Working Effectively with Indigenous Peoples™

“Of course I believe in integrated education. Let the neighbouring communities bring their children onto our reserve and we’ll do our best to integrate them” Chief John Snow [1]

Since Chief John Snow wrote those words in 1977, we are finally seeing a shift in the recognition by education providers that more has to be done to improve the education experience and outcome for Aboriginal students. The release of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report in June 2015 has spurred on many school boards to include lessons on the harsh realities of Indian residential schools, discrimination, inequality, oppression and the impacts of colonialism in their school curriculum.

In Culturally Inclusive Schools - Why it’s Important we looked at the effect of the comparatively low graduation rate of Aboriginal students and the impact on all Canadians. Here we offer some suggestions for schools to consider in their effort to create a culturally inclusive environment for Aboriginal students.

This is the first in a two part series on culturally inclusive schools. Here we look at why some believe it’s important to all Canadians and in the second part we offer 23 suggestions for schools on how to move towards and create culturally inclusive schools.

Fern Perkins coordinates the Métis Education Enhancement Program for the Métis Nation of Greater Victoria and has taught Indigenous Education at UVic. She and her Métis husband, Mark, teach Métis history and culture to grade 4 – 12 students as Aboriginal resource people in School Districts 61 (Victoria, BC) and 62 (Sooke, BC). As such, they have an up close and personal perspective on the delivery of Aboriginal curriculum in the Victoria and Sooke school districts.

Fern Perkins coordinates the Métis Education Enhancement Program for the Métis Nation of Greater Victoria and has taught Indigenous Education at UVic.

“The pedagogical challenge of Canadian education is not just reducing the distance between Eurocentric thinking and Aboriginal ways of knowing, but engaging decolonized minds and hearts.” [1]

This is an interesting junction in Canadian history as non-Aboriginal Canadians wake up to the harsh reality of the residential schools, as shown by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) report. This new awareness could well be the catalyst for real, fundamental change, and where more effective than in the classroom?

Fifty-eight per cent of young adults living on-reserve in Canada have not completed high school, according to the 2011 National Household Survey census results. And that’s an increase from the 2006 census results. How did this come about?

For parents and teachers the topic of the Indian Residential Schools system can be a difficult one to tackle - you want to present this aspect of Canadian history in terms children can relate to without overwhelming them. Age appropriate books are a great way for children to develop a base of understanding and a natural empathy for the characters.

In August 2006 the BC Hydro Executive and Board of Directors approved a 10 year Aboriginal hiring goal to develop a workforce fully representative of the BC Labour market (4.1% (as of Dec. 31, 2012). In order to attain this goal, BC Hydro launched the Aboriginal Education and Employment Strategy (AEES).

July 30, 2013 - Reno, NV -- In 2004, Laura Ramirez published what was to be an award-winning book and a great source of wisdom and support for parents throughout America and further afield. Now almost a decade later, "Keepers of the Children: Native American Wisdom and Parenting" continues to attract great reviews, especially amongst Native Americans looking to reconnect with traditional values.