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Learner Reviews & Feedback for Indigenous Canada by University of Alberta

4.8
stars
21,724 ratings

About the Course

Indigenous Canada is a 12-lesson Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) from the Faculty of Native Studies that explores the different histories and contemporary perspectives of Indigenous peoples living in Canada. From an Indigenous perspective, this course explores complex experiences Indigenous peoples face today from a historical and critical perspective highlighting national and local Indigenous-settler relations. Topics for the 12 lessons include the fur trade and other exchange relationships, land claims and environmental impacts, legal systems and rights, political conflicts and alliances, Indigenous political activism, and contemporary Indigenous life, art and its expressions....

Top reviews

DN

Aug 30, 2020

This is a great survey course about Indigenous Canada. As a participant, I have learned and unlearned so much about Indigenous Canadians, and more important, this course has inspired me to learn more.

JH

Feb 13, 2021

Highly recommended - I have recommended it some of my staff who are interested in both taking the course and reading the materials. I should note they are First Nations and are as interested as I was.

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176 - 200 of 7,644 Reviews for Indigenous Canada

By Lisa H

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Jun 29, 2021

I thoroughly enjoyed this course in the the way it is presented and the information given. It expanded my knowledge and insights of indigenous history, culture, and knowledge, as well as so much more.

By Andrea K

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Aug 28, 2021

This course was the information I wish I had learned in grade school. As an allied, I look forward to looking into other courses. I feel the faculty did a fabulous job with this introductory course.

By Thérèse S

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Aug 27, 2021

An excellent course. A few tech glitches such as questions during videos popping up before the item was discussed. But it was an informative and engaging introduction to Indigenous Canada.

By Garry B

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Aug 27, 2021

Wow! I did not know what I did not know. This course is a great introduction to the tip of a very important knowledge iceberg. Please find the time to take this course.

By Jordan L

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Aug 28, 2021

This was a very comprehensive course and I am grateful for the opportunity for UofA to provide this free through Coursera. Thank you for this!

By Sharonlee L

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Aug 27, 2021

This course was an excellent eye opener to the history and how we can make a better future. Thank you for the opportunity to learn at no cost

By Stephanie C

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Sep 27, 2021

This course was great and the structure of it really allowed me to study when time permitted. I would highly recommend this course.

By Alex I

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Aug 27, 2021

A fantastic overview course packed with knowledge that frankly should be delivered to all Canadians in Grade school/ High School.

By Scott C

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Feb 21, 2022

Really enjoyed this course and would love to do some follow up on topic. I would love a part 2 or direction to another course

By SUZANNE S

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Feb 21, 2022

Very well presented and informative. Would recommend to anyone wanting to learn more about Indigenous people and history.

By Gord W

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Aug 27, 2021

This course is the history they should be teaching in high schools in Canada. Fascinating and thought provoking.

By Côté M

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Sep 27, 2021

This course helped me a lot to understand Indigenous people and theirs claims. You did a great job.

By Terry M

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Dec 18, 2021

Well worth the time investment. Carefully put together and something in here for everyone.

By Wendy B

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Aug 27, 2021

I am both humbled and honoured to have taken this course, thank you for the opportunity!

By Stephanie D

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Aug 26, 2021

This was a very informative course and should be part of all Canadian History B.A.

By Bilqis W

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Mar 9, 2022

Incredibly enlightening. This shoul be a staple in Canadian higher education.

By Brenden M

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Dec 18, 2021

Wonderfully accessable and open for everyone's schedule!

By Jay P

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Aug 27, 2021

An Excellent course!! I've learned a lot.

By Kelly K

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Aug 28, 2021

All Canadians should take this course.

By Jesse M

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Aug 27, 2021

Enjoyed this course, and learned lots!

By Jamie R

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Aug 28, 2021

great course!

By Natasha M

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Aug 28, 2021

Excellent!!

By Theresa G

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Jun 19, 2017

When I see indigenous people comment online, they trash-talk both government and first nations community leaders alike. They distrust both the government who never came through on promises and the leaders who have underfunded their communities for their own enjoyment.

I didn't see many solutions suggested or a means to an end to some of these issues in this course so in spite of my new found knowledge it would seem this will remain a vicious circle of poverty, distrust, and fear and this saddens me that that there is still little hope for a resolution.

However, this course did bring to light many aspects of my heritage that I was not aware of. My birth father is Métis however my birth mother is not. I was given up for adoption to a Caucasian family when I was 8 months old, so was unaware of being Métis for almost all of my life, let alone did I ever feel remotely a part of it once I found out. So this course also suggested that when you are no longer a part of the Indigenous culture and do not look Indigenous in any way, and because you will never experience the hardships or really know anyone who has, you will never be part of that culture. It's like you get to sit in the front row but will never be in the show.

The rest of the course was okay, the history I knew, the issues I knew, although the elaboration of them was nice. The introduction of key individuals in forming some semblance of a united indigenous culture were good to know. But this course also reminded me that indigeneity in Canada is also about a fractured and injured culture of people, who are separated by language, distance and who will never have the funding that other communities enjoy, and it will never be a whole. After all had there been more formal territories when NA was colonized, maybe it wouldn't be indigenous Canada, it would be Enoch Territory or Papaschase Territory or State and many others where Alberta currently sits and it would now be the United Territories of North America, but alas that will never be.

By Anna A A

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Apr 3, 2022

It was such a pleasure to learn, watch, understand, and share this history and experience with the presenters, guests, artists, leaders, elders, scholars, and faculty.

An exemplary, respectful, detailed, thoughtful, inclusive, dynamic, and thorough introductory to Indigenous Canada, Canadian history, colonization, cultural genocide, governance, resistance, Indigenous contributions in every field and area of life, both Indigenous and mainstream, and the important social, historical, cutlural, political, environmental, gender, identity, and colonial patriarchy and control that have shaped Indigenous history and Canadian history.

Some modules could have given more in-depth examples or a critical analysis of certain topics (example, Module 11, Social Media), and many of the figures, artists, movements, etc. presented could have had more representation for greater effect (example, showing the specifc artwork pieces by Odjig, Nicolson, Belcourt, Belmore, etc.). As well, a module on some of the major issues contemporary Indigenous youth, families, and adults face could have been dealt with (example: poverty, discrimination, addictions, displacement). Perhaps the point was not to introduce that topic, and of course, there were references to it, but a discourse on how to work toward healing and reconciliation, from both indidenous and non-indigenous perspectives, action, and responsibility, could have been interesting.

Thank you for the incredible effort, research, representation, artwork, guests, information, course texts, and videos. It was an honour to learn and I am more dedicated and determined than ever to continue my journey of understanding, solidarity, support, and change, for all indigenous peoples and for the better of Canadian society.

Anna Acito Ashton

By Kelly P

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Dec 2, 2021

I wish I could give this course 5 stars but...

First let me start off by saying I've really enjoyed Indigenous Canada. History as we know it has been so manipulated by our Governments and world leaders. There are so many things that I never knew because it was never taught in school or an incorrect version was taught. This course was very eye opening. I am a spiritual person and I've always felt disconnected from society as we know it. The values and community structures the indigenous people had before colonization were incredibly functional, spiritual and smart. I felt connected again.

That being said, one major complaint I have is that the tests in this course are ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE. Each week I would think I fully understood what I was learning, until I got to the quiz. The wording on some of the questions almost sounds backwards. There were a few times that my brain couldn't comprehend what was being asked. The test questions need to be reworded and SIMPLIFIED. I feel like whoever wrote some of the test questions were trying very hard to use "big" words to sound more educated. However, it did the opposite. Also some of the questions are referred to differently in the videos/course notes than they are in the quiz, I actually doubted myself many times thinking that I didn't study enough or I didn't understand as much as I thought I did. This was extremely frustrating and had me DREADING having to do the quiz every week and because of this my willingness to learn started to diminish. Thank god for CTRL-F. I had to search many key words from the quiz questions to actually get the right answers but even doing this, the answers weren't always clear.