Wesakechak

Thunderbird Park is a park in Victoria, British Columbia next to the Royal British Columbia Museum.

While the idea of native or aboriginal studies began with the birth of identity politics in the ‘60s, native studies programs didn’t hit Canada’s academic world until the early ‘80s, appearing first at prairie and west coast universities.

At the University of Calgary, Prof. James Frideres remembers courses in aboriginal education appearing as early as the ‘70s, before native groups protested and funding was diverted to native colleges, which led to the program languishing for a decade. [...]

Considering the treatment of Aboriginal people in Canada, I can understand how native groups would protest the idea of funds going to non-native institutions. However, the existing educational system has grown over an extended period of time and while it is not perfect, there are smart people with valuable experience working in post-secondary institutions that are native and non-native.

[...] At Simon Fraser University, Prof. Eldon Yellowhorn recalls the First Nations Studies program starting with a language course at its Kamloops campus, before a larger program took shape at the Burnaby campus in the late ‘90s. He’s seen graduates move on to law school and archaeology, while Eileen Antone says her students have gone on to teaching and social work, and Rick Monture can cite students now working for NGOs, in Indian Affairs and land claims offices. [...]

Do graduates of a non-native institution feel the same sense of attachment to their culture and heritage? Would a native student graduating from law at Simon Fraser University be inclined to go back and help other native students reach the same level of education? Should a native graduate feel obligated to help his or her community or people?

A great article that raises a lot of questions in my mind. My hope is that native students can get the best of both worlds and eventually the questions this article raises will not matter. Read the full article here.

Unfortunately, the numbers presented in a report here suggest that we have a long way to go.