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A Teacher-Administrator Researcher Profile
Sandy Pinay Schindler is a graduate student with the Faculty of Education . Her Master ’ s thesis is entitled : “ Echoes of Voices From a Long Time Ago ”: A Self-Reflexive Journey of Understanding Leadership from a Personal and Indigenous Perspective . She was nominated for the Governor General ’ s Award for Graduate Students in 2012 .
Research
In her research , Sandy explored the personal journeys of First Nations Elders and leaders to provide insight into moral and ethical leadership and implications for First Nations and Western leadership models . Examining and defining how First Nations leaders find balance and guidance in challenging situations was the purpose of this leadership study . As the data was analyzed and synthesized , the findings emerged as a selfreflexive narrative . The study revealed that Indigenous methods and concepts were vital to this culturally respectful and significant research journey . The First Nations experience in Canada is complicated and there are historical impacts from a colonial presence and oppressive government acts ( Episkinew , 2001 ). The social and leadership structure of most First Nations communities has been negatively impacted . Contemporary First Nations leaders appear to strive for a balance between spiritual , moral , and ethical leadership guided by Elders and Western influences ( Ottmann , 2005 ). Through a combination of Indigenous and Western research processes , it was revealed that First Nations leadership relies upon place , values , and relationships to sustain moral and ethical balance . The Indigenous concept of place was significant . The leaders situated themselves in the collective and in relation to others , both physically and metaphysically . Through the Indigenous conversational method ( Kovach , 2010 ) based on oral tradition , the First Nations leaders revealed that their place in relation to their life journeys , people , and personal development gave them the guidance to be strong and humble leaders . A spiritual , mental , physical , and emotional connection to Turtle Island , our First Nations ancestors , and our place was vital to being a strong leader . Influences of Elders , family , and connections to others were essential to leadership development and sustainability . The models of servant leadership and moral and ethical leadership are increasingly relevant to modern organizations . The roots of this model are found in historical First Nations leadership tenets , like humility , servitude , connectivity , balance , and relationships . This is a natural , respectful leadership model that provides opportunities for reflection , responsiveness , and adaptability .
The importance of Indigenous methods combined with Western research methods emerged as a strong theme in this study . Culturally respectful protocol , methods , and data interpretation were vital to the process . The value of established , trusted relationships between the Indigenous participants and the Indigenous researcher was significant . The Western epistemologies , data analysis , and grounded theory proved to be useful tools for framing the initial research and analyzing the data , but the emergence of Indigenous themes was strong . Indigenous research methods ( Wilson , 2008 ; McLeod , 2007 ; Kovach , 2009 ) are proper and respectful of First Nations participants and researchers to the place of their origin .
Interview with Sandy What is your current position ?
I am the First Nations / Métis Education Coordinator for Prairie Valley School Division , which has 15 First Nations communities and 38 communities . I have taught for 23 years , 20 of those in a rural K-12 school and the past 3 in a coordinator position . My responsibilities include supporting educators in Treaty and First Nations / Métis education , infusion of First Nations / Métis ways of knowing , working with the First Nations / Métis Advisory Council and collegial responsibilities for system wide initiatives , such as the First Nations / Métis Education Action Plan and student achievement plan . I am a trained Treaty catalyst teacher and I lead in-services in our school division for teachers on the history and implementation of treaty teaching .
What prompted the topic for your thesis ?
In my administrative and classroom experience , there were times when I felt that my values and ethics did not correlate with the system I worked within . Years ago , I read about the Chiefs who signed Treaties and the sacred processes around the negotiations at Fort Qu ’ Appelle and other areas of our province . Their leadership and resiliency at a pivotal time in our history prompted me to explore First Nations leadership in more detail . The leaders were spiritually , emotionally , mentally and physically balanced . I wondered if contemporary First Nations leadership embraced these tenets , even after the cruel interruption of our leadership and culture through the residential school era and 150 plus years of colonization .
At the same time , I noticed that Western leadership literature was moving towards a moral and ethical perspective . This was not new information . The moral and ethical leadership values that were lived by the First Nations leaders here on Turtle Island for millennia were a prime example of moral and ethical leadership . Their relationship to the Creator and to other living beings kept them in tune and synchronous with their people and environments .
How has your research helped you in your professional role ?
The five First Nations leaders who were part of my conversational method were humble , generous , and resilient leaders . They exemplified all that is grand and powerful about First Nations leadership . They are part of their community and part of their people through servant leadership and humility . They do not elevate themselves above anyone . They acknowledge the wisdom of the Elders and they walk a true path that is not easy . Leadership is not an easy path . It requires strength , humility , and hard work . Every one of the leaders had experienced hardship in their life through the generational effects of the Indian Act , the residential school genocide , and all the social hardships that followed . Yet they emerged as strong , hopeful , resilient First Nations people .
The impact of the leaders and the research journey I experienced was a lifechanging event . I experienced cultural affirmation , spiritual rejuvenation , and became closer to my Cree / Saulteaux roots . I became a stronger person through my journey of reflection and discovery , but only because of my affiliation and mentorship with these fine people .
You have spoken of your passion for Indigenous Leadership : What do you hope your research might accomplish within the educational context ?
For so long , Indigenous worldviews and ways of knowing were not valued by the dominant society . The lifestyles , spirituality , and belief systems of the original people
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