Certificate in Indigenous Studies: Maps, Film, Rights and Land Claims
This is an intensive three-week, three-course, twelve-credit certificate that offers students the opportunity to learn a range of conceptual and practical skills that are of direct relevance to the history, communication, implementation, and critique of rights, title, and land claims. It focuses on a range of representational practices, including, but not limited to, film, oral histories, documentaries, surveys and maps, and legal discourse analysis - and their importance to the Indigenous land and rights process generally, but
with a focus on British Columbia and the lower Fraser Valley, in particular.
Entrance requirements
1. The flexibility and freedom to participate fully in the certificate
program, including acceptance of daily day-long classes, ability to access and
participate in field trips, and a willingness to participate in group
activities.
2. A demonstrated link to an Aboriginal community (e.g., an
Aboriginal Band or Tribal Council, paralegal, or other involvement in land
claims) and/or a demonstrated interest in Aboriginal issues.
3. A
demonstrated ability to express her/himself clearly and coherently.
4. A
letter of intent that explains why the applicant wants to apply to the program
and which speaks to the admissions criteria listed above (points 1 to 3).
5.
BC secondary school graduation or equivalent or minimum 19 years of age before
first day of class.
Note: the prerequisites for HIST 399E, GEOG 300d, and HIST
396i will be waived for students admitted to this program.
How to apply
Submit the application fee, along with your UFV application for admission form,
to the Admissions and Records (A&R) office. Applications forms are available
from any A&R or Student Services office. You can also print an application form
from our website at
www.ufv.ca/ar,
or you can apply directly through the internet atwww.pas.bc.ca
Fees and additional costs
See theFees and Other Costssection. Students should expect incidental costs for transportation to and from
field sites, meals, and waterproof notebooks.
Program outline
This certificate will be offered in the early Summer session, but delivery will
be condensed into the second, third, and fourth weeks of May, with the remainder
of the session used by students for completion of assignments. Each weekly
session is led by a separate faculty member; however there may be some overlap between them, depending on the topic of the day, and supported by practicum
work, visits to field sites, and guest lectures or visits by Aboriginal or
non-Aboriginal experts working in the area of comprehensive land claims and
treaty negotiations.
Week 1: HIST 399e Special topics in
History I: Films, Histories and Land
(4 credits); Instructor: Hugh Brody, Canada Research Chair in Indigenous Studies
This intensive, one-week course offers students an account and analysis of how
film and historical writing have been used to make the invisible (the heritage
and land use of First Nations) visible (films and texts created to reveal and
explain Indigenous peoples' relationship to their lands and cultures). By
critically evaluating film and text, students will learn about the challenges of
land claims research, and how to enhance research methodologies developed to
advance land rights and land claims processes in Canada and other parts of the
world. The focus will be on the place of creative work in research.
Week 2: GEOG 399d Special Topics in Geography: Maps, Territories and
Land (4 credits); Instructor: Dr. Ken Brealey, Geography Department Head (experienced in the mapping of land claims for both treaty negotiations and court cases)
This
intensive one-week course introduces students to the conceptual and practical
challenges of making maps to advance and support land claims in British
Columbia. Students will learn about the history of First Nations cartography and
wayfinding in British Columbia and elsewhere, and how to use maps and other
forms of spatial representation such as stories, songs, artifacts, blockades or
occupancies, and the law to advance claims to territory in the modern period,
and some of the perils and promises associated with these processes.
Week 3: HIST 396i Special Topics in North American
History: Rights, Title and Land
(4 credits); Instructors: David Schaepe, professional archaeologist, and Sonnie McHalsie, Cultural Research Director at Aboriginal Rights and Title, Sto:lo Nation Canada, each with practical experience in the negotiation of Sto;lo title and rights. This intensive one-week course introduces students to the history of the Sto:lo, their relations to land and resources, and rights, title, and land claims issues. Students will watch films, read texts, hear oral interviews and presentations, view maps, and tour the Sto:lo cultural landscape as a 'thick' or 'embedded' way of learning about the Sto:lo and the challenges facing them in their relationship with non-Native newcomers and government authorities. Sto:lo rights and title issues involve local and broader histories of litigation, negotiation, direct action, and land/resource management. The course will challenge students to be creative in thinking of ways to understand, convey, and address rights and title issues, using a variety of methods and media.
Graduation requirements
Successful completion of all three courses in the certificate, with a minimum GPA of 2.0 in the certificate. This certificate is intensive and requires a student's full commitment in class and in the field. Students are expected to follow appropriate protocols for educational and safety reasons. Students are expected to participate in field trips, meet project deadlines, and be willing to participate in a self-evaluation.
Any student completing the twelve credits with a 2.0 GPA or higher will be
eligible to receive the certificate. Students may be able to use the certificate
courses to satisfy requirements for the UFV Bachelor of Arts degree. Those
wishing to apply credit towards other UFV Bachelor degrees should check with
their program advisor to determine applicability. Some may wish to take the
certificate independently of any other credential, particularly at the
post-graduate level, if they are involved in teaching or working in anarea that
requires some knowledge of the field.
