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Working Together to Enhance Success for Indigenous Learners
By Shauneen Pete , U of R , Indigenization Lead
Dr . Shauneen Pete is an Associate Professor with the Faculty of Education , and is now serving as the Institutional Lead for Indigenization with the University of Regina . She is from Little Pine First Nation , Saskatchewan and has been a university educator and administrator since 2001 . While working at the University of Saskatchewan , Dr . Pete was seconded to work with the Vice- President Academic on the conceptual framework for Aboriginal programs ( 2001 ). She has served as both VP ( Academic ) and Interim President at First Nations University of Canada . Dr . Pete was invited to participate in a panel discussion at the University of Regina ’ s Lloyd Barber Summit on Aboriginal Post- Secondary Education , May 23-24 , 2013 . This paper , like her panel contribution , is a reflection of her observations as an Indigenous academic working alongside others to transform the institution as they attempt to serve Indigenous peoples more effectively .
Transforming Canadian universities to ensure they welcome , support , and remove barriers to success for Indigenous learner ’ s means adopting a holistic and integrated approach to institutional change . This approach must aim to decolonize and Indigenize all faculty and administrative units of the organization . It is not about “ tweaking ” the system , adding a course here or there , or simply hiring more Indigenous peoples .
This work is first and foremost the recognition that our colonial past requires unpacking and dismantling . We have all inherited ideas and practices about one another that are rooted in colonialism . Waziyatawin and Yellow Bird ( 2012 ) assert “ colonization is the all-encompassing presence in our lives .” 1 They define colonization in this way : “ It refers to both the formal and informal methods ( behavioral , ideological , institutional , political and economical ) that maintain the subjugation and / or exploitation of Indigenous peoples , lands , and resources ” ( p . 3 ). 2 They continue , “ Not only has colonization resulted in the loss of major rights such as land and self-determination , most of our contemporary daily struggles are also a direct consequence of colonization ( poverty , family violence , chemical dependency , suicide , health deterioration ).” 3
1
Waziyatawin & Yellow Bird , M ., ( Eds .), 2012 . For Indigenous minds only : A decolonization handbook . Santa Fe , NM : School for Advanced Research Press .
2 ibid .
3 ibid .
Unpacking colonial relationships and naming colonization ’ s effects is a central task of decolonizing the university . Waziyatawin and Yellow Bird ( 2012 ) state , “ decolonization is the intelligent , calculated and active resistance to the forces of colonialism that perpetuate the subjugation and / or exploitation of our minds , bodies and lands , and it is engaged for the ultimate purpose of overturning the colonial structures and realizing Indigenous liberation ” ( p . 2 ). 4
This work is highly political . Just adding some content about Indigenous peoples will not cut it — we want , and are actively working towards profound social change — we are working towards liberation . This means reclaiming Indigenous self-determination and sovereignty — it does not mean just having an article here or there .
Through the practice of decolonizing the academy , we identify and challenge inherited colonial ideas , such as ideas about the knowledge base , best practices , and the learned and learners . We begin to challenge assumptions about “ self ,” “ community ,” and “ citizenship .” We start to engage in critical conversations about land , development , and nationhood . We begin to consider higher education as a site of relational transformation , and not just for the purposes of individual social mobility .
When Indigenous students say , “ I am here [ at university ] so that I can give back to my community ”— what they mean is that they will retain their identity and use their newly acquired knowledges to resist further subjugation and to assert their rights to determine “ their political status , and pursue economic , social and cultural development ” ( Odawi Porter , p . 88 ). 5 What I mean by relational transformation is that for those that self-declare as non-Indigenous or of settler backgrounds — change will be required . In order to support that change , students and colleagues will be introduced to ideas that support Indigenizing teaching .
4 ibid .
5
Odawi Porter , R . ( 2012 ). The decolonization of Indigenous governance . In Waziyatawin & M . Yellow Bird , M . ( Eds .) 2012 . For Indigenous eyes only : A decolonization handbook . Sante Fe , NM : School for Advanced Research Press . continued on page 9