OneStory project discovers strong, successful people
- EFN Staff | May 18, 2014
Some Saskatoon students have been learning outside the walls of the classroom in a new project that has inspired pride in Indigenous culture.
Students from Mount Royal Collegiate interviewed Métis and First Nations leaders with OneStory.com, a tool for crowdsourcing video interviews to help tell the story of organizations, causes, communities, families, and to create engaging material to share through social media. The intention of the project was to gather inspiring stories from all realms of occupation, wisdom, and talent.
Many leaders participated in the project, such as FSIN Chief Simon Bird, Elder Louise mcKinney, filmmakers Tasha Hubbard and Marcel Petit, Neechie Gear's Kendal Netmaker, Saskatoon Tribal Council Chief Felix Thomas, journalist Betty Ann Adam, and many others.
Each person was asked "What is it that makes you strong and proud as an Indigenous person?" and "What are your strengths, teachings, and expertise you wish to share with First Nations and Métis youth?"
Glenda Abbott was interviewed by the students. Abbott ran from northern Saskatchewan to Panama in an honour run for water.
She shared with the students, "If there is one thing I can pass on, from that journey or that experience, it would be 'learn who you are first so that you are able to share that with the world.' I learned that I was a Nehiyaw, as a Cree woman I shared that with many different nations, from here to South America."
Teacher Belinda Daniels started the campaign with her Cree class.
She says the idea behind it was "that as Indigenous people, we are contemporary and come from all walks of life, but still hold our beliefes, traditions, and practices true to our heart."
Daniels says her students were excited and intrigued by the project, and they gained a lot from it. As one student put it, "My favourite part would be...hearing from strong, proud and successful First Nations people."
Another said it was great "learning how to public speak with confidence, making eye contact, and knowing what to say."
The students were clearly moved by many of the responses as well, noting that sometimes people became quite emotional. One student pointed to a woman who cried during her interview: "She said that when she was younger, she was not proud or raised not to be proud of who she was supposed to be."
Perhaps most importantly, the students learned not just technical skills of recording, conducting, and editing interviews, but they learned a lot about themselves: "There are a lot of good and successful people that are First Nations and Métis," said one. "I am proud of my identity, my background, my culture," said another.
The more than 40 videos can be viewed at OneStory.com.