Maker Challenge: Digital Pictograph - Social Justice through an indigenous lens

“Are we recognizing that the very principles that are shaping how we are creating the
21st Century Makerspace learning environments are those same principles that have
guided the indigenous peoples for centuries, the very principles and values that were
taken from them when traditional school was created?” Zoe Branigan-Pipe, Indigenous
Worldviews Inspires THIS classroom MAKERSPACE (April 23, 2016)
At the beginning of this lesson, the provocation presented to you exposed you to the
use of symbolic stories as a method of interactive indigenous storytelling. Please review
the supporting texts below for this maker challenge.
Supporting Texts for this Maker Challenge

1. Baglot, K. [@kbaglot]. (2021, November 20). Kimsquit Pole Raising: symbolic

storytelling and social justice through land reclamation [Video Post]. TikTok.

2. Sium, A & Ritskes, E. (2013). Speaking truth to power: Indigenous storytelling as

an act of living resistance. Ontario Institute for Studies in Education.
file:///Users/Teacher/Downloads/titusland,+19626-46034-1-CE.pdf

3. Zhang, H. (2021). Self-representation and decolonial learning in library

makerspaces: Indigenous digital storytelling. Pathfinder: A Canadian Journal for
Information Science Students and Early Career Professionals, 2(2), 53-69.
https://doi.org/10.29173/pathfinder33

Investigate digital tools, such as microbits & genial.ly, to make interactive digital
pictographs.
● Microbits can be programmed such that images appear on their LED screen
when different inputs are used.
o Microbits can be programmed as follows: See video resource
● Genial.ly can provide interaction through interactive images and presentations.
o Gentially can be used to tell stories as follows: See resource.

An imperative need and value in Indigenous ways of learning, knowing, and doing is to
create and maintain interactive storytelling practices.

Using the inspiration from the work above, your understanding of your selected social
justice issue, culture, relationship with our local community, and a maker mindset, use
the tools available to design a functioning interactive pictograph to help tell the first
section of your storyboard from lesson 1. Alternatively, you may wish to create a
physically interactive pictograph using found and tangible materials.
Your prototype should consider decolonized perspectives, your social justice issue,
symbols as story elements, and the interactivity of stories. Further, you want to ensure
that it is culturally relevant, appropriate, representative, and inclusive for all people and
users.

Maker Challenge Reflection

Which tool did you select to create your digital pictograph? Give justifications for your
decision. What is your review of the tools for this challenge?
How did your digital pictograph consider decolonized perspectives, social justice issues,
symbols as story elements, and the interactivity of stories?