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Learner Reviews & Feedback for Indigenous Canada by University of Alberta

4.8
stars
21,724 ratings

About the Course

Indigenous Canada is a 12-lesson Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) from the Faculty of Native Studies that explores the different histories and contemporary perspectives of Indigenous peoples living in Canada. From an Indigenous perspective, this course explores complex experiences Indigenous peoples face today from a historical and critical perspective highlighting national and local Indigenous-settler relations. Topics for the 12 lessons include the fur trade and other exchange relationships, land claims and environmental impacts, legal systems and rights, political conflicts and alliances, Indigenous political activism, and contemporary Indigenous life, art and its expressions....

Top reviews

DN

Aug 30, 2020

This is a great survey course about Indigenous Canada. As a participant, I have learned and unlearned so much about Indigenous Canadians, and more important, this course has inspired me to learn more.

JH

Feb 13, 2021

Highly recommended - I have recommended it some of my staff who are interested in both taking the course and reading the materials. I should note they are First Nations and are as interested as I was.

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551 - 575 of 7,644 Reviews for Indigenous Canada

By Anke B

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Feb 8, 2021

I have thoroughly enjoyed this course, and it has definitely opened up my eyes when it comes to the lives of indigenous people. From the colonization to the present struggles. From their original way of life and adapting to the western way of life while holding on to their culture the best they could to reclaiming their culture and arts. I have learned so much and understand some of the issues regarding indigenous people better. I would highly recommend this course to anyone who isn’t familiar with the colonization of Canada and the injustices done to the indigenous people.

By Louisa M

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Dec 24, 2020

I believe every Canadian should take this course and that the curriculum is adapted for elementary and high school students. It is a lot of material to cover yet the presenters highlighted key points that really increased my understanding of the roots of issues affecting Indigenous people today. I urge anyone who has taken the course to make a donation to this department at the University of Alberta so that they can continue to preserve the culture and traditions that were attacked and damaged by colonization. Thank you to the presenters who were informative and engaging.

By Polly C

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Dec 15, 2020

I’m grateful this course was available; it’s exactly what I needed to feel more informed about Indigenous history and their current state. There’s much to be done and Indigenous peoples in Canada are working hard to get what they deserve. I can now understand more of what’s going on when I keep up with news and activities. Thank you! My only quibble is that there are far too many spelling and word choice mistakes in the transcriptions of the videos, and elsewhere. None were bad enough to be confusing, though. The high quality of the course is not affected by these problems.

By Roberta T

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Feb 25, 2021

This course provided me with many new perspectives and understandings that I can carry forward in my interpretation of the ongoing concerns and struggles for Indigenous peoples in Canada and the world. Thank you all for the time and effort it took to create the thought provoking course. The artwork was a fantastic element to incorporate throughout. My only suggestion would be to create and add some type of visual or flow diagram that relates all of these treaties and laws overtime. This would assist me in my learning and memory of these crucial aspects (Week 3).

Thank-you!!

By Karen B

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Mar 20, 2021

I am grateful for these learnings and the knowledge, time, and heart that went into their development. The lectures, reading notes, videos, course art, forums, and discussions with Dan Levy all contributed to helping me develop a better understanding of Indigenous peoples on Turtle Island and of my settler-colonial heritage. I believe that going forward I can be a better ally to Indigenous peoples, but the learnings are never done. Besides walking away with new perspectives and knowledge, I have a long, long list of actions and readings to pursue. Many many thanks to all!

By Kathryn L

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Aug 22, 2021

This course was engaging and a great introduction to Indigenous Peoples' History and Culture in Canada. My only criticism lies in that some of the quiz questions were phrased in a confusing, repetitive, or ambiguous manner which made the answer options difficult to understand, identify as correct, or recognize from course material. However, I loved the inclusion of interactive art in each week's materials. The course's emphasis on explaining the vibrant and continuing culture of Indigenous People in conversation with their histories sets this course apart from its peers.

By Norman W

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Mar 6, 2021

I thoroughly enjoyed this survey course! It was a good reminder of my learnings from a career working with Inuit, Métis and First Nations Peoples, as well as a discovery of new knowledge. I have recommended this course to nearly 50 people and encourage them to take up the challenge. The organizers and presenters have done a fine job in distilling an amazing mass of information into easily understood and thought-provoking lessons. The artwork created by Leah Dorian told the stories visually and were powerful in their own right.

Great job, Dr. Bear and the team!

By April A

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Sep 6, 2020

I loved this course. As a Metis woman, a social worker and a previous instructor, I found the material engaging and inspiring. Although the history can be very overwhelming, it is a part of the history of Indigenous people and this was presented very respectfully, yet told the history.

I loved seeing the progress, hearing about the many people involved in making positive change. The art by Leah Dorion was very creative and I loved the storytelling involved in showcasing.

I would recommend this course to anyone.

Thank you for this incredible journey through learning.

By Olivia T

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Nov 8, 2020

Such an important teaching!

I think everyone on North America should have this education. The educators openly welcome all people with varying degree of Indigenous understanding and made these vital (sometimes dark) moments in history easy to understand. Lessons build upon its former which helps process complex and dense information. I found the lectures to be foundational and the additional resources (glossary and extra topic reading) are exceptional. The art, music, Q&A make this very well rounded. Above and beyond.

I'm so grateful for this offering. So many thanks!!

By Stacey Y

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Sep 19, 2020

I have learned so much in this course. As an indigenous woman from Treaty 8 that grew up on a reserve and now resides in an urban area, this course has given me the knowledge that I lacked for so many years. I wasn't aware of the impacts of residential schools until I was early twenties ( I am now 32 years old). Growing up no one talked about our history and the impacts it had. Thanks to this course I have a better understanding of our history, cultural and political issues, and so much more. Thank you for everyone that has contributed to making this course accessible.

By Bernadette M

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Aug 19, 2020

J'ai beaucoup apprécié ce cours. Maintenant, le monde doit entendre les histoires, les horreurs et les injustices faites à la communauté des Premiers Nations. Le curriculum d'études sociales en l'Ontario, au niveau primaire et moyen ne parle pas de notre passé. Le curriculum doit être changé. Nous devons revoir notre passé afin de ne pas répéter les erreurs dans le présent et le futur. Ce cours m'a aussi permise d'apprendre qu'est-ce que ça veut dire être Métis. Je suis fière de le dire que je suis Métis, reconnu par Métis Nation of Canada.

Merci pour cette occasion !

By Perumalu K

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Oct 16, 2020

This is a beautiful course which helps me to understand the natives of Canada. The course highlights the early stages, the struggle from the beginning during the colonial era and continues to the current time for due recognition, identities, rights and to be on par players in all fields in the growth of contemporary Canada. My heart felt regards and respect to the First Nation people, Inuit and the Metis. Hoping the day will come when l visit Canada and enjoy your cultures and friendship. Thanks to the teachers who prepared this course for the international community.

By Julie E

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Mar 26, 2022

I really enjoyed this course. I believe it provided me with a better understanding of colonization, the impact, history and Indigenous culture, as a whole. I thought this course was laid out nicely, with great materials and resources to further learnings, with adequate time, to complete each module. For me, I believe there was alot of important information and this is just the beginning.

I look forward to continuing to learn and re-read the course notes to reflect on the learnings and further my awareness and knowledge. Thank you for this opportunity and sharing.

By Angela J M

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Sep 25, 2020

Ccourse videos were dry, but casenotes were very informative and thorough. Minor changes need to be made such as clear identification of headings and sub- headings. I also recognize mention of Winnipeg's Neechi Commons, which wanted to inform instructors that it was an amazing resource, however, it has closed. I have recommended this class to all my peers. As a First Nations individual, it was enlightening to learn about what happened to our Ancestors long before I was even a thought. Miigwech. This has greatly contributed to a sense of belonging and identity for me.

By Nashira D

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Aug 13, 2017

I thoroughly enjoyed this course and feel that I have started to learn much about Indigenous history, culture, and political concerns in Canada because of it. I especially loved the inclusion of Leah Dorion's art and commentary. For future iterations of this course, I would appreciate a more careful proofreading of the course notes and quizzes to eliminate typos and occasional inconsistencies. Also, including a separate long list compilation of Indigenous writers, artists, musicians, and their works would further enhance this fantastic learning experience. Thank you!

By Patricia B

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Jun 19, 2022

I really appreciated and enjoyed the course, it's methodology of introducing and explaining key pieces of knowledge. I feel this is a gateway course to extend to further learning and am interesting in knowing more. The topics were brought forward in a safe way to help open my mind to topics that I had little opportunity to learn about in my original school career, that I realize are part of course structures now.

Bravo to all the hard work that went into creating this course! I loved it and recommend it regularly to those who have not yet taken it.

Patricia Bolen

By Michael P

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Oct 26, 2020

Overall I really enjoyed this course and will be looking for additional content to continue learning and understanding this important history of my country. Good job to those that put this together and thank you UofA for making it available online and at no cost to participate. Should I ever be asked by those who create/manage learning content for Canadian elementary & highschool children I will advise them that this should be part of the history delivered to our kids. We are making a huge mistake by now getting this information out. Warm regards, Michael Phillips

By James M

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Jun 8, 2021

This was an excellent overview and introduction to history from an indigenous perspective. It not only met my expectations as far as engaging with new content but, for me, there was an unexpected component to my experience - learning how to recognize some of the effects of the long-standing indoctrination through settler culture, European educational systems and religious affiliation. This was accomplished in positive, respectful, gentle ways while still getting the point across. As the presenters noted, this is a high-level quick review but it was very effective.

By Rusty I

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Jul 22, 2021

My 15-year old daughter and I did this course together and both found it fascinating and heartrending. This is the best course I have taken - including 2 degrees and a lifetime of school and business courses on a huge range of subjects. I have learned so much about a culture I only had glimses of. It also made me, as an Anglo-German-French European, ashamed of the legacy of colonialism and the genocideof the peoples who are the original inhabitants of this beautiful part of the world. Thank you so much to Dr Bear and colleagues for making this available as a MOOC.

By Amber-Rose W

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Oct 5, 2020

This course was incredible and very informative. Throughout my entire life, I have been learning about the history of Canada through a settler-bias lense. This course was eye-opening and enlightening. I believe it's important that we as settlers are given this Indigenous perspective, so that we may be able to stop the colonization practices that still are in effect today. I highly recommend this course to everyone who's ever sat through a Canadian curriculum-based history class, you will learn more in these 12 weeks than you did in the 12 years you were in school.

By Timothy W

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Oct 23, 2021

Understanding that this is only the tip of the iceberg of complex Indigenous issues in Canada, it still gives a broad overview of past and present. Through the course you will gain a greater respect for the different nations, and how historical events have shaped current affairs. The course walks through legal settings, geography, residential schooling, current issues, the arts, women's rights, and environmental activism. You will gain greater sense of empathy for Indigenous populations in Canada, and even generally for all Native populations around the world.

By Joanne H

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Dec 3, 2020

Excellent course. Very factual, interesting and straight forward course about the rich cultural fabric of values and teachings of Indigenous Peoples of Canada, which does not shy away from the issues historically and currently faced caused by colonialization. It will leave the student with a better understanding of the differences between the various complex relationships and viewpoints of the Indigenous & Settlor groups within Canada and hopefully lay some ground work on how we, the average person of colonial ancestry, can hope to respectfully over come them.

By Tatiana M C

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Feb 25, 2024

As a social services work student who is an immigrant to Canada, I consider that colonization has also had a huge impact on our nation. I identified with some of the circumstances that indigenous people in Canada have gone through. This course gives me a completely different and deeper perspective about the indigenous people, I recognize their struggle, their importance and I admire their resilience. I consider that this course is a very complete course that allows more people to learn in depth about the history and importance of the indigenous people in Canada.

By Dr. R P R

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Sep 15, 2021

The course share in-depth knowledge on Indigenous history, culture, and emphasis the real need for a true reconciliation efforts. The course is well organized with a great flow of information with talks, interviews, view points, and art forms.

I believe an inclusion of images of real art forms of indigenous collections, images from history, and pictograms of the events will add more effective and interestingly perceivable.

I thank University of Alberta and the team who worked for this course for this wonderful collection of lectures. videos and information drafts.