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A Message From the Dean
Many of the articles in this edition of Education News reference teaching and research relating to Indigenous Issues in Education . A First Nations colleague on first hearing the word “ Indigenized ” said , “ Wow , I ’ ve just been verbed !” Long-time educator Maureen Johns , featured in this issue ( see p . 17 ), is the new “ Executive Lead ” on Indigenization at the University of Regina . She quotes from the draft document of the U of R ’ s Aboriginal Advisory Circle which states in part that “ Indigenization refers to the transformation of the existing academy by including Indigenous knowledges , voices , critiques , scholars , students and materials as well as the establishment of physical and epistemic spaces that facilitate the ethical stewardship of a plurality of Indigenous knowledges and practices so as to constitute an essential element of the University . It is not limited to Indigenous peoples , but encompasses all students and faculty , for the benefit of our academic integrity and our social viability ....”
In the Faculty of Education , our own Advisory Circle was formed last year to explore and plan ways we might support the President ’ s Aboriginal Initiative , consider our own practice in light of the goals of Indigenization , and work alongside pre-service and in-service teachers to advance these goals . At our recent Faculty retreat at the end of August , following a keynote address by returning Faculty member , Dr . Shauneen Pete , we broke into groups to ask ourselves , “ What is it we are doing in our individual courses to work toward the goal of Indigenization and what might we do to enhance this goal in our programs in the coming years ”?
There are many rationales for Indigenizing the University , including the demographics of this province . In many classrooms in cities like Prince Albert and Meadow Lake , the Aboriginal student population is well over 50 %. There is also reason to know and to redress our colonial legacy and to reverse the decline of Aboriginal cultures and languages . This is a moral rationale to acknowledge and right the wrongs of the past . There are obvious equity issues at hand to ensure equality of opportunities and outcomes for all members of society . There are political issues of self-determination and self-government that must be understood , too . There are issues of race and racism that need to be deconstructed . University discourses have reflected a racialized space — a White space — that has privileged some and excluded others . Indigenization can mean all of this and more . It is also about partnerships and collaboration . We are fortunate to have First Nations University on our campus as one of the Federated Colleges and to work closely with colleagues there and with the Saskatchewan Urban Native Teacher Education Program ( SUNTEP ) of the Gabriel Dumont Institute . As three institutions , our mandates must be seen to be complementary to one another .
In 2010 , the Association of Canadian Deans of Education ( ACDE ) created the Accord on Indigenous Education to promote a vision in which Indigenous identities , cultures , languages , values , ways of knowing , and knowledge systems will flourish in all Canadian learning settings . ACDE recognizes that new ways of engagement are required in order to address the particular needs of Indigenous learners and to contribute to the well-being of Indigenous peoples and their communities . Canadian Deans of Education acknowledge that
Left : Dr . James McNinch , Dean Photo credit : Trevor Hopkins continued on page 3