The UBC First Nations Studies Program has launched a new online information resource on topics relating to the histories, politics, and cultures of the Aboriginal peoples of Canada.
Erin Hanson, project manager, says that the idea for the site came from feedback received from students and instructors. They were frustrated, says Hanson, “that conversations in the classroom about Aboriginal topics could rarely move beyond an introductory level.” Faculty and staff at First Nations Studies created the site to address this gap in knowledge and make this foundational information available to people in an accessible format.
“The site is designed to give introductory information fairly clearly,” says Dr. Linc Kesler, Chair of the First Nations Studies Program, “but it also creates the opportunity for students to follow up on that basic information and learn more, and connect the things they are learning across a wider spectrum of understanding.”
Given the interconnected nature of the subject matter, the site also carries a unique navigation tool that functions like a web of information, allowing users to explore the topics in a way that best suits their style of learning while also helping them to recognize the connections between all of the topics.
The site not only supports students in their studies, but also provides instructors, researchers and the broader public with a starting point to their investigations of these topics.
To learn more, visit the site at http://indigenousfoundations.arts.ubc.ca/