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Learner Reviews & Feedback for Indigenous Canada by University of Alberta

4.8
stars
22,156 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

JH

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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.

LH

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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.

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726 - 750 of 7,761 Reviews for Indigenous Canada

By Lisa w

Nov 21, 2020

Thank you! This course has helped me to understand in greater detail the impact of colonization on indigenous people across Canada and north america. The course has highlighted the strength and courage of indigenous people and their determination to be heard. I will continue to promote this course. I truly hope the changes that need to take place for indigenous peoples voices to be heard, for their beliefs and values to be honoured, for their traditional ways of life are facilitated successfully.

By Elizabeth M

Nov 13, 2020

I really enjoyed this course. For someone that only learned the bare minimum about Indigenous people in school, this course helped broaden my knowledge on their true story and I gained a deeper connection and respect for them, their culture, their views and their past. With this knowledge, I hope to enlighten other Canadians and do my best to fight alongside my Ingenious neighbours in their fight for respect and equality in this country. I think every Canadian should take this course, hands down!

By Joyanne F

Nov 7, 2020

This course is packed with useful and necessary information. It has transformed the way I see myself in the world as a settler living on Treaty 6 Land. In addition, I loved the conversations with Dan Levy. I looked forward to the warmth and sense of community every week. These sessions also introduced me to the Media Indigena and Metis in Space podcasts which I love, and many amazing Indigenous people whose work I will follow. Thank you for the generosity and hard work that went into this course.

By Dan C

Nov 6, 2020

So many facets that never occured to me. It is referred to as an "introductory" course and that might be so in terms of depth but it has had a profound effect on my perspective. One element that sticks with me, and perhaps I didn't quite catch it in the narratives, was the tenacity and persistence of indigenous peoples in their resistance to the ongoing and concerted efforts to erase their culture and histories. I am grateful for havng the opportunity to particpate in this course. Thank you.

By Joy L

Sep 5, 2020

I would consider this course to be essential to learning and gaining an understanding of Canadian history for every Canadian. I am 69 years old and have adult children both of whom have native studies degrees and education degrees from the u of a, and have invested their careers into bettering the condition of indigenous people and It is a privilege for me to be able to take courses that will allow me to better understand and appreciate what they do, so thank you for this incredible opportunity.

By Josée M

Jan 2, 2021

As a Canadian I can’t believe I was never taught Canada’s WHOLE history; the good, the bad and the ugly. There was a lot of diversity and richness pre-contact. What little we were taught grossly glossed over a lot of the atrocities that indigenous people were subjected to and painted the rest with rosy coloured colonial glasses. I’m grateful to have been recommended this course and highly encourage my family and friends to partake in educating themselves on such an important and relevant topic!

By Barbara M

Nov 14, 2020

Thank you for offering this course, and advertising it so I was able to find it and enroll

I loved every bit of it and looked forward to the weekly live sessions

My teachings of Canada were mostly from a settlers perspective and this course brought together a lot of what I’ve been looking for in how we have treated our First Nations people. It’s shameful what we have done and I will continue to educate us non indigenous so we can learn to right the wrongs and live in harmony. 🙏❤️thank you

By Talitha B

Nov 5, 2020

I found this course to be such a wonderful way to learn about Indigenous Canada. Growing up in New York my knowledge of Indigenous people were strictly vague knowledge of the Iroquois. I didn't know anything about Indigenous Canada. This course made me realize I know hardly anything about Indigenous North America. This introduction was a great stepping stone in my education to learning more about the people of North America. Thank you so much for this. I recommend this course to everyone!

By Tara P

Apr 30, 2021

Thank you so much for this awesome course. I am a non-Indigenous, Indigenous Social Work student at Maskwacis Cultural College and have been a part of an Indigenous family for the last ten years through my in-laws. I have learned a lot over these ten years, and I still learned many new things from this course. In addition, I followed along and watched the recordings of the conversations with Dan Levy and found them to be so engaging and dynamic. Thank you for this awesome learning opportunity!

By Kelly R

Feb 18, 2021

Sincere thank you to Dr. Bear and her team, both presenting and providing background research and assistance. The course was part educational and part inspirational for me. Having been born in the 1970s I definitely was not educated, as I should have been, on the impacts of colonialism on Indigenous peoples. Efforts like made i this course to understand our past will be vital to our collective success in the future. Storytelling can get us a long way to understanding and I thank you for yours.

By Vanessa K

Dec 13, 2020

Everyone in the country should be required to take this course, as well as newcomers. This is the history of Canada. My background is European. I would not exist if colonization did not happen, but I still hate colonization. It's a strange juxtaposition. But I love the existence of this course, and I loved taking it. It was history worth learning. (I am not good at history, nor do I particularly consider it my favorite subject, so that is saying something!) Thank you very much for this course.

By Anthony P S

Mar 25, 2021

A really well thought out review of indigenous peoples' life in Canada both in an historical context and present day realities. At the same time I am reading 'Sapiens' and see a very direct connection between the age of the "Hunter/Foragers' and the "age of agriculture" and the "Age of Industrialisation". Is there/was there any alternative to the evolution/expansion of Homo Sapiens that happened some 12,000 years ago in Eurasia and that which befell the American continent some 680 years ago?

By Honey B V

Dec 10, 2020

This was such an eye opening course. Being a fan of of BIPOC history and social activism, this immediately caught my attention when it was being promoted on Dan Levy's (the actor) Instagram. I thank the University of Alberta for offering this free course. In this class, one will gain insight on Canada's Indigenous populations as well as their history, roles, contributions and plights within modern society. Highly recommend to anyone looking to expand their knowledge of Aboriginal peoples.

By Judy D

Nov 9, 2020

This was an amazing introduction for me. I grew up in an era where Indigenous history was not taught in schools. What I have learned I have had to find. This course has filled in a lot of blanks for me and given me so many directions to turn my exploring. I look forward to expanding my knowledge and understanding of Indigenous lives. I have always felt that the world would be a better place if we just listened to others. This course is a place where I could listen and learn. Thank you!

By Kailey D

Sep 11, 2020

Amazing. As a Metis person living in Canada there was a lot of things I did not know or understand how they came to be, it was amazing to be able to learn and relearn many things and put puzzle pieces together for my own experiences and families experiences. I am very grateful for this course and have recommended it to many friends and family. I leave this course with a greater understanding of the indigenous world around me and again, I feel extremely thankful that a course like this exists.

By Bonnie H

Aug 30, 2020

I got so much out of this course and learned so much that was never included in the school curriculum.

It would be a great thing if everyone would take this course, so that we could all be a little better educated on the indigenous in Canada. I feel it would help people to have compassion and empathy and understanding for all they have been through and all they are still going through. We need to all work together to make this country work to be mutually beneficial for everyone, not just some.

By Sahara Z F

Jul 22, 2020

It is a very interesting course. Learning about history has always been something that has interested me and this course was a very good resource in learning more about Indigenous people from Canada. I would recommend this to anyone who is interested in history regardless of where you are from. Knowing and recognizing colonization and its impacts not only helps us better understand the modern civilizations in America but it also helps us make sure we won't let anything like this happen again.

By Janette P

Aug 5, 2022

I truly enjoyed this course and I am looking forward to learn more. Last quiz was a bit more complicated for me since at my first try at the question How many artists make up the group, Professional Native Indian Artists Incorporated (PNIAI), I had answer 7 and I was marked wrong...so on my second try I answer 6 and of course it was wrong. I just did not answer why at the first try I did not get it rigth. All good it made me review a bit more and I learned more. Thnak you for everything.

By Michelle N

Jun 16, 2022

Prior to completing this course, there was (and still is) so much I did not know about the Indigenous peoples, their histories and the staggering challenges they have, and continue to face. I highly recommend this course to everyone. It is free, self-paced (I'm embarrased to admit that it took me a long time to complete), very informative and well-presented. Personally, I will use this as a learning foundation, and continue my studies from here. Thank-you, Coursera for the excellent content.

By Christiana A

Jan 14, 2021

This course was highly informative about the Indigenous people in Canada as well as their culture, hardships, resilience, and innovation. There were many things that I didn't know but have now added to my knowledge about Canada and its formation. I have a new respect for the First Nations people of Canada and feel a connection with them as someone who is also from a culture that highly values tradition. I'm thankful to all who took the time and effort in making this course accessible online.

By Paula B

Sep 4, 2022

This is a great course for anyone wishing to gain the indigenous perspective of colonization. The information is revealing of the positive images of the First People's of this land. It also shows how time and time again, the settlers did not keep their word and in essence breach the conditions of the treaties agreed upon. This would be an ideal course for new comers and for workplaces to have their employees take this prior to starting their jobs as a cultural sensitivity training piece.

By Greg P

Aug 23, 2021

Excellent introductory course covering a broad range of topics and bringing to light a number of aspects of indigenous culture, world views and political events that have forced cultural change. I learned about a number of historical and political events of which I was not previously aware and how those events have shaped perceptions of indigenous people. My views have fundamentally changed with the insight I have gained from this course and the appreciation I have for indigenous culture.

By Monique D

Jan 27, 2021

I thoroughly enjoyed this class and I think all Canadian should view it. It connected for me, the varied bits of Canadian Indigenous history that I was aware of but never fully understood or grasped the deep significance. It helped understand how this ongoing negative colonial treatment has led to the current day prejudices and varied problems. The class promotes optimism and hope for a better unified Canadian people. Love the art explanations and guest speakers. Well done.

By Daniela M M

Sep 20, 2020

I really loved this course. It not only helped me unlearn so many more things about Indigenous history and colonialism, but it also taught me so much more about the colonial history of Canada and Indigenous peoples! So I am very grateful to Dr. Tracy Bear for creating this course, because it will help me in my future work with Indigenous communities and with my hopes to work in language revitalization. It was a truly marvellous course, and I hope many more Canadians choose to learn from it.

By Jill G

Dec 17, 2020

Thank you so much for putting this course together and for offering for free online. I learned a tremendous amount about colonization , indigenous lives and world views, the history of injustices perpetrated on various indigenous groups and about the struggles then and now for all indigenous people to reclaim what has been taken from them. The stories will stay with me and inform me in my daily living and in my conversations and dealings with others living and governing on Turtle Island.