Chapter 11

Canadian Museum of Civilization

www.civilization.ca/aborig/aborige.asp
See page 177 in The World Today.

This link takes you to the First Peoples' section of the Canadian Museum of Civilization (CMC) website. The CMC is Canada’s national museum about people and culture, and is located in Ottawa (actually, in Hull, Quebec, just across the river from Ottawa). On its website, you will find lots of photos of First Peoples’ artifacts in the CMC collection, and information about the artifacts and the cultures they belong to. Make sure you go and see the real thing if you ever visit Ottawa.

Aboriginal Canada Portal

www.aboriginalcanada.gc.ca
See page 177 in The World Today.

A “portal” is a web page that gathers together links to different websites on the same topic or theme. The Aboriginal Canada Portal is a Government of Canada page bringing together links about Canada’s Aboriginal peoples. You can find the INAC (Indian and Northern Affairs Canada) profile of every Canadian Aboriginal community, as well as links to their homepages, when they have them. You will find links to government program information, statistics, Aboriginal organizations around the country, articles about different cultures and traditions, and much more.

CBC News Indepth: Aboriginal Canadians

www.cbc.ca/news/background/aboriginals/index.html
See page 177 in The World Today.

If you want to find out about Aboriginal Canadians in the news, this is the site for you. The CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation) has put together this “backgrounder” on Aboriginal peoples, with general (“background”) information, statistics, and photos. You can also read articles on specific topics, like the repatriation of artifacts (that means giving back to First Peoples the artifacts that were taken from them to be put in museums). The site also has links to years’ worth of news stories about Aboriginal Canadians.

Laleyio Maasai Page

www.laleyio.com
See page 179 in The World Today.

Hans Johnson, an anthropology student, made Laleyio.com to teach people about the traditional music of the Maasai people of East Africa. You can even listen to some Maasai music on the website. There are also lots of photos, and information about Maasai history, language, and traditions, such as the “age set” (where people born in a certain five-to-ten year period grow up together with their own songs, stories, and heroes).

Bishnoi Page

www.bishnoi.org
See page 180 in The World Today.

Bishnoi means “29” in Hindi—the number of commandments passed down from the Bishnoi prophet, Jambho Ji, in the year 1485. The 29 commandments were collected from what were thought to be the best practices of many different religions and cultures. Read about what the Bishnoi people of Rajastan, India, believe on this Bishnoi web page.

The Ainu Museum

www.ainu-museum.or.jp/english/english.html
See page 181 in The World Today.

The Ainu Museum in Hokkaido, Japan, houses artifacts from the Ainu indigenous people of Japan and teaches others about their way of life. On its website, you can read about the traditional foods, shelters, ceremonies, clothing, religion, and dances of the Ainu. Learn how the Japanese are now trying to preserve what remains of the Ainu culture, through holding Ainu dance performances and Ainu language classes.

Indigenous Peoples Earth Charter

www.dialoguebetweennations.com/IR/english/KariOcaKimberley//KOCharter.html
See page 173 in The World Today.

Read here the Indigenous Peoples Earth Charter, drawn up at the Kari-Oca Conference in 1992. The charter states the collective rights of indigenous peoples everywhere—and what the United Nations and all countries need to do to honour and protect those rights. The well-being of indigenous peoples is closely tied to the well-being of the planet. Many points in the charter deal with the fact that, to protect the rights and lives of indigenous people, the earth must be protected, too.