This course explores the relationships between colonialism, the growth of digital networks and applications, and community development. It re-frames problems like the ‘digital divide’ by illustrating how people and communities are taking ownership and control of solving them.

It recognizes that this work faces significant challenges. Historic and ongoing inequalities restrict the abilities of individuals and communities to effectively use digital technologies. However, people are also undertaking many projects of self-determination, including in the area of technology development. This course explores these initiatives, focusing on how they represent expressions of Indigenous resurgence and innovation in the emerging network society.

The course was initially developed in 2013-2014 as SOCI 2804, a for-credit course in the Department of Sociology at the University of New Brunswick (UNB). It is part of the First Nations Innovation project, which is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. The project is a partnership between UNB, Atlantic Canada's First Nations Help Desk, the First Nations Education Council in Quebec, and Keewaytinook Okimakanak K-Net Services in Ontario.
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Topic outline

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TOPIC 1 – Colonialism in historical and contemporary contexts
We begin the course by discussing some of the conditions that shape technology development in Indigenous communities. It is important to consider historical and contemporary contexts, since they both hold implications in the ways that technologies are diffused, accessed, managed, and used. This helps us critically analyze the ways that the past continues to impact our lives.

The course units include a variety of digital resources where you can explore content in more detail. These include links to videos, readings and websites. We invite you to tell us about other resources!

We have designed this course as a living document. That means that we expect it to change over time, as we continue learning. We include a Wiki page at the end of each course unit where you can contribute ideas, questions, comments, suggestions and resources to help improve this course.

** To contribute to the Wiki you need to sign up for a KNET account. **

Feel free to contact course developer Rob McMahon with comments and suggestions.
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First Mile Connectivity Consortium
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Supported by the SSHRC-funded
First Nations Innovation Project
This course came about through discussions among the project partners, who wanted to generate freely available online resources to support community-based ICT development.

Please email the course developer Rob McMahon with any suggestions, or if you have additional material you'd like to see here.

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