Examining the Potential Use of the Collaborative-Geomatics Informatics Tool to Foster Intergenerational Transfer of Knowledge in a Remote First Nation Community

Northern First Nations in Canada have experienced environmental change throughout history, adapting to these changes based on personal experience interacting with their environment. Community members of Fort Albany First Nation of northern Ontario, Canada, have voiced their concern that their youths...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The Australian Journal of Indigenous Education
Main Authors: Andrea Isogai, Daniel D. McCarthy, Holly L. Gardner, Jim D. Karagatzides, Skye Vandenberg, Christine Barbeau, Nadia Charania, Vicky Edwards, Don Cowan, Leonard J.S. Tsuji
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Unit, The University of Queensland 2013
Subjects:
adaptive capacity
First Nations
collaborative geomatics
environmental change
Indigenous knowledge
Special aspects of education
LC8-6691
Canada
Fort Albany
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1017/jie.2013.10
https://doaj.org/article/fce03bccdd7647d2a1fd0959327628ea
Description
Summary:Northern First Nations in Canada have experienced environmental change throughout history, adapting to these changes based on personal experience interacting with their environment. Community members of Fort Albany First Nation of northern Ontario, Canada, have voiced their concern that their youths’ connection to the land is diminishing, making this generation more vulnerable to environmental change. Community members previously identified the collaborative-geomatics informatics tool as potentially useful for fostering intergenerational knowledge transfer. In this article, we assess the potential of the informatics tool to reconnect youth with the surrounding land in order to strengthen the adaptive capacity of Fort Albany First Nation. The tool was introduced to students in an environmental-outreach camp that included traditional activities. Students used global positioning systems and geo-tagged photographs that were loaded onto the informatics tool. Semi-directed interviews revealed that the students enjoyed the visual and spatial capabilities of the system, and recognised its potential to be used in conjunction with traditional activities. This pilot study suggests that the tool has the potential to be used by youth to provide an opportunity for the intergenerational transfer of Indigenous knowledge, but further evaluation is required.

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