Adding new links to the Aboriginal Canada Portal: a continuous effort

How does it work?

The Portal's content is developed through the efforts of researchers and the contributions of the general public.

The ACP Team

The Portal content team is continuously searching for new links. The team uses two search methods: the annual review cycle and random research.

All links are selected according to well specified criteria (see below). The best links added through the random search are displayed in the What's New section for two weeks.

The Public

The public can submit Aboriginal content links as well. There are a number of ways to submit links to the ACP:

• filling out the Suggest a Link form;
• filling out the Suggest an Event form;
• filling out the Suggest a Community's Home Page form;
• writing to ACP@inac.gc.ca;
• chatting live with a client service representative; or
• calling 1-888-399-0111.

What are the criteria?

When submitting links to the Aboriginal Canada Portal, please ensure that they meet the following criteria:

Geographic origin
Sites featured in the Portal must originate in Canada, except for International section sites.

Site content and intended use
The site content must be largely related to Aboriginal peoples or issues. The intended use must be clearly indicated in the site.

Quality of information
The information provided must be clear, well organized, useful and complete. The site content must be in line with its title and main objectives. The site must be well documented and credible.

Nature of information
The Web site content must be culturally appropriate and must not convey pre-conceived ideas. It must show respect for Aboriginal culture and traditions and properly represent the challenges faced by Aboriginal peoples, as well as their aspirations and initiatives.

Navigation
The site must be user-friendly and easy to navigate.

Site author
Personal Web sites, which are created and maintained by a single person and express individual views, are not included. Sometimes an exception is made for personal sites of general interest that provide clear, objective and well-organized information. In general, chat rooms or groups are not included in the ACP, with a few exceptions (see social networking sites below).

Age of document
Only historical or reference documents are exempted from the age criterion; old documents (over 5 years old) or that contain out-of-date information are not saved. News releases, which have a short lifespan, are not included in the Portal.

Aboriginal businesses
They are re-directed to the Aboriginal Business Directory site because the ACP's mandate does not include businesses. However, businesses ready to export are also invited to register with the Virtual Aboriginal Trade Show.

Social networking sites
The ACP links to some social networking sites under certain conditions. Aboriginal artists' pages published in MySpace are now approved for inclusion in the ACP under the Artists section. In addition, Wikipedia wikis are now accepted if they do not contain notes such as: this comment is subject to review.

The following are excluded from the ACP:

• Web sites with no Aboriginal content;
• Sites contravening the Criminal Code, including those promoting hatred, racism, violence, pornography etc.;
• Sites not originating in Canada, except for the International section;
• Chat rooms;
• Personal Web pages, except for artists' Web sites;
• Businesses, except for links included in the Virtual Aboriginal Trade Show;
• Web sites that have not been updated for 5 years;
• News releases with a short lifespan;
• Opinion pieces;
• Advertising sites, including sites with pop-ups.