How Fiber to Home helps Canada's First Nations retain their culture

[Excellent series of articles in PC world on the benefits of Fiber to the
Home for various broadband applications serving communities around the
world. Thanks to Matt Wenger for this pointer-BSA]



>From the PC world article:



http://www.pcworld.com/article/147907/broadband_innovations_part_2_fiber_opt
ics_reaches_the_tipi.html

Prior to the arrival of European settlers, the indigenous Ktunaxa
people of British Columbia had a
thriving culture going back 10,000 years. Following more than a century of
abuse and mistreatment at the hands of the Canadian government, however, the
Ktunaxa's language and culture have been all but eradicated.

Now, innovative uses of cutting-edge broadband and digital recordings of
tribal elders are enabling younger members to hear the sounds of the
language, giving Ktunaxa leaders hope for its future.

"With no prospect of the infrastructure in our traditional territory
improving, we took it upon ourselves to develop our own
broadband network in order to
make use of these important language-training resources," says Maki.

In March of 2007, the mission was accomplished. The Ktunaxa Nation now has
North America's only native-owned open-fiber-to-the-home network, providing
speeds of 100 megabits per second to each home.

"We're now wired like no other community in North America. Everything we do
is based on connectivity. Not many people get a chance to change the course
of predicted history, but with hard work and fiber, we will," Maki says.











Matt Wenger writes:



Interesting four part series of articles in PC World highlighting

"groundbreaking broadband uses, and the people who employ the technology to

preserve the past, reshape the future, and fulfill their dreams." To quote

them.





Of particular interest to many of you will be part 2, the feature on the

Ktunaxa nation fiber network in Canada.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/147907-15/broadband_innovations_part_2_fiber_
optics_reaches_the_tipi.html





In terms of the other three articles:



The first article on gaming as Olympic sport this year can be found:

http://www.pcworld.com/article/147903/broadband_innovations_part_1_the_21st_

century_athlete.html



Part 3: "The Film Editor's Dream" A well-known Swedish film editor fulfills

his dream of working remotely while living in a rural area, thanks to a

superfast fiber-optic broadband connection.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/147904/broadband_innovations_part_3_the_film_

editors_dream.html



Part 4: "The Doctor Isn't In But Can See You" In the final installment,

focuses on how NorthWest Telehealth is delivering quality healthcare

remotely. http://www.pcworld.com/article/147905/article.html





What I like, is the emphasis on what is ACTUALLY being done rather than what

could maybe one day happen. There may be good contacts here for many of you

to follow up with to learn more about what they did and how they did it.