University of Toronto (CRACIN) starts working with K-Net
Adam Fiser and Karina Griffith drove from Toronto to spend the long weekend meeting with K-Net staff to learn about the community networking work being completed in this region. Adam is a PhD candidate student at the University of Toronto working with Dr. Andrew Clement in the Faculty of Information Services. They are collecting information and conducting research as one component of the Canadian Research Alliance For Community Innovation And Networking (CRACIN) initiative in which K-Net is one of the case studies being proposed.
Karina is a video producer who is worked with a video cooperative in Ottawa (http://www.sawvideo.com). Both Karina and Adam are interested in supporting the production of video material that can be used on-line to support the archiving, the maintenance and development of Native language resource material.
Over the three days meetings were held with Brian Beaton (K-Net Coordinator), Dan Pellerin (Network Manager), Les Meekis (Community Manager who was in Keewaywin working on some video production training), Adi Linden (K-Net Systems Analyst), Jesse Fiddler (K-Net Multi-media producer), Cal Kenny (K-Net Graphics Design), Darrin Potter (KiHS Principal), Marlene McKay (KiHS teacher in Frenchman's Head), Florence Woolner (working on the First Nation SchoolNet initiative), Lorraine Kenny (producing on-line Native Parenting resource material) and Tom Terry (supporting the KO GIS initiative). Visits were made to Lac Seul First Nation (to see the KiHS sites in Kejick Bay and Frenchman's Head) and Wabigoon First Nation (to see the 2-way satellite install at the local school, the local wild rice production plant and the traditional pow-wow). Tom and Carol Terry supported the visit with the use of their cabin (and sauna).
On the final day of the visit, discussions focussed on putting together a presentation about the work that KO is doing as the Ontario Regional Management Organization for Industry Canada's First Nation SchoolNet Program. Adam, working with K-Net staff, is now exploring ways to collect more information and supporting our work in introducing broadband and high speed connectivity in the different First Nation schools across Ontario. He will be joining K-Net staff on-line as we work with school staff and First Nations to bring new ICT tools and applications into these environments.