ney o he
ou di ec ions. The human capaci y o de elop ne e s ops. The medicine wheel u ns
o e e ” (Bopp e al., 1988, p. 73). When we see ou sel es in he cen e o he medicine
wheel, we ealize ha he e is balance and ha each gi wo ks wi h he o he s o gi e
us a well- ounded expe ience.
I is his well- ounded expe ience ha we wo k as a communi y o p o ide o ou
s uden s a FNUni and ou lib a ies. We y o ensu e ha he men al, spi i ual,
emo ional, and physical needs a e me o ou s uden s and use s, unde s anding ha
e e y hing is cyclic.
1.2 Backg ound
FNUni is a unique Indigenous place o highe lea ning, wi h one o he unique aspec s
o he campus being he spi i ual componen s o campus li e. As p e iously
men ioned, he e a e campus elde s a each campus whose ole is o o e guidance
(bo h spi i ual and social) o s uden s, acul y, and s a . FNUni ’s Elde ’s o ice
coo dina es eepee aisings, mon hly pipe ce emonies, and smudgings in addi ion o
p o iding guidance. This connec ion is impo an , as we ha e s uden s who a i e on
ou campuses who wan o ge back in ouch wi h hei he i age. This includes s uden s
who may ha e been pa o he os e ca e sys em o a e a child o a pa en who was
in he child wel a e sys em, whe e hey may ha e been placed in non-Indigenous os e
homes. Anecdo ally, we a e old by many s uden s ha his is a majo eason ha hey
a e coming he e – o he cul u al connec ion ha was los when hey, o membe s o
hei amily, we e emo ed om hei home communi ies, and is he usual eason ha
a s uden en e s ou Bachelo o Indigenous Social Wo k p og am (usually due o hei
expe ience wi h some aspec o he child wel a e sys em). As Chie Cadmus Delo me
said when Cowessess Fi s Na ion was ans e ed con ol o e child en in ca e, “. .
. his [ag eemen ] ocuses on hose child en who a e in ca e . . . ha hey hink hey a e
om Cowessess, bu hey don’ know wha ha means” (Solomon, 2021, 1:42). This
Chapi e 15 / Add essing Indigenous Needs and Fos e ing Inclusion Using he Medicine Wheel
311
is common o Fi s Na ions ac oss Canada, as once child en a e in ca e, he e is ha
los connec ion wi h hei home communi y.
FNUni akes a lo o s eps o in oduce, and e-in oduce, Indigenous cul u e.
F om powwows o pipe ce emonies, o eas s and ound dances, we wo k acco ding
o he idea ha a s uden does no ep esen only academic knowledge. S uden s need
o ha e hei spi i ual cup illed as well o be well- ounded and success ul s uden s. We
also help look a e hei physical sel es and eed hei s omachs. Food is a la ge pa
o ou communi y building, wi h e en ou lib a ies gi ing ee co ee and snacks o
s uden s. We eed minds, bodies, and souls; ou depa men s wo k wi h s uden s on
hei spi i ual needs and jou neys, p o ide ood o emo e physical ba ie s o success;
counseling, and sa e spaces o mee emo ional needs and educe hose ba ie s, and;
classes oo ed in Indigenous cul u e o engage hem men ally.
1.3 Typical Lea ne P o ile
“Indigenous people ace many ba ie s o pos seconda y educa ion such as ha ing o
eloca e, lack o guidance and cul u ally app op ia e cu icula, inadequa e unding, as
well as he impac o in e gene a ional auma” (A iagada, 2021, p. 2).
The FNUni s uden s come o hei i s yea wi h a a ie y o digi al skills. Since
2015, ou lib a ies ha e un lunch ime sessions on he common hings we ge asked
o assis wi h, hings such as how o analyze a websi e and decide i i is eliable,
c ea ing ci a ions and wo king wi h ci a ion manage s, su i ing MS Mic oso Wo d,
c ea ing a Mic oso Powe Poin , and how o e ec i ely use ou lib a y da abases, o
name a ew. We also encoun e s uden s who do no ha e he In e ne a home and/o
compu e s a home. We o en hea o s uden s who y o w i e hei pape s and a end
online classes using solely hei mobile phones. Needless o say, all h ee o ou campus
lib a y compu e a eas a e well-used.
While we like o belie e ha e e y s uden he e is special, he e is a uniqueness o
ou egis e ed FNUni s uden s. Many uni e si ies ha e ma u e s uden s. The
Uni e si y o Regina ( o which FNUni is a ilia ed as a Fede a ed College) de ines
ma u e s uden s as “. . . indi iduals who a e o e he age o 21, ha e aken less han
15-24 c edi hou s o uni e si y cou ses (depending on he acul y), and do no mee
he high school admission equi emen s” (Uni e si y o Regina, 2022). O he
uni e si ies ac oss Canada may de ine “ma u e s uden ” in a sligh ly di e en way.
Howe e , commonali ies usually include he s uden no applying di ec ly om hei
las yea o high school, usually mee ing an age equi emen , and ha ing been ou o
uni e si y o school o a se pe iod o ime.
Fo mos uni e si ies, he la ges g oup o s uden s a e usually hose applying
di ec ly om high schools, and he Uni e si y o Regina is no di e en . A Fall 2021
admission epo o he Uni e si y o Regina shows 1,710 s uden s om
Saska chewan high schools en olled ou o a o al o 4,637 new s uden s; he e we e
220 ma u e s uden s in his same e m. Compa e ha o FNUni , which had a o al o
383 new s uden en ollmen s, wi h 107 being om Saska chewan high schools and
151 being ma u e s uden s. FNUni has a la ge numbe o ma u e s uden s in all
p og ams and ac oss all h ee campuses, which comes wi h unique gi s and challenges.
Exis ing esea ch has shown ha Indigenous s uden s ace many ba ie s
o accessing and comple ing pos seconda y educa ion, including he lack o
La compé ence numé ique en con ex e éduca i
312
academic p epa a ion and guidance, inadequa e inancial esou ces, lack o
ele an o Indigenous-speci ic cu icula, and he loss o communi y, amily
and cul u al suppo sys ems o en due o he need o eloca e o places a
om hei homes (A iagada, 2021, p. 6).
FNUni s uden s ypically ha e a li ed expe ience be o e coming o uni e si y and
b ing ha li e expe ience o class. The e a e many who a e in e gene a ional auma
su i o s, many who come o FNUni o lea n abou hei cul u e, especially i hey
we e a 60’s Scoop child and adop ed by a non-Indigenous amily, and he e a e hose
s uden s who ha e gone o esiden ial schools. As he classes a e no exclusi e o
FNUni , hey a e mixed wi h Indigenous and non-Indigenous s uden s, bo h
Canadian and in e na ional.
2 Digi al Di ide
A ound he wo ld, he e m “digi al di ide” is e e ed o as he gap ha exis s be ween
hose who ha e in o ma ion and communica ion echnology (ICT) access and who
a e able o use i e ec i ely o pa icipa e in socie y, and hose who do no . C i e ia o
his classi ica ion include gende , age, educa ion and/o income le els, social g oups
o geog aphic loca ion (UNESCO-UNEVOC In e na ional Cen e, n.d.).
2.1 Digi al Di ide and Ha ing o Lea e Communi ies o Wo k and School
Many ac o s con ibu e o di e ences in he educa ional a ainmen o
Fi s Na ions people, Mé is and Inui . One is he geog aphic dis ibu ion
o hese h ee Indigenous iden i y g oups, which can a ec access o
educa ion. This is pa icula ly pe inen o Fi s Na ions women li ing on
ese e as well as Inui women li ing in Inui Nunanga , whe e access o
educa ion is much mo e limi ed, and many ha e o lea e hei communi ies
o a end educa ional ins i u ions. (A iagada, 2021, p. 3)
In 2015, ou i s yea he e a FNUni , we me a woman named Ma y (no he eal
name) in ou Indigenous Educa ion Deg ee p og am. She was always in he lib a y as
she did no ha e a compu e a home, and as you do wi h egula pa ons, we would
o en cha . Al hough she had been he e o less han a yea , and some o he de ails
a e uzzy, she s icks ou in ou minds because we emembe he si ua ion. She li ed in
he a no h o Saska chewan wi h se e al child en (some he own, some she had
aken in) and he husband was home wi h he child en. He would pe iodically ly in o
Saska oon o shop o hei g oce ies, as i was less expensi e o hem o do a la ge g oce y
shop an hou + plane ide away han buy ood in hei communi y. I also ba led us
ha she had o lea e he communi y and ha she wan ed o go back o each a he
ese e school, no s ay in he ci y o be close o hings such as g oce y s o es. As we
alked o mo e s uden s ha yea and in yea s since, I began o ealize ha his si ua ion
was no eally all ha unique o Ma y. Almos all ou s uden s, a some poin , had o
lea e hei home communi ies in o de o mo e close o hei educa ion ins i u ions
o con inue wi h hei diplomas and/o deg ees, and mos had he goal o e u n o
hei home communi ies when hey we e done. Ma y was also a ma u e s uden and
had been wo king on he ese e. In o de o inish he eaching deg ee, she had o
gi e up he job and ha paycheque in o de o mo e o Regina. I his had been as la e
Chapi e 15 / Add essing Indigenous Needs and Fos e ing Inclusion Using he Medicine Wheel
319
communi ies and iden i ying abou h ee-qua e s o he indi iduals, “P ojec
Naming” u ned o a a ie y o o he sou ces, including newspape s, and in Ma ch
2017, launched a dedica ed P ojec Naming accoun on Facebook and Twi e . This
allowed Indigenous people, no ma e hei loca ion, o in e ac , o be pa o he
con e sa ion, and o en ich i (G eenho n, 2019). “The p ojec also aims o inspi e
and empowe indigenous [sic] you h wi h a enewed unde s anding and access o hei
pas ” (G eenho n, 2019, p. 46). The loca ion ba ie ha had exis ed and p e en ed
his impo an lea ning o ake place om elde s o child en was b oken down, and
he medicine wheel con inued o u n.
2.6 Making Space o Elde s
Besides he pho o p ese e ha LAC con inues o unde ake wi h P ojec Naming,
hey now ha e an Indigenous Ini ia i es Di ision ha began in 2018. One o hei i s
unding p og ams was Lis en, Hea Ou Voices (LHOV), a g an o up o $100,000 se
up o Indigenous o ganiza ions o access o digi ize eco dings hey may be holding
ha con ain signi ican cul u al he i age. A unique aspec o LHOV was o hi e
a chi is s ac oss Canada o assis Indigenous communi ies wi h applying o g an
money as well as assis ing wi h digi iza ion a he communi y le el o build hose digi al
skills wi hin he communi ies (Lib a y & A chi es Canada, 2022b).
P ese ing elde knowledge is impo an . Ou uni e si y lib a y has unde aken a
numbe o p ojec s o p ese e hese eachings and make hem a ailable. Fo example,
we ha e digi ized ou Indian His o y Film P ojec apes, a collec ion o o iginal elde
in e iews as well as elde in e iews om a chi es ac oss Canada; we hi ed and
ained s uden s in 2021 who wen ou o communi ies and eco ded elde s and o he
knowledge keepe s on a a ie y o opics; and ha e assis ed wi h s o ing o his o ic
eco dings o one local Fi s Na ions ha hey epa ia ed om Albe a. These p ojec s
we e aken on in o de o ensu e ha hese s o ies, lessons, and eachings would be
a ailable digi ally o u u e gene a ions.
2.7 Radio and Digi al Li e acy
The CFNU adio s a ion he e a FNUni has jus launched. Following in he oo s eps
o Missinipi B oadcas ing Co po a ion (MBC Radio), he uni e si y b oadcas s
Indigenous con en aimed a in o ming people and connec ing hem wi h hei s o ies.
Using Facebook Li e, as well as a ee online ideo s eaming pla o m called Open
B oadcas e So wa e (OBS) and a adio s eaming se ice called adio.co, he adio
s a ion aims o ha e p og amming de eloped wi h wo main goals: i s ly, o engage,
in o m and inspi e FNUni and Uni e si y o Regina s uden s, and secondly, o
showcase he wo k o he INCA s uden s, who a e lea ning aluable digi al li e acy
skills. Ini ial p og amming includes long- o m podcas s om INCA Summe Ins i u e
s uden s, news, and showcasing o o he podcas s such as Home on he Rez and
pîkiskwêwin (Indigenous Communica ions & Fine A s, 2020).
MBC Radio, ounded in 1984, was o med o he No he n Saska chewan
Indigenous communi ies, ope a ing ou o o ices in La Ronge, SK. Thei s o y. . .
is also a s o y abou he p imal necessi y o human beings o communica e.
I is hea ing hei wo ds in hei own languages, and in hei own dialec s.
La compé ence numé ique en con ex e éduca i
320
I is abou hei s o ies, hei aspi a ions, hei wo ld iew, hei cul u e, and
hei need o know and in luence p og ess. (Missinipi B oadcas ing
Co po a ion, 2018, p. ii)
Wi h a mission s a emen ha has language suppo and e en ion (while also
encou aging younge people o use and keep hei language) as one o i s main goals,
hei p og amming akes place in C ee and Dene, wi h con en ele an o he people
in No he n Saska chewan in English, and is a ailable h oughou Saska chewan in 70
communi ies (as o 2015) and 1 communi y in Albe a (Missinipi B oadcas ing
Co po a ion, 2018).
The B ook ield Ins i u e’s 2017 epo , The S a e o Digi al Li e acy in Canada,
published ha Canada appea s o lag behind signi ican ly in p epa ing o and
p omo ing o s uden s and Canadians a mo e o a digi al economy. The epo u he
poin s ou ha he “. . . mos equen ly ci ed wo ies su ounding he digi al economy
a e he disappea ance o jobs, pa icula ly low-skilled and manu ac u ing jobs”
(B ook ield Ins i u e, 2017, p. 21). Fu he mo e, a 2021 epo by RBC Though
Leade ship highligh ed he limi ed oppo uni ies ha Indigenous you h ha e o lea n
hose essen ial digi al skills. “Nea ly wo- hi ds [sic] o jobs held by Indigenous wo ke s
a e a isk o a skills o e haul, as da a, obo ics and ad anced echnologies d i e
ans o ma ional change in sec o s ha many Indigenous communi ies depend on, like
he skilled ades” (RBC, 2021, p. 1). This unde sco es he e ec ha digi al skills will
ul ima ely play in Indigenous s uden s’ li es and u u e success. In a p o ince such as
Saska chewan, whe e many o he jobs ha Indigenous peoples engage in a e skilled
ades such as mining and wo king wi h na u al esou ces, hese a eas a e being
o e hauled. “Mining companies will need ewe uck d i e s – and mo e people o
emo ely ope a e d i e less ucks, as well as o p og am, main ain, and epai hem”
(RBC, 2021, p. 4).
I is no a gumen o say ha compu e s and digi al skills a e essen ial o good
ou comes in uni e si y. Ou lib a ies y o b idge he gap ha many s uden s ace
coming in o uni e si y. The bigges di ide ha we y o b idge is In e ne connec ion
and compu e access. As p e iously men ioned, we a e consis en ly con ac ed e e y
e m by ins uc o s who wan mo e in o ma ion on ou compu e s and lib a y hou s
as hey ha e a leas one s uden who is ying o comple e hei cou sewo k using hei
mobile de ice, usually hei sma phone. FNUni ’s 3 campuses house 29 compu e s
in ou lib a ies, and 40 in ou compu e labs. Knowing ha compu e access was no
consis en in he bes o imes ac oss ou s uden popula ion, he uni e si y edi ec ed
$25,000 in pa ne ship unding om SaskPowe in Ma ch 2020 a he beginning o he
COVID-19 pandemic o pu chase lap ops ha would be loaned ou o s uden s
h ough ou lib a ies. A o al o 75 ini ial lap ops we e pu chased o he p og am
ac oss ou 3 campuses and we e loaned ou on a e m-by- e m basis. As o Fall 2022,
he lap op loan p og am is s ill unning and is in high demand by s uden s and acul y
alike. Since i s incep ion, acul y as well ha e bene i ed om ou lap op p og am,
o wa ding hei s uden s’ eme gencies, such as c ashed compu e s, o he campus
lib a y eams o assis ance.
2.8 Reading Skills
Ou lib a y s a knows ha digi al li e acy canno come be o e achie ing o he
impo an skills, mos no ably eading skills.
Chapi e 15 / Add essing Indigenous Needs and Fos e ing Inclusion Using he Medicine Wheel
321
Ou ound able wi h Indigenous [sic] employe s s essed he impo ance o
wo k exposu e o Indigenous you h o build no only u u e skills
bu – pe haps mo e undamen ally – hese basic skills. Leona Bap is e, HR
Di ec o a Osoyoos Indian Band De elopmen Co po a ion, says poo
eading skills a e p e en ing many you h om ge ing hei i s jobs and
mo ing up he skills ladde . (Indspi e, 2021, p. 6)
While ha nessing he powe and po en ial o digi al esou ces o lea ning and o
add essing language loss and cul u al p ese a ion, he impo ance o eading skills
ha s e ch ac oss all subjec s canno be igno ed. Jus as each sec ion o he medicine
wheel leads o and builds upon one ano he , so oo does eading. K ashen (2004), in
his book The Powe o Reading: Insigh s om he Resea ch, p o ides da a ha shows simple
eading, such as F ee Volun a y Reading (FVR), imp o es eading abili y. “The
esea ch, howe e , suppo s a s ong conclusion: eading is he only way we become
good eade s, de elop a good w i ing s yle, an adequa e ocabula y, ad anced
g amma ical compe ence, and he only way we become good spelle s” (K ashen, 2004,
p. 37). In suppo o K ashen’s idea o FVR and knowing ha many o ou ma u e
s uden s s uggle wi h hei w i ing in hei i s -yea uni e si y cou ses, and o add ess
he lowe li e acy and nume acy skills, ou h ee lib a ies ha e mon hly book d aws.
The books chosen o he book d aws a e mean o suppo ou s uden s’ Indigenous
s udies (e.g., a equi ed ex ) o o encou age casual eading by p o iding a ic ion o
non- ic ion copy o popula books. As Johnson (2013) poin s ou , he bes way o
suppo FVR “. . . is o make su e eade s ha e access o engaging eading ma e ials
. . . and ha educa o s encou age eading o i s in insic a he han ex insic alue”
(Johnson, 2013, p. 33). Besides being a help ul ac o assis s uden uni e si y success,
i is also a kind ges u e o s uden s, helping o add ess ou Eas (guidance and
leade ship) and Sou h (gene osi y) oles in he medicine wheel.
Conclusion
While ba ie s o Indigenous digi al li e acy ha e been p esen ed, so ha e empowe ing
and inclusi e ac s. The mos success ul p ojec s a e hose ha conside he men al,
spi i ual, emo ional, and physical needs o communi ies, i.e., hose ha conside he
medicine wheel and i s eachings o hei digi al p ojec s. Al hough he e a e obs acles
wi hin Indigenous communi ies, mos no ably a ound In e ne access, s uden s and
communi ies ind cle e ways o each hei goals. By being encou aging and illing
hei spi i ual, emo ional, physical, and men al medicine wheel sec o s, s uden s (and
communi ies) can begin/con inue o g ow as hey go on o explo e new knowledge.
When aced wi h ad e si y, s uden s will ingeniously use echnology. Expanding all o
his in o de o posi i ely impac cul u al knowledge, such as using podcas s o
language and cul u al lea ning, is helping s uden s a he same ime p epa e o a mo e
digi al wo ld. Fo Indigenous communi ies o con inue o ad oca e o be e In e ne
(and ake con ol o hei own In e ne supply) on ese es is a huge s ep in p epa ing
people o a mo e digi al economy. U ilizing he In e ne o ind amily h ough P ojec
Naming and engaging communi y elde s h ough adio p og amming b ings
empowe men o s uden s and communi y membe s as hey do no ha e o solely ely
on a book o aluable in o ma ion. While ebook usage has inc eased, especially du ing
he COVID-19 pandemic, we know ha he e is no compa ison o hea ing a language
when ( e)lea ning ha language. A he pos seconda y le el, we mus con inue o be
La compé ence numé ique en con ex e éduca i
322
open, kind, and unde s anding o Indigenous si ua ions and li ed expe iences. I is
h ough his ha s uden s will eel a pa o a communi y and ac i ely engage wi h he
communi y, all while mo ing h ough he ou di ec ions o he medicine wheel and
picking up new knowledge wi h each u n.
Paula Daigle: How ha e digi al li e acy, mee ing he di e se needs, and he
inclusion o Fi s Na ions s uden s played a ole in my p o essional li e?
The lib a y is a sa e space, and i has been a good eminde o e-examine lib a y
p og amming o help p epa e s uden s o an inc easingly digi al en i onmen .
Being awa e o and add essing hei unique needs, such as lap op needs and digi al
ins uc ion sessions which would inco po a e mo e digi al li e acy skills, need o
become a ixed agenda i em, as should ad oca ing o be e In e ne se ices on
ese es.
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