Categories and Terrains of Exclusion: Constructing the Indian Woman in the Early Settlement Era in Western Canada

In 1884 Mary E. Inderwick wrote to her Ontario family from the ranch near Pincher Creek, Alberta, where she had lived with her new husband for six months. 1 The letter provides a perspective on the stratifications of race, gender, and class that were forming as the Euro-Canadian enclave grew in the district of Alberta. Mary Inderwick lamented that it was a lonely life, as she was twenty-two miles from any other women, and she even offered to help some of the men near them to get their shacks done up if only they will go east and marry some really nice girls. She did not consider the companionship of women such as the squaw who is the nominal wife of a white man near us, and she had dismissed her maid, who had become discontented with her position as a servant. Inderwick had disapproved of a ball at the North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) barracks at Fort Macleod, despite the fact that it was the first Ball to which the squaws were not allowed to go, but there were several half breeds. Commenting on the Aboriginal population that still greatly outnumbered the new arrivals, Inderwick wrote that they should have been isolated in the mountains, rather than settled on nearby reserves, and that the sooner they became extinct the better for themselves and the country

Review of The Struggle for the Land: Indigenous Insight and Industrial Empire in the Semiarid World

The essays in this innovative and significant book look at the effects of European occupation on the people and the environment of semiarid regions on several continents. It is the book\u27s comparative and interdisciplinary approach that makes it particularly original and provocative. Included are the lands of the indigenous people of the North American Plains, the Australian Aborigines, the Kazakhs of what was once the USSR, the Maasai of Kenya, several groups in South Africa, Alaskan, and Lapp (Saami) people. Contributors are from anthropology, economics, English, law, history, religion, Native American studies, and environmental studies and they are John W. Bennett, Anatoly Khazanov, Russel L. Barsh, Gary C. Anders, Robson Silitshena, Peter Iverson, C. Patrick Morris, Annette Hamilton, Solomon Bekure, Ishmael Ole Pasha, J. Baird Callicott, and O. Douglas Schwarz. The book will be of particular value to those studying and teaching comparative contact situations and to those interested in how semiarid regions are linked to worldwide human and economic networks

Aligning circulation policies with student needs and collection value : a historic comparison of trends in academic art libraries.

This article presents contemporary trends in circulation policies as they are applied to art, architecture, and design materials at academic libraries in the United States and Canada. Data from a survey of sixty-nine libraries is discussed in comparison with a similar survey implemented twenty years prior. The author argues that changes in circulation policy should be aligned in part with advances in learner-centered pedagogical practice, while still protecting institutional resources. The article offers suggested assessment methods and areas of potential change for librarians considering reevaluation of their circulation policies

Categories and Terrains of Exclusion: Constructing the Indian Woman in the Early Settlement Era in Western Canada

In 1884 Mary E. Inderwick wrote to her Ontario family from the ranch near Pincher Creek, Alberta, where she had lived with her new husband for six months. 1 The letter provides a perspective on the stratifications of race, gender, and class that were forming as the Euro-Canadian enclave grew in the district of Alberta. Mary Inderwick lamented that it was a lonely life, as she was twenty-two miles from any other women, and she even offered to help some of the men near them to get their shacks done up if only they will go east and marry some really nice girls. She did not consider the companionship of women such as the squaw who is the nominal wife of a white man near us, and she had dismissed her maid, who had become discontented with her position as a servant. Inderwick had disapproved of a ball at the North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) barracks at Fort Macleod, despite the fact that it was the first Ball to which the squaws were not allowed to go, but there were several half breeds. Commenting on the Aboriginal population that still greatly outnumbered the new arrivals, Inderwick wrote that they should have been isolated in the mountains, rather than settled on nearby reserves, and that the sooner they became extinct the better for themselves and the country

Pest or pastime? Coarse fish in Aotearoa/New Zealand

Freshwater ecosystems are extremely important, both socially and ecologically, in Aotearoa/New Zealand. However, through detrimental practices of land-use change and the introduction of non-indigenous aquatic species, the health of freshwater areas is increasingly under threat. Coarse fish are one group of non indigenous fish that are largely perceived to have a negative effect on freshwater biodiversity and water quality. Despite this, there are people in New Zealand that value coarse fish highly, and consider their lives to be enriched through the practice of coarse angling. This thesis examines the diversity of perceptions and values ascribed to coarse fish by a variety of different environmental managers and resource users to understand how these multiple meanings influence approaches to freshwater biodiversity management in Aotearoa/New Zealand. As coarse anglers are often considered responsible for deliberate translocation of coarse fish, a space for communication and compromise between these stakeholder groups is also identified. Additionally, appropriate and effective educational methods to raise awareness of freshwater ecosystem restoration and non-indigenous invasive fish are discussed. Social factors are often the primary determinants of whether conservation efforts succeed or fail. Grounded in the theoretical perspectives of social construction, environmental perception, political ecology, and critical environmental adult education, this thesis provides an important contribution to the practice of interdisciplinary research by demonstrating the ways in which social science complements scientific approaches to environmental management. Utilising semi structured interviews with multiple stakeholder groups and an internet survey targeted at coarse anglers this research found that, while a multitude of perceptions of coarse fish exist, there is also willingness on both sides to engage in communication and develop effective practices to aid in managing the freshwater environment. A number of suggestions for improving legislation that addresses invasive freshwater fish, and several ideas regarding education and compliance, also emerged

Preparing Student Researchers: An Investigation of Obstacles in the Inclusion of Primary Research Methods in First Year Composition

This dissertation aims to address and validate obstacles hindering the integration of primary research methods specifically in the first-year writing classroom. My study seeks to meaningfully contribute to the many teacher-scholars already pushing for more primary research in undergraduate and first-year classrooms by building on those conversations to specifically assess instructor attitudes about and knowledge on the integration of primary research in first-year composition. A mixed methods, comparative study, this research project includes interview and survey responses from writing instructors and administrators, as well as an overview of curricula, and current first-year writing and pedagogical textbooks. Data was collected from 20 writing program administrators at R1 universities from across the country, and 14 faculty members from Georgia State University and the University of South Carolina participated in a comparative analysis, to provide a snapshot of what research methods first-year writing instructors use in their classrooms, why they use them, and what they feel is the primary purpose of first-year composition. This dissertation argues and makes a call for the necessity of a reconsideration of pedagogical training and professional development endeavors to include a broader overview of primary research methods. This research helps provide a continued discourse on the purposes of first-year composition and the advancement of professional development and training in writing programs across the country. This dissertation concludes by providing suggestions on how writing programs and English departments could include primary research initiatives during pedagogical coursework and professional development sessions

The potential value and regulation of genetic tests for complex disease risk factors

Within twenty years the technology used to identify genetic variations that confer susceptibility to complex diseases is likely to be sufficiently developed so that it can help guide individuals in their efforts to maintain healthy lifestyles. If the knowledge about one's genetic susceptibility to complex disease risk factors is shown to motivate people to become healthier it is important that this type of information is easily accessible. The current government agenda of promoting individual autonomy and responsibility for health suggests that genetic health risk information should be available in order for the public to use it to inform health-related decisions. The research presented in this thesis describes the issues discussed during a public consultation exercise on the availability of genetic testing services to the public. It also presents results of an experiment investigating the potential impact of genetic information, and the psychological factors which may influence this impact. The key findings were as follows: Complex disease risk information appears to encourage healthy behaviours, albeit to a greater extent in those already motivated to be healthy, with no apparent negative impact; Contrary to some groups' concerns, stakeholders were not worried that genetic information about complex disease risks would have any negative consequences in terms of employment or insurance discrimination; Stakeholders were concerned that the public do not understand well genetic and/or risk information, but it is likely that the public are sufficiently capable of comprehending these concepts; Stakeholders showed a 'cautious shift' in decision making. This could be related to a reluctance to hand over control of health to the individual or a genuine concern to protect a vulnerable minority of the population. The thesis discusses the potential impact of regulatory decisions on the principle of increasing individuals' responsibility for maintaining their health. It argues for a system of access which protects the minority of citizens who are at risk from misinterpreting genetic information and experiencing harm as a consequence, while imposing little or no harm or inconvenience on the majority of citizens

What is the relationship between what teachers believe about how children learn mathematics and how those teachers teach mathematics? : a case study of elementary school teachers\u27 beliefs and behaviors.

In a qualitative study of the beliefs and behaviors of four third and fourth grade teachers as they taught mathematics in an industrial Vermont town, teachers were found to have four fundamental common beliefs about how children learn mathematics: (a) children learn mathematical concepts by manipulating or visualizing concrete materials; (b) children learn arithmetic through specific sequenced steps; (c) children learn mathematics through practice and repetition; and (d) children learn mathematics best when they feel good about themselves and experience success in mathematics. Not all of their beliefs are in concert with the learning theories foundational to the 1989 National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics. Associated with each belief, the teachers had one or more factors they considered when planning mathematics lessons. They demonstrated a variety of behaviors including classroom activities and strategies concomitant with, although not necessarily congruent with each belief. There were discrepancies most commonly because of tendencies to acquiesce to the pressures of time and curricular expectations (including those expectations from the next year\u27s teachers) and to rely upon the textbook rather than build upon the strength of their convictions and beliefs about how children learn. While teachers believed that manipulating materials helps students grasp and develop concepts about the real world in mathematical terms, there was limited time devoted to the manipulation of materials. Although sequential learning was believed to be valuable, many mathematical concepts such as measurement and geometry were taught out of the context and sequence of similar concepts. Practice was typical in each classroom; repetition was prevalent in two classrooms. Many ways of boosting the confidence of students were demonstrated, although one of the teachers believed she was supportive to students when in fact supportive behaviors were not displayed. Staff development implications include recommendations for teachers to increase their knowledge of constructivism as a way that children learn and of mathematics as a field of knowledge. There are suggested actions for teacher unions, school administrations, state departments of education, post secondary schools of education, and professional organizations