Free Knowledge Project

In May of 2010, Free Anthropology offered its first university level course, entitled "Anthropology and Indigenous Peoples in Canada." Over the next 2 years, Free Anthropology has grown to cover other disciplines and topics, including Canadian Studies, BC History, and Aboriginal Rights, and formed a non-profit "educational society" under the banner The Free Knowledge Project. Our goals are to offer free, open, and accessible education and alternative methods of learning to members of communities that often face barriers to some forms of learning. Since beginning, we have offered three versions of "Anthropology And Indigenous Peoples in Canada" (a five, six and nine week course) taught by Dr. Marc Pinkoski, one version of "Anthropology and Development" taught by Metis scholar Dr. Robert Hancock, and one version of "Indigenous-State Relations, taught by Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, Professor Michael Asch. Topics covered include: BC and Canadian history, representations of Indigenous peoples in science and law, aboriginal rights, colonialism, treaties, and development. These five classes total 31 public lectures and they have been audio and video recorded and made available for free on our website.

In the summer of 2011, Free Anthropology, in conjunction with the Dzawada'enuxw First Nation, used funding from the BC Capacity Building Initiative to offer an intensive three-day anthropology course to community members. That money provided funding for four community members to travel to Victoria to participate in the course. Now, for this grant, we are proposing to offer the course to interested community members and the band council in the village of Gwayi (Kingcome Inlet). The objective is to offer the course "Anthropology, Kwakwaka'wakw, and Law" at no or little risk to the community and at their request. The money would pay for travel to the community, preparations, recordings of the classes, handout materials, and assist in the overall administration of this project.

If granted the full $5000, we would also be secured to offer another local, general-knowledge history/anthropology class to the public -- for free -- in Victoria, BC. That is, there are two aspects to this proposal, with the second helping to support the continuation of an on-going project in Victoria, BC that is helping to build the curriculum and focus of the classes. This money would help us build or extend the community component and is proposed in partnership with the Dzawada'enuxw First Nation.