Many paths forward: Strategies for improving post-secondary education outcomes of Indigenous learners in Canada
December 1, 2019
The struggle for Indigenous rights in Canada is an ongoing endeavour. Although more attention and awareness of the experiences and inequities of Indigenous peoples in Canada has grown in the past decade, Indigenous people experience less access to economic prosperity and a poorer quality of life compared to non-Indigenous Canadians, especially if they live on reserve (Vowel, 2016). Successful completion of post-secondary education (PSE) and training may unlock some opportunities for Indigenous people to preserve knowledge and advance leadership within their own communities as well as succeed within majority non-Indigenous communities (Hampton, 2000). Given the harmful history of the residential school system in Canada, many Indigenous people have an uneasy regard for formal (settler) education systems that rarely acknowledge or value the cultures, traditions and knowledges that are inherently part of their identity (Malatest et al., 2010; Restoule, 2011; Tomaszewski et al., 2011). There are many challenges at present and ahead to improve PSE outcomes for Indigenous learners in Canada. Likewise, there are many strategies already employed by post-secondary institutions (PSIs) and Indigenous communities. Successful collaborations around access…
