It was amazing and I learned a lot about the different indigenous groups around Canada. Not only learning the basics on the different groups but also the history and what people may think are small details but are big stepping stones for indigenous people. The course was well organized and laid out and easy to navigate through. I really enjoyed the fact that even being located in western Canada that it encompassed all of the indigenous groups, even the ones out east. I live in Labrador and it connected ties over this way, which is great to see. The videos were spoken clear and concise and to see and hear of the guest speakers was amazing. Great course. I selected 4 stars, only because there is always room for improvement.

Well done. NOTe that is from 2015, interesting to know how far along we have come, but, of course with a great deal more to be done. Does the course need revising at all?

Particularly interesting was Britian substituting a patriarcharcal society on Indigenous cultures who were much more neutral between the genders and indeed some were matriarchal in nature.

Now we are trying to undo this with Indigenous peoples, and adapting to the women's movement in how society is organized in the greater context as a country not just Indigenous. We have come a long way, but witha long ways to go. In retrospect, what Britain should of done, was adopt much of how the Indigeous people were governing, instead of the other way around!

Some of the course was a bit complaining with so much treaty, written political, and land complaints, with involvement from the women. The population growth, where will they put there offspring if not with more urban growth? Depression etc, only blaming government and colonizaiton. The Colonializers must have done some good. The women being murdered, abused and then have to take time from employment to powwow against government activisim. I felt the art and creative side was very uplifting. They really do have some beautiful artwork and stories.

The actual prepration of the literature for this course, and the filming, though lengthy, was exceptional. I did greatly enjoy learning more about Canada.

well presented and important. Should have learned this in the mainstream long ago. My only critique is that the political position is obvious, which is not itself a bad thing, but it a) clouds the broader perspective of colonialism in the 1800s early 1900s. That is, it was a harsh approach to many who were not of the 'right background' - jews, poor people, orphans, women etc. It is collectively evolving on many fronts. b) completely ignores the fact that first nations took slaves, fought, had human societal challenges pre contact and is confronted with internal issues today. (the queer indigenous interviewee in Week 9 did a great job of highlighting some of this, outside of the course lecture).

I enjoyed the course and I am an urban metis woman born in Manitoba and raised in Alberta by a settler family I often felt I didn't fit in on either side of the spectrum as I am not classified as full blood or recognized by the Metis as I have never lived in a settlement and have been disconnected from my culture My bloodlines indicate that I am metis. Learning about how the Metis people have adapted to the urban culture has made me realize I do fit on the spectrum and that is as an urban Metis Woman. Thank you to all who put this course together as I have learned a lot about the indigenous culture and can now look at the world through different eyes Better eyes. ( Not a review but a perspective )

The course was relatively deep in information and provided a very good overview of the historic and current challenges facing Indigenous peoples in Canada. It also offered a look into the efforts of Indigenous peoples to gain recognition and take control of their destinies based on unique Indigenous governance models. My only criticism is that some sections attempted to provide too much information all at once and I felt that in those cases one would get loss in the breadth of coverage and detailed information presented. Otherwise I felt that this was a fantastic initiative that will certainly help non-indigenous Canadians better understand the Indigenous perspective in Canada today. Well done!

The course was very interesting and accessible to a person who is at an introductory level on this topic. I was impressed by the diversity of topics that were covered in relatively short amount of time. The lectures and videos were well presented and engaging. The instructors spoke clearly and concisely and were easy to understand. The multiple choice evaluations at the end of each module, however, were poorly written and did not necessarily cover important material. The course notes did not always contain the answers required to complete the evaluations which lead to frustration in some instances.Overall,however, taking this as a general interest course was a very positive experience.

This course was a fantastic starting point to learn about various aspects of Indigenous peoples in Canada. I learned so much about the history, the cultures, and contemporary issues facing Indigenous people today. Through the course, I became much more aware of my lack of understanding of Canada's true history (which was not taught in school) and how diverse and relatable Indigenous cultures are. I feel much better informed and find myself even more curious to learn about the Indigenous people of this country. I took away one star because the material was dry at times. It is difficult with an online course, but it would have been nice to have a bit more of an interactive platform.

The information in this course is excellent and very important for Canadians to learn. The overall presentation and lessons learned is very good. It does a good job of condensing thousands of years of history into a digestible package. I think the course does a good job of setting a baseline that all Canadians (especially settler descendants) can start at in their journey to understanding and cooperation with Indigenous people. I enjoyed this and learned a lot! Thanks!

Small nitpicks - there are a few modules that have some clunky delivery, but it is mostly well done. A few quiz questions also had some ambiguous answers, or addressed content not directly covered in the notes.

I found this course to be very informative. It gave me a perspective that I hadn't encountered in my previous history lessons. The beginning of the course was concise enough to give me foundations to explore those chapters in history more, but the last 2 to 3 units about more modern topics needed elaborating. The parts about Indigenous in Urban areas and modern Indigenous views needed a little more information or another voice explaining them. I found Tracy Bear (if I remember the name correctly) to be very clear and succinct, but the male moderator in later units to be a little vague in his explanations, yet great in the first units. Overall, though this is a great course.

What a terrific overview! The treaty sections were the most complex. I knew that the treaties were as diverse as First Nation communities but had no idea just how complex. And how woefully inadequate the Indian Act was - I'm old enough to remember (unfortunately) Jean Chretien's role as Minister of Indian Affairs. While critical of colonization, I think a lot more could have been said. It was left to the Residential School section to hit home the intergenerational damage done by colonization. I really enjoyed Leah Dorion's art segments that were a welcome visualization and contrast to so many words! Thank you for making this course available - very timely and so necessary.

I found this course very informative and educational and certainly a MUST for all Canadian's. Travelling through North Ontario I found myself judging the indigenous peoples without really having a clue to the history and the on-going injustices suffered by these first Canadian people .

I found the lecture format a bit tedious, but the entire course could only be improved with the addition of more imagery and multi-medium video segments. For a free course, this is a great format for educating the public and the poorly informed and I would recommend this course to anyone.

Thanks to UofA, Tracy Bear, faculty and presenters for producing a highly informative educational course.

Very well organized and well thought out. Presented clearly. Slight technical problem that videos would stop when ~90% completed and had to be restarted. As a non indigenous 69 yr old I was exposed to many new ideas and people past and present. Although indigenous people have had to and are still fighting to correct many wrongs I feel the course did not acknowledge the progress that has been made or that there are many non indigenous people who are happy and helpful with this progress. Also what is the vision of indigenous and non indigenous people (including descendants of original settlers right up to immigrants and refugees) together in Canada in the future? Thank you.

This was an excellent course and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The only criticism I have is that some of the questions were ambiguous and not pedagogically sound. I have worked with Aboriginal students for 40 years and found this course both informative and educational! I thought I knew a lot on this subject but this course one again proved that you are never too old to learn something new. Thank you so much for providing this course to the public! I think it is an extremely important step in changing the narrative, and helping to build momentum towards a better understanding of Canada's historical and present relationship with our Indigenous heritage, people and communities.

I am glad I took this class! It filled in and updated knowledge I already had from living on three reserves during my high school years, one in Montreal Lake, Saskatchewan, and Sunchild-O'Chiese and Morley, Alberta. When attending the U of A over 40 years ago, Canadian indigenous people were completely ignored in my education classes as if they were a marginal population, unworthy of consideration. It was refreshing to take a class about indigenous people FROM indigenous people! Unique information and concerns were shared in this course, especially regarding the arts and urban challenges. I recommend this course, and look forward to similar offerings from the U of A!

This course was incredibly informative. I especially liked the first few weeks with the history of colonization and the fur trade followed by the disruption of relationships after the War of 1812. This course will help many to understand the long history of abuses of indigenous Canadians and the trauma that colonization caused. Some of the quiz questions seemed rather irrelevant given the scope of the learning and there were numerous grammatical errors that made some questions difficult to answer. Overall, this should be content that is covered in Canadian curriculum from grades JK through to post-secondary to ensure an understanding of Indigenous challenges in Canada.

The course would have been more comprehensive and representative if it had included more information about the Indigenous peoples of Atlantic Canada. The course seemed to be unaware that the Indigenous people of Atlantic Canada are actually still active and have outstanding issues of their own regarding land claims, living conditions and the lingering effects of colonization. Also, in the unit about Indigenous Art, the lack of visuals relating to actual artworks undercut the effectiveness of the lectures. All in all, I would recommend the course, but there are issues about the lack of information about Indigenous Peoples in Atlantic Canada that need to be addressed.

This was hugely educational and enlightening. It was so wonderful to hear from such diverse members of the communities, artists, historians and educators. The speakers were very clear and articulate. The material was well-organized, interesting and presented at an appropriate level. It would have been nice to have seen more of the artworks and places that were discussed throughout (e.g. Expo 67 pavilion). There were a few glitches when the mid-video quiz questions popped up before the actual material was presented. Overall, though, it was excellently done. Thank you for making this available free of charge, which makes it accessible to so many more people.

Decent course. The information delivered was interesting, and I loved gaining a greater understanding for the Indigenous Worldview and how it relates to the Euro-centric worldview, and why it seems that there is such a disconnect between the two sides so often. This course bridged that gap for me. One star removed because I feel that some of the quiz questions were a bit more abstract wth multiple answers that could apply, so I found myself guessing sometimes. And I was surprised to find typos/grammar issues in the course (inconsistent spelling of Indigenous names, subtitles have an incorrect word here and there, etc...). Overall, it's still a recommend from me.

Thanks to everybody who worked so very hard to collect and share so many stories which tell an accurate account of Indigenous Peoples history and struggles with colonization after arrival of settlers. I am truly humbled being able to better understand the lives, cultures and world views of Indigenous Peoples in North America. I know that some folks commented on the "English" used. It seems like some of the subtitles still don't match the correct narrative that the faculty used in telling us important stories and facts. But, it did not distract me at all. Thank you again for all the research and especially engaging so many in telling their stories and accounts.

I would have liked to see more updated information- the course spoke of issues and problems but not what came of these issues and problems - What happened to the Lubicon Cree lands? Was the protest successful? If one of the goals of this course is to build on knowledge as well as celebrate the accomplishments of the Indigenous people of Canada, the information should be informative, up to date and full. I am overwhelmed at the misinformation that I see and hear on social media and in mainstream media. This course could do a lot to open the eyes and minds of people across the country. We know nothing until we admit we need to learn. Thank you for teaching me.

I thought the course was extremely interesting and mind boggling at times. It opened my eyes as to how badly we have treated Indigenous people from the first time Europeans arrived in Canada and ongoing to the present day.

I liked the way it was set up in modules with the quiz at the end of each module.

There were some spelling mistakes which I think should be corrected as it doesn’t make the course look as professional as it should. I felt like correcting them myself! I know it is only a small thing but I think it is important. Thank you, I would like to read all the information again as it is so much and difficult to retain after going through it once.

Instructors were good and the content interesting. It is very interesting to hear the stories and to learn more of the history of Canada from Indigenous perspectives. As a Metis that knows little of my cultural background, I appreciated this opportunity. I would have appreciated more emphasis on the path forward and how Indigenous culture can become a more positive aspect of Canada's future. Significant attention was paid to some of the ways that new technologies are being used to get Indigenous perspectives out and I can't help but have optimism that this will allow traditions to more widely be shared and reflected within this great country.

History is what got us to where we are today ... and this course definitely broadening my knowledge and understanding - more so than other courses I've taken. I emigrated to Canada and studied to become a Canadian citizen. I also took high school history courses to be able to help my children with their homework. I learned more in this course than any of the others I've taken. I found it to be thought provoking and caused me to question my assumptions and stereotypes. I would definitely recommend it as a good starting place to learn more about Indigenous Canada. Thank you to the faculty and staff for making it available via MOOC.