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

2

TOPIC 2 – Residential schools and Indigenous organization, resistance and resilience

In this Unit, we look at an example of how Indigenous people are struggling with the structures and effects of colonialism through expressions of Indigenous resurgence. We focus on attempts at reconciliation following the closing of Canada’s last residential school in 1996. The residential school system extends back to the early days of the country, and links to past and ongoing pieces of colonial legislation, such as the Indian Act. The important work of reconciliation and healing linked to these processes faces challenges as well as successes. It highlights strong examples of Indigenous organization, resistance, and resiliency, as well as of the multi-generational impacts of colonial policies and practices.

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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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