A study of resilience in First Nations post-secondary education students

The drop out rate of First Nations students has been a long-standing issue and concern. Although it is important to explore the factors for this dropout, this study takes a different approach. This thesis is intended to contribute to an understanding of the resilience processes that enable those who persevere and succeed in spite of great adversity. Six graduates, three female and three male, from the Saskatchewan Indian Federated College, Indian Education Program, were interviewed. Using a narrative inquiry method, their stories were analyzed. Data analysis revealed the factors and themes associated with resiliency. A model of resilience is presented based on the predominant protective factors that have been identified. These factors are: self-efficacy, vision, faith, stability, compassion, and resourcefulness. The implications of this study for First Nations education and research are discussed

Teaching about Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ People: Implications for Canadian Educators

The 2019 National Inquiry on Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls called on educators at all levels to raise awareness about the phenomenon of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people (MMIWG2S) and its root causes as connected to centuries of colonial violence and ongoing systemic discrimination. This article responds to that call by showcasing the experiences of eight teachers already teaching about MMIWG2S, the recommendations of 11 adolescent Indigenous girl activists, and the guidance provided in the Their Voices Will Guide Us teaching and learning guide, published alongside the National Inquiry’s final report. We draw upon the combined perspectives to encourage teachers in Canada to address the issue of MMIWG2S with their students, moving past representations of colonial violence as historical to examining how it affects the lives and deaths of far too many Indigenous people in Canada today.L'enquête nationale de 2019 sur les femmes et filles autochtones disparues et assassinées (FFADA) avait lancé un appel aux éducateur[-trice]s de tous les niveaux en vue de sensibiliser le public au phénomène des femmes, filles, et personnes 2ELGBTQQIA+ autochtones disparues et assassinées et à ses causes profondes liées à des siècles de violence coloniale et à une discrimination systémique persistante. Cet article répond à cet appel en présentant les expériences de huit personnes qui enseignent déjà sur les FFADA, les recommandations de 11 adolescentes autochtones militantes et les conseils fournis dans le guide d'enseignement et d'apprentissage Leurs voix nous guideront publié parallèlement au rapport final de l'enquête nationale. Nous nous appuyons sur ces perspectives combinées pour encourager les enseignant[e]s du Canada à aborder la question des FFADA avec leurs élèves, en allant au-delà des représentations historiques de la violence coloniale afin d’examiner comment celle-ci affecte la vie et la mort de trop d'Autochtones au Canada aujourd'hui