Culturally Modified

21/06/2022

Today we celebrate Canada’s Indigenous Peoples.

“Our ability to reach unity in diversity will be the beauty and the test of our civilization." -Mahatma Gandhi

26/08/2021

"'Bears are great teachers,' she tells Gloria Dickie of Hakai magazine. 'People were using the same watersheds and the same salmon accesses for millennia. So, perhaps it would be more surprising if there wasn’t overlap between bear culture and human culture.'”

DNA analysis shows a distinct relationship between three distinct groups of grizzlies and Indigenous populations with different languages

20/08/2021

"Whales are among the many animals known to be highly cultural, says Prof Hal Whitehead, a marine biologist at Dalhousie University. 'Culture is what individuals learn from each other, so that a bunch of individuals behave in a similar way,' he says."

From whales to monkeys, elephants and even fruit flies, researchers say they are starting to understand animal culture just ‘as it disappears before our eyes’

11/08/2021

"Yakunã Ikpeng and his people have noticed that the world’s largest tropical forest is changing. The Amazon is less humid than it was in the past, affecting the climate in the region. Increased deforestation and the spread of urban areas into the forest have resulted in lighter and less frequent rains carried by the so-called flying rivers, the streams of water vapour that the rainforest trees release into the air."

https://news.mongabay.com/2021/08/in-a-drier-amazon-indigenous-people-recalibrate-their-relationship-with-fire/

Since the beginning of time, Indigenous peoples have used signals from nature to guide their way of life. Their calendar is structured by the rhythm of plant growth or rains, which help them choose the best time to plant their crops. But things have changed in recent years. “The climate has totall...

21/06/2021

Today is National Indigenous Peoples Day! We celebrate and honour all First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples.

18/06/2021

"'One of the most exciting aspects of the map is that the content is created by Indigenous people about Indigenous people,' Charles Wherry said. 'So we're not just the subjects, we're the creators of the content. So this is very unique. It's not an outside entity looking in at us. It's from within the communities. And this is a great opportunity for people to really hear directly from communities the things that they want to share.'"

A new online, interactive map helps both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people learn more about language and culture in Indigenous communities throughout B.C.

31/05/2021

Last week, Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation said the remains of 215 Indigenous children were found in an unmarked grave at the site of a former Kamloops residential school. For many of our readers and contributors, this deeply tragic news is also confirmation of what has already been known for years. We are reminded of the importance of listening and sharing each other’s stories and understanding the ways in which the past and present shape our relationships. We feel this is especially the case, as the children found in Kamloops and those lost across the country — those who would have been our peers, coworkers, and relatives — are unable to share their stories directly.

We want to include resources for those who may want to learn more, and for those who may need some support.

National Indian Residential School Survivors and Family Crisis Line (24/7): 1-866-925-4419

KUU-US B.C.-wide Indigenous Crisis Line (24/7): 1-800-588-8717

Short video on the residential school timeline in Canada from Historica Canada: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFgNI1lfe0A

20/05/2021

"[...] The forest gardens of the Pacific Northwest are cleared spots nestled alongside the native coniferous forests. The gardens contain collections of perennial plants and shrubs like Pacific crabapple, wild cherry, plum, soapberry, wild ginger, rice roots, and medicinal herbs."

Gardens persist for 150 years after those who planted them were removed.

14/04/2021

We want your articles about food and culture!

09/04/2021

"Tafadzwa says that as someone who is native to Zimbabwe, he wants to share his Indigenous knowledge of farming and music with others and receive knowledge from the community as well. Both Amy and Tafadzwa call their approach 'edutainment.'"

Amy and Tafadzwa Matamba are on a mission to improve local food security and give the community agency when it comes to their food.

23/03/2021

From our Change* issue: we caught up with curator Pat Myers from the Royal Alberta Museum to find out what it's like to curate items in the midst of an historic pandemic.

Culturally Modified interviews Royal Alberta Museum curator Pat Myers about collecting items in a pandemic…

20/03/2021

“This year isn’t the first time my mother has experienced discrimination as an Asian American. Growing up in a post World War II anti-Japanese climate, she learned quickly to hide her Asian-ness, speaking only English after starting kindergarten in Washington D.C., then soaking herself in American culture, leaving her with little knowledge of her family’s rich history.“

It's imperative that we push back against the perpetuation of Asian stereotypes and help our children take a stand against violence.

03/03/2021

"The [online] archive is already proving of value to younger generations of Bedouins who live a more modern life, but for whom the traditional culture remains a source of pride."

After 50 years of fieldwork in the Negev and Sinai deserts, an Israeli researcher donated his rare archive to the National Library of Israel.

18/02/2021

From our Change* Issue, how does staying apart from others affect us culturally?

COVID-19 presents us with a way of cultivating awareness around physical distancing and personal space…

05/02/2021

From our ninth issue, Australian perspectives on the pandemic:

"The lived experiences and cultural lens through which we look and interpret the world around us is different. However, there are some things that can be understood universally. Firstly, we are not alone. Secondly, the world is in trouble because of human actions and it needs improved human actions to achieve outcomes that are healthy for all."

Many Aboriginal communities in Australia had been closed to outsiders before a pandemic was called…