Projects
First Peoples Library of Culture
Writing by, for, and about Aboriginal people contains insights that are meaningful to Native and non-Native peoples. These writings convey traditional Native wisdom, which is important to building respect for Aboriginal cultures and teaching others to think about the world in an Aboriginal way.
The Ten Grandmothers
The role of native women in their societies has not been well documented. Most of the early information about native people was generated by male priests, travelers, painters, semi-professionals and professionals who saw things in a historically gender-biased viewpoint which was therefore primarily about the native male in native societies, social structures, and ceremonies. This project offers us a glimpse of the importance of native women in their culture and begins to dispel some of the stereotypical myths about native women by laying out the truth of the native way of life. The Ten Grandmothers featured in this project have shared their knowledge and experiences about family responsibility and the roles of women in traditional Aboriginal society.
Traditional Wisdom
This project brings Aboriginal traditional thinkers together to define, discover, analyze, and document the principles of Aboriginal decision-making. The overarching outcome is to find the tangible principles and operational values at the heart of Aboriginal decision-making and apply those to a Board model.
Culturally Relevant Visual Acuity Charts for Aboriginal Populations
This project will research, develop, and test visual acuity symbols that are culturally relevant for Aboriginal Canadians. One important cultural connection for Aboriginal people is a highly evolved relationship with their natural environments. Aboriginal peoples have always been dependent on the animals from their territories for subsistence. We will investigate and develop a suitable array of symbols that correspond to the flora and fauna of Northern and Southern Canada. These will be rendered in a style and form that is recognizable Aboriginal peoples. Aboriginal focus groups from across Canada will be recruited and convened to derive and test these symbols. Legibility testing will be performed to determine a suitable subset of test optotypes that demonstrate a magnitude and range of legibility that is identical to those of standard visual acuity optotypes. A culturally relevant visual acuity chart will be designed in accordance with established design guidelines for contemporary visual acuity charts.