Chevron Left
Back to Indigenous Canada

Learner Reviews & Feedback for Indigenous Canada by University of Alberta

4.8
stars
21,725 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

MD

Jul 2, 2021

This course was very interesting and very informative. Not only did it help correct stereotypes or prejudices, it showed a wide range of subjects pertaining to global and specific Indigenous cultures.

LJ

May 5, 2022

I really enjoyed this course. I liked that it was taught by indigenous peoples from their perspective. I feel much more confident in my knowledge regarding indigenous issues and traditions. Thank you!

Filter by:

726 - 750 of 7,644 Reviews for Indigenous Canada

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 15, 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.

By Connie R

Dec 1, 2020

This course should be mandatory for every person going through citizenship (rather than only being offered the white-washed version of Canadian history that the government distributes). And it should be mandatory for every person going through the Canadian schooling system. The combination of history and culture that this course offers is something I've always found missing from all history lessons I've ever received and I'm happy this course so beautifully connected these dots. Well done!

By Susan M

Nov 21, 2021

As an immigrant to Canada who was not educated here, I know precious little about its history, especially that of its First Nations people. I was exposed briefly to Inuit artists when I worked a contract with the Inuit Art Foundation a few decades ago which peaked my interest, but had not pursued further knowledge until this opportunity presented itself. This course has helped me in my understanding of the history of my chosen country and is a good basis for further growth. Thank you.

By Heather Y

Jul 14, 2021

With the discovery of the mass grave in Kamloops and now so many others, I realized I needed to learn more about the history of residential schools. indeed I needed to learn the true history of Canada. I have found the course to be well thought out, sequential and with enough information to give me a much better understanding of the settling of Canada. I know this is just scratching the surface and it is up to me to continue my learning and engagement with Indigenous People. Thank you.

By Joe F

Feb 16, 2021

Great Insight and an effective way to learn more. As A Canadian whom grew up on the west coast , it was part of school curriculum to learn about Indigenous struggles, but it never really went further than the fur trade , and colonization. It was especially interesting for me to learn about the justice model of indigeneous peoples as well as the desire for both the british and First nations to establish treaties (preventing american annexation and subsequent mis treatment of Ind peoples.

By Adele R

Nov 11, 2020

I am so grateful and humbled for how much this course has taught me. Thank you. I look forward to going deeper into many topics that were introduced to me. But more than that, I am already experiencing life in canada with a different perspective and a much better understanding and empathy. I look forward to all that is before us, confident that we are moving in the right direction. Here's to healing and protection for a world in balance with nature!

In solidarity and love,

Adele Reeves

By Leanne S

Oct 14, 2020

I am told my father was a survivor of the residential school system. A Cree man from Northern Manitoba. I lost my father a few short weeks after I turned 14 when curiosity of my cultural roots was just beginning to take form. I am taking a journey of education, familiarization and connection to my Indigenous culture and this course has enlightened me, educated me and sparked an intense want to learn more and become connected to not only my culture but my father. For that, I am grateful.