KSSreads

We are a Metis Nation- John Ralston Saul

A must listen program tonight...CBC Ideas- John Ralston Saul
Originally aired in April
Embargo until July

New Arrival in September

This lecture 'We are a Metis Nation' at UBC this year was perhaps the most articulate interpretation of Canada's relationship with arboriginal people. Incredible!

In this startlingly original vision of Canada, thinker John Ralston Saul unveils 3 founding myths. Saul argues that the famous "peace, order, and good government" that supposedly defines Canada is a distortion of the country's true nature. Every single document before the BNA Act, he points out, used the phrase "peace, welfare, and good government," demonstrating that the well-being of its citizenry was paramount. He also argues that Canada is a Métis nation, heavily influenced and shaped by aboriginal ideas: egalitarianism, a proper balance between individual and group, and a penchant for negotiation over violence are all aboriginal values that Canada absorbed. Another obstacle to progress, Saul argues, is that Canada has an increasingly ineffective elite, a colonial non-intellectual business elite that doesn't believe in Canada. It is critical that we recognize these aspects of the country in order to rethink its future.(Mosaicbooks.ca)
KSS Catalogue
Study more at Novelist>login 'ksslibrary' 'owls'

BORIGINALS AND NEW CANADIANS: THE MISSING CONVERSATION CD
The words, "We are a Metis nation" John Ralston Saul's recent book, A Fair Country.
In the 2009 UBC-Laurier Institution Multiculturalism Lecture, he argues that aboriginal values have fundamentally shaped the character of Canadian society.

Watch TVO Video of another recent lecture JRS. or Listen to Audio

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Download and listen to podcast from KSS Library in July
Embargo CBC Podcast July 13 - Aboriginals and New Canadians: The Missing Conversation by John Ralston Saul

 Subscribe to CBC Ideas on iTunes

"Canada is the oldest continuous federation democracy in the world"-JRS

author speaks to KSS teens

David Bouchard engages teens

Teacher-librarians concluded another Education Week Author Visit by hosting an appreciative and attentive group of  teens from Kelowna Secondary and Mount Boucherie Secondary by author/speaker David Bouchard, C.M.   You guys were great! Check out his book display in the Library, online Novelist collection or visit his web site. A cool highlight was Mr. Bouchard distributing his bookmarks to teens who answered questions from Stephanie Meyer's books and ancient mythologies.

The COTLA committee correspondence for the Bouchard  event started  March 3, 2008 but the basic plans go back for several years now.  Authors for COTLA's March Education Week initiative are chosen by a subcommittee of COTLA- including Al Smith, Sharon Bede, Sarah Parmar, Angie MacRitchie, Pat Kirkey and Jim Gillett.   Authors in this initiative are among Canada's best (Roch Carrier, Paul Yee, Karen Levine, David Bouchard, Kenneth Oppel, Deborah Ellis). 

 

David Bouchard is an engaging speaker with a passion for reading.   As a writer, educator and presenter, Mr. Bouchard has touched the lives of children, teens and adults but mostly he exemplifies the literacy and cultural richness of our country! He often starts sessions with an honour song dedicated to his aboriginal grandmother.   Mr. Bouchard, whose passions are children, reading, and writing, art and music and dance, aboriginal people and culture..., has published more than 35 titles...including: I am Raven, An Aboriginal Carol, If You Are Not From the Prairie, C’est du Hockey, Notes to My Daughter and The Gift of Reading. Mr. Bouchard has received the Governor General Literacy Award and recently been awarded the Order of Canada, C.M.

The entire committee thanks fellow teacher-librarians, sponsors and supporters but mostly send our appreciation to David Bouchard himself, for his participation, enthusiasm for reading and  all his wonderful books. To check out his upcoming projects visit: http://www.davidbouchard.com/releases2.html

David commented on not just the venues, but also the variety in the audience composition.  Not all authors could handle this, but David was certainly up for the challenge!

4010 people attended David's presentations

3,674 students 

31 schools (24 elementary, 4 middle and 3 secondary)

336+ adults including SD23 staff members, parents and members of the community

It is so cool that David could visit 500 kids at KSS in a gym and then visit 100 kids intimately in a a school library, all in one day!  These venue options are part of what makes this program so special.

Visit our photo gallery at Picasa

-  “We should all take note of David’s presentation- he held the attention of 400 teenagers for over an hour-something I’ve never seen before.” – Arnar Bernhardson,  Kelowna Secondary

- “ Bouchard was the best presenter my kids have ever met.  For the first time, they stayed behind in order to talk with David. ” – Richard Gauthier, Aboriginal Advocate, Kelowna Secondary

-  "Absolutely, totally 100%, fantastic presentation!" -- Jennifer Boal, Ellison Elementary School

-“

This will mean so much to David Bouchard and it touches my heart.  It almost sounds like this parent has had a life altering experience just by hearing about his message.  Unbelievable.  Richard Gauthier came up personally to thank our planning committee today..tears were in his eyes.  He too thought it was a moving experience, but he said something that confirmed what David said earlier on in the planning stages...he wanted to make sure that he was not just talking  to First Nations' children in a separate group , but he wanted them to feel the their pride in an audience of their non indigenous peers.  Richard remarked that his students (FN and Metis) were so proud after the event becuase it is being billed as the all time best speaker in the school (by students)  and that speaker was aboriginal!! His presentation has given our Aboriginal students a gift of being proud of their culture and boasting rights among the student population”.  –Sharon Bede, Kelowna Secondary

The COTLA Author Committee  would like to acknowledge our three main sponsors:  Capri Insurance, Harmony Honda, and CanWest Media’s Raise a Reader program which works in conjunction with the Kelowna Daily Courier and Project Literacy Kelowna. Thank you to our partners, School District #23 for their continued support of this annual Education Week event.

Also read summary at:
http://okanagan852a.blogspot.com/2009/03/author-visit-2009-david-bouchard.html

David Bouchard, author visits Kelowna, SD23

SD23 Education Week 2009- 
Central Okanagan Teacher librarians present-

David Bouchard

• Award winning author, and Order of Canada member is visiting Kelowna
  
• Bio: www.davidbouchard.com/
  

David Bouchard is an engaging speaker with a passion for reading.
As a writer, educator and presenter, Mr. Bouchard has touched the lives of children, teens and adults but mostly he exemplifies the literacy and cultural richness of our country! He often starts sessions with an honour song dedicated to his aboriginal grandmother. 

Mr. Bouchard, " whose passions are children, reading, and writing, art and music and dance, aboriginal people and culture...", has published more than 35 titles...including: I am Raven, An Aboriginal Carol, If You Are Not From the Prairie, C'est du Hockey, Notes to My Daughter and The Gift of Reading.

Mr. Bouchard has received the Governor General Literacy Award and recently been awarded the Order of Canada, C.M.

• SCHEDULE

Schools Partcipating and Presentation Times and Locations” 3000+ studetns and staff from 30 schools (24 elementary, 3 middle, 3 secondary) will be participating by attending a Bouchard presentation.

The Presentation: What to expect?”Mr. Bouchard is an engaging speaker with a passion for reading. His sessions often start with an honour song dedicated to his aboriginal grandmother. Presentations typically last an hour and are followed by a half hour of questions, answers and autographing of books.

Prepare your students to be engaged”.  In order for students to get the most our of Bouchard's presentation it is important that they know a little about the presenter, be familiar with 2-3 of this books, and perhaps have visited his informative website. The more students know about Bouchard, his books and his reading message, the greater his impact will be during the presentation.

Interview with David Bouchard in which he discusses his aboriginal background and the influence it has had on his life:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BdPtMZbgEBY

 

KSS Author Visit -welcomes Richard Wagamese

KSS Author Visit - Richard Wagamese

"...There are always ideas for new novels in my head and I’ll be working on more soon. Right now I’m busy in radio, television and newspaper simultaneously with One Native Life and hope to get back the stories before too long..."

KSS Author Visit - Richard Wagamese : View our photos of this literacy event.

Mr. Wagamese visited KSS and spoke to our Aboriginal students.  Richard Gauthier,KSS Advocate, and his students prepared an authentic lunch. 

Read Mr. Wagamese:

http://kssrc.sd23.bc.ca/m3/apps/m3opac/kss?command=getSession&session=f6a37668-9e21-11dd-8414-a6b1be9fb6a6&style=ui

For more, visit:

http://www.richardwagamese.blogspot.com/

Totem: The Return of the G'psgolox Pole

Totem: The Return of the G'psgolox Pole

http://www.nfb.ca/collection/films/fiche/?id=51162

Learn about this poignant and symbolic film.  They still await complete justice. Although the Haisla carvers and community created a replica pole, which was been given as a symbol of sharing in 2000, it is lying asleep in a swedish museum. The original 128 year old, taken from the Kitimaat village, remains installed in the National Museum of Ethnography in Sweden. In a way, the lack of reciprocal action is yet another injustice.- A. Smith 

Post your views and idea of how canadians could help the Haisla people bring their pole home.

Description

View Excerpt

In 1929, the Haisla people of northwestern British Columbia returned from a fishing trip to find a nine-metre-high totem pole, known as the G'psgolox pole, severed at the base and removed from their village. The fate of the 19th century pole remained unknown to the Haisla for over sixty years.

This long awaited new film from director Gil Cardinal reveals the Haisla's recent discovery of the pole in a Stockholm museum where it is considered state property by the Swedish government. From the lush rainforest near Kitamaat Village, BC, to the National Museum of Ethnography in Sweden, the documentary traces the fascinating journey of the Haisla to reclaim the traditional mortuary pole. Bringing to light a powerful story of cultural rejuvenation, the film raises provocative questions about the ownership and meaning of Aboriginal objects held in museums.

Following its disappearance, the pole existed among the Haisla only in their rich oral traditions. Totem: The Return of the G'psgolox Pole bears witness to the long-awaited and emotional moment when members of the Haisla finally set eyes on it again in 1991. As negotiations for the return of the pole begin, this beautifully-crafted documentary weaves together voices, both Haisla and Swedish, that offer candid perspectives of the repatriation process and the enduring significance of this cultural heirloom.

Cardinal skilfully layers compelling interviews, striking imagery and rare footage of master carvers as they create a replica pole. The Haisla have fulfilled a promise to the museum to replace the original totem. Now, having honoured their end of the bargain, they await the return of the G'psgolox Pole.

The Haisla Totem Pole Repatriation Project

A project of Ecotrust Canada, Kitamaat Village Council and the Swedish National Museum of Ethnograpy

Nanakila

Na na kila is a non profit charitable society working for the Haisla Nation in Kitamaat Village, and now working on the Haisla Totem and Cultural Centre Project.

Ecotrust Canada

Ecotrust Canada works to promote the emergence of a conservation economy in the coastal temperate rainforest of British Columbia.

2003, 70 min

Directed by

Gil Cardinal

Produced by

Bonnie Thompson

Jerry Krepakevich

Production Agency

National Film Board of Canada

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International Film and Video Festival
November 10 to 14 2004, Columbus - USA

Award of Distinction

Indian Summer Deltavision Film & Video Image Awards
August 9 2004, West Allis - USA

Golden Sheaf Award - Category: Best Multicultural

Golden Sheaf Awards /Short Film and Video Festival
May 27 to 30 2004, Yorkton - Canada

Best Documentary Award

Imagine Native Media Arts Festival
October 23 to 26 2003, Toronto - Canada