Expressions of Intent for IPY 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

CANADA #26:Northern Aboriginal Languages Forum  (Northern Aboriginal Languages Forum)

Outline
Major resources of Aboriginal experience and expertise are needlessly underutilized and underdeveloped on account of barriers to communication in the polar region such as jurisdictional boundaries and geographic isolation. This project will initiate research and development projects and support existing ones by facilitating collaboration among all northern Aboriginal groups in which children still speak the local Aboriginal language. Aboriginal individuals and organizations have taken extensive responsibility to initiate activities along existing lines of communication on local issues of Aboriginal language and culture, education, economic development, and the environment. However, these communities never have an opportunity to work together comprehensively. This project will provide significant support for inclusive, community-based actions which reflect the language, cultural values and objectives of Aboriginal people by facilitating members of these communities to outline and compare issues, share information, and set objectives for future action. The structure of the proposed activity is: 1 identify participants and work, through questionnaires, on date, place, agenda and facilities for the main meeting, and to make meeting arrangements; 2 hold the main meeting, probably a five-day event, to share information, to identify issues and set priorities, and to plan for future research and development action; 3 prepare a report for all those present at the meeting and their home organizations; 4 develop proposals for further action

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
The proposed project is aimed at knowledge mobilization in two ways. First, its main action is to put people who are now the central players in Aboriginal language development for Aboriginal-language dominant communities in direct contact with each other so that they can share their knowledge, innovations and development networks for future collaboration. Without such a meeting, they are forced to continue to exhaust their meagre resources re-inventing the same wheels in teacher training, curriculum development, orthography standardization, etc. Secondly, the aim of the project is to develop proposals and activities to create on-going liaison among these groups and collaborative activities which all or some of them can work on in the future.

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
An existing Canadian network is currently working on developing such a meeting for Canadian Aboriginal communities where the language is still spoken by the children. In the proposed project, outreach would be made through networks of our members and the good offices of the IPY International Office to identify suitable participants in Russia, Finland, Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Greenland, Canada, and the United States.

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
Meeting would be held in Canada.

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: 01/2007 - 12/07            
Antarctic: n/a

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
National educational and cultural organizations can be approached to support the networking necessary to set up the meeting and the agenda, and to assist participants in attending. Translation/interpretation among the world languages involved will have to be provided, but among the Aboriginal languages themselves, participants will have to assist in resources. Potential for sharing with other projects depends on other social science plans.

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
Definitely. The objective is to permit key human resource people in Aboriginal language development and preservation to meet and establish strategies and plans for sharing existing knowledge and resources as well as acting collaboratively on future projects of mutual interest and priority.

How is it envisaged that the required logistic support will be secured?
National agency
Own support
Other sources of support

We will approach national Aboriginal organizations in the target countries and national and international educational/cultural agencies (e.g., agencies working on endangered languages) for logistical and financial support. We hope to DEVELOP an international, continuing source of support as a result of this project. Initially, we will use existing, voluntary resources to get the networking and planning started.

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
This pre-proposal has been reviewed and is being submitted by the Canadian Steering Committee (CSC). Ongoing discussions will integrate this pre-proposal into a larger network of related national and international initiatives. The CSC has initially sorted this pre-proposal into: THEME: Educ, Out & Comm SUB-THEME: Conf & Workshops

PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND STRUCTURE

Is the project a short-term expansion (over the IPY 2007-2008 timeframe) of an existing plan, programme or initiative or is it a new autonomous proposal?
Expansion
A proposal (available upon request) for a Canadian version of the project outlined here has been submitted to the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, Canada, the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, Canada, and Heritage Canada.

How will the project be organised and managed?
Faculty members at Memorial University of Newfoundland will facilitate the three phases of the project: (1) identify the appropriate network and do all pre-meeting arrangements and communication; (2) oversee the meeting; and (3) collect the results into a report, disseminate the report, and assist where possible on supporting resulting action. Funding raised will be managed by the university. A steering committee of participation Aboriginal community representatives will be created during the first phase of the project.

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
Through our existing relationships with the Stabilizing Indigenous Language Conferences, the Society for the Study of the Indigenous Languages of the Americas, and various academic and Aboriginal bodies locally and worldwide, we anticipate early success in identifying appropriate groups for this project. The project itself focusses specifically on education, outreach and communication from that point on.

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document)?
Data management only requires wordprocessing and electronic mail. Academic, educational and Aboriginal organizations are anticipated largely to have the resources needed for participation.

How is it proposed to fund the project?
Central organization and facilitation $10,000 CDN Travel to meeting by participants $800,000 CDN Meeting costs (venue, facilitation, translation) $80,000 CDN Report writing, dissemination and follow-up $50,000 CDN No funding secured to date

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
None

PROPOSER DETAILS

Dr Barbara Burnaby
Memorial University of Newfoundland
Faculty of Education, Memorial University of Newfoundland
St John’s, NL
A1B 3X8
Canada

Tel: 1(709)738-2427
Mobile:
Fax: 1(709)737-2345
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation

Other Information