The Way of the Warrior: Indigenous youth navigating the challenges of schooling

This study examines the educational experiences of 39 First Nations youth, ages 16-20 years, from two, First Nations, on-reserve, communities in northern Ontario, who share their reflections and experiences of reserve and public schooling. We drew on the Indigenous metaphor of the “new warrior” to analyze how these youth experienced and responded to educational challenges. Their conversations describe how racism framed their schooling experiences and how they made use of their Indigenous sources of strength, which included family and community structures, to address the inequalities in their schooling

Understanding the Application and Use of Indigenous Research Methodologies in the Social Sciences by Indigenous and Non-Indigenous Scholars

Indigenous research methodologies articulate how researchers and Aboriginal communities engage in research together. These methodologies are informed by Indigenous cultural and ethical frameworks specific to the Nations with whom the research is being conducted. This study explores how such research relationships were articulated in the dissemination phase of research. We carried out an Indigenous qualitative content analysis of 79 peer-reviewed articles published January 1996 to June 2018, predominantly in the fields of social sciences. Our findings show that most articles were written by Indigenous researchers or a research team composed of Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers. Such collaborations articulated the principles of Indigenous methodology (IM) much clearer than those authored by non-Indigenous scholars or when partnerships with Indigenous communities were less evident with respect to the principles guiding the research process. The principles of IM that were manifest in these research partnerships were relevance, respect for Indigenous knowledges, responsible relationships, wholism, and Indigenous ethics. The findings of this study will help to guide future researchers who work with Indigenous peoples, especially with respect to the need for a deeper understanding of how such research relationships are sustained over time to bring about  meaningful change for Indigenous peoples and their communities

Indigenous University Student Persistence: : Supports, Obstacles, and Recommendations

The tumultuous history of Indigenous education in Canada has negatively affected the persistence of Indigenous peoples at university. The research goals of this study were to identify the key supports and obstacles related to Indigenous university student persistence and to make recommendations as to how to improve levels of persistence. Combining interview, survey, and database information with 527 Indigenous students revealed that the strongest factors related to persistence were (a) social engagement, including good relationships with faculty and students, and support services provided by the Indigenous gathering place for Indigenous students on campus; (b) cognitive, such as academic support at university, learning effectively on their own, and hands-on teaching; (c) physical, including insufficient financial support and availability of affordable housing and child care; and (d) cultural, including connections with Indigenous faculty and culture. Age, home location, and parental education were not found to be related to persistence. Keywords: Indigenous, Aboriginal, persistence, university, graduation, Indigenous student experience, CanadaL’histoire tumultueuse de l’éducation des Autochtones au Canada a eu un impact négatif sur la persistance des populations autochtones à l’université. Cette recherche avait pour but d’identifier les principaux soutiens et obstacles liés à la persévérance des étudiants autochtones à l’université et de formuler des recommandations. Des entretiens, des enquêtes et des bases de données convergentes de 527 étudiants autochtones révèlent que les facteurs les plus importants liés à la persévérance sont : a) sociaux – notamment les bonnes relations avec le corps enseignant et les étudiants ainsi que les services fournis par le lieu de rassemblement des Autochtones sur le campus ; b) cognitifs – comme le soutien scolaire à l’université, l’apprentissage efficace personnel et l’enseignement pratique ; c) physiques – dont l’insuffisance de soutien financier, de logement abordable et de services de garde d’enfants ; et d) culturels – principalement en lien avec le nombre d’enseignants autochtones et la culture. L’âge, le lieu de résidence et le niveau d’éducation des parents ne semblent pas associés à la persistance. Mots-clés : autochtones, premières nations, persistance, université, diplomation, expérience des étudiants autochtones, Canad

Looking forward ... : a national perspective on aboriginal student services in Canadian universities

Aboriginal student services provision in Canadian Universities first began in the early 1970's in the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. However, most of the 39 centers now across Canada have only been open since the 1990's under recruitment and retention directives for specific programs. -- This study set out to gather a national perspective on Aboriginal student service centers in Canadian universities by gaining the opinions of student service professionals who provide the services and Aboriginal university students who have used these same services. -- This particular study incorporated both the quantitative and qualitative aspects of Archibald, Selkirk Bowman, Pepper, Urion, Mirenhouse & Shortt (1995) study. The study was conducted in phases: Phase I, involved the pretesting of two separate surveys: one for student service professionals working with Aboriginal support services in Canadian universities and the second survey was for Aboriginal university students who utilize these services. Phase II, entailed identifying those Canadian universities who provide Aboriginal Student Services, and the distribution of the surveys to those who agreed to participate in this study. The survey results were statistically analysed and recommendations were developed from the findings. Phase III, involved comparing the responses of the questions that were similar in both of the survey instruments to gather a sense of how the perspectives of the student service professional and the Aboriginal university students were similar or dissimilar on the topic of Aboriginal student services. -- To foster and honor Aboriginal values of community and respect, this study was designed for the Internet; however, hard copies of the instrument were made available to those who requested it. Out of the 39 centers contacted, 30 agreed to participate in the study. Two separate survey instruments were developed. The return rate for the Aboriginal student service professional survey was 83% (N=25). The return rate for the Aboriginal university student survey was lower, 14% (N=21). A content analysis was also conducted of the participating center's web pages to further add to the perspective. -- There was a discrepancy found between what was reported in the student service professionals' surveys and the Aboriginal student service centers' web pages. However, there were no significant differences found between regions on service delivery. Of those students who participated in this study, over 90% were content with their current level of services. However, significant differences were found between the student service professionals and the Aboriginal university students' perspectives. -- It was found that there is a need for better communication systems between centers and their clientele. Differing consumer-producer viewpoints on service provision can have detrimental effects, both to the providers and users of Aboriginal student services. For example, inconsistent communication can lead to a misunderstanding of the Aboriginal student centers purpose and goal. This can have implications on several levels, such as recruitment-retention, administration-financial, 'town and gown' issues, and more importantly, to the Aboriginal student community. -- Less than 30% of the participating centers use student service theory in the development of their programs. Eighty-six percent of this group made reference to using a 'holistic indigenous-based' approach to their service delivery. Therefore, the major recommendation of the study is the development of a national model for the provision of Aboriginal student services in Canadian universities

More Than a Checklist: Meaningful Indigenous Inclusion in Higher Education

Since the 1970s there has been increased focus by institutions, government, and Indigenous nations on improving Aboriginal peoples participation and success in Canadian higher education; however disparity continues to be evident in national statistics of educational attainment, social determinants of health, and socio-economic status of Aboriginal compared to non-Aboriginal Canadians. For instance, post-secondary attainment for Aboriginal peoples is still only 8% compared to 20% of the rest of Canada (Statistics Canada, 2008, 2013). A challenge within higher education has been creating the space within predominately Euro-Western defined and ascribed structures, academic disciplines, policies, and practices to create meaningful spaces for Indigenous peoples. Indigenization is a movement centering Indigenous knowledges and ways of being within the academy, in essence transforming institutional initiatives, such as policy, curricular and co-curricular programs, and practices to support Indigenous success and empowerment. Drawing on research projects that span the last 10 years, this article celebrates the pockets of success within institutions and identifies areas of challenge to Indigenization that moves away from the tokenized checklist response, that merely tolerates Indigenous knowledge(s), to one where Indigenous knowledge(s) are embraced as part of the institutional fabric. (author's abstract

Relationships matter: Supporting Aboriginal graduate students in British Columbia, Canada

The current Canadian landscape of graduate education has pockets of presence of Indigenous faculty, students, and staff. The reality is that all too often, Aboriginal graduate students are either among the few, or is the sole Aboriginal person in an entire faculty. They usually do not have mentorship or guidance from an Indigenous faculty member orally, that is, someone who is supportive of Indigenous knowledges and Indigenity. While many institutions are working to recruit and retain Aboriginal graduate students, more attention needs to be paid to culturally relevant strategies, policies, and approaches. This paper critically examines the role of a culturally relevant peer and faculty mentoring initiative—SAGE (Supporting Aboriginal Graduate Enhancement)—which works to better guide institutional change for Indigenous graduate student success. The key findings show that the relationships in SAGE create a sense of belonging and networking opportunities, and it also fosters self-accountability to academic studies for many students because they no longer feel alone in their graduate journey. The paper concludes with a discussion on the implications of a culturally relevant peer-support program for mentoring, recruiting, and retaining Aboriginal graduate students. It also puts forth a challenge to institutions to better support Aboriginal graduate student recruitment and retention through their policies, programs, and services within the institution.    Le paysage actuel des études supérieures au Canada ne compte que de petits îlots de corps enseignants, d’étudiants et de membres du personnel appartenant à la communauté autochtone. La réalité est que trop souvent, les étudiants autochtones aux études supérieures sont soit peu nombreux, soit les seuls de l’ensemble de leur faculté. Habituellement, ils n’obtiennent ni mentorat, ni soutien de la part des membres autochtones de leur faculté ou encore de leurs alliés, c’est-à-dire des gens qui soutiennent l’indigénéité et les connaissances pertinentes du milieu autochtone. Tandis que de nombreux établissements travaillent à recruter et à retenir les étudiants autochtones aux études supérieures, il faut prêter plus d’attention aux stratégies, aux politiques et aux approches culturellement appropriées. Dans le but de mieux diriger le changement institutionnel qui assurera la réussite des étudiants autochtones aux études supérieures, le présent document jette un regard critique sur le rôle d’une initiative culturellement appropriée intitulée SAGE (Supporting Aboriginial Graduate Enhancement) qui vise le mentorat par des pairs et des membres de faculté. On constate principalement que les liens tissés par le programme SAGE ont créé un sentiment d’appartenance et l’opportunité de développer un réseau qui a également stimulé l’auto-responsabilité envers les études universitaires pour beaucoup d’étudiants parce qu’ils ne se sentaient plus seuls dans leur parcours académique. Le document conclut par une discussion sur les implications d’un programme culturellement approprié et appuyé par les pairs, pour le mentorat, le recrutement et la rétention des étudiants autochtones aux études supérieures. Il suggère également aux établissements de relever le défi d’améliorer le recrutement et la rétention des étudiants autochtones aux études supérieures, par le truchement des politiques, des programmes et des services existants. &nbsp

It takes more than good intentions : institutional accountability and responsibility to indigenous higher education

An Indigenous wholistic framework is used to examine the question "what makes a university a successful place for Aboriginal students?" This study moves away from a student deficit discourse by critiquing universities from an Indigenous methodological and theoretical approach in terms of (a) how Indigenous knowledges were defined and found in universities and (b) how Indigenous understandings of success, responsibility, and accountability resonated in three universities in British Columbia, Canada. This research is grounded in Indigenous theory; however, social reproduction theory was used to explain power structures inherent in the mainstream educational system. The Indigenous research process involved a mixed methods approach. Approximately 60 interviews and four sharing circles were held with a total of 92 participants representing various stakeholders across the institution. In addition, the Undergraduate Baccalaureate Graduate Surveys (UBGS) were analyzed to contextualize Aboriginal undergraduate student experiences over the last 10 years. A major finding is that respectful relationships between Aboriginal stakeholders and university faculty and leaders are key to universities becoming more successful places for Aboriginal peoples. This study shows how Indigenous knowledges were present, as pockets of presence, in the academy in programs and through Indigenous faculty, staff, and students. As sites of Indigenous knowledges, First Nations Centres played a critical role by wholistically supporting the cultural integrity of Aboriginal students and being agents of change across the institution. Indigenous wholistic understandings of success challenged hegemonic definitions that emphasized intellectual capital to include the physical, emotional, and spiritual realms. Kirkness and Barnhardt's (1991) 4Rs were used to critically examine the responsibilities of universities to Aboriginal higher education. The following institutional responsibilities were presented: relationships, such as the seen face through Aboriginal presence, having authentic allies, involving Aboriginal communities, and enacting agency; reciprocity and relevance, which addresses issues of limited financial resources, increasing retention and recruitment, and putting words into action; and respect for Indigenous knowledges. Institutional accountability from the Indigenous framework went beyond neo-liberal discourses, to include making policy public, surveillance from inside and outside the institution, and the need for metrics and benchmarks.Education, Faculty ofGraduat