ACHIEVEMENTS IN POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION

Nunavut

The Nunavut Sivuniksavut Program is a unique Ottawa-based facility established in 1985 by the land claim organization representing Inuit of the eastern Arctic. Here 22 high school graduates from what is now the Territory of Nunavut, beneficiaries under the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement, are selected each year from a much broader pool of applicants to attend an eight-month program aimed at preparing them for further post-secondary education or for employment in Nunavut. Originally intended to train fieldworkers to keep remote communities informed about land claim negotiations, the NS Program has subsequently become a general transition year program. Courses centred on Inuit history, culture, politics and land claims issues, as well as language training, are accredited through Algonquin College. A second year program for up to 10 students is focused on preparation for university.

Nunavut Sivuniksavut means “Our land is our future”. The NS Program is clearly a dynamic one that has achieved much over the 22 years of its existence, including an 80% completion rate. Morley Hanson, Co-ordinator of the NS Program, told the Committee that according to a 2005 survey of 180 of 270 Inuit graduates that have benefited from the program since its inception, “40% were working within government, either federal, territorial or municipal; 19% were working in the private sector; 15% were furthering their studies in post-secondary education; and another 19% were working for Inuit organizations. … [O]nly four were unemployed”¹.

These results are all the more remarkable when one considers the Nunavut context, where, according to Natan Obed of Nunavut Tunngavik, Inc., “[t]he very idea of the importance of education is a new one to Inuit. … We’re talking about a transformation of societal values and the idea of how you live your life … this is an emerging concept, that southern-based education is relevant to their lives”².

Mr. Hanson also indicated that when it comes to post-secondary education, “it takes a critical mass of young people to develop the idea that going on to university and college is a possibility, for young people who are coming up through the public high school system in Nunavut to realize that there are other young people progressing, and that this becomes a natural path to take. Right now it’s not a natural path”³.

The Committee believes that the NS Program is paving the way toward making that path natural for Nunavut learners. Our conclusion is based, not only on the program’s impressive quantitative results, but on the significant qualitative markers described by Mr. Hanson of the program’s value to Inuit learners and to Nunavut society, with the result that the program has “garnered a high degree of support within Nunavut society”⁴.

Québec

The Committee learned of projects planned or in place that promise to expand the possibilities open to post-secondary Aboriginal learners in Québec.

Lise Bastien, Director, and Gilbert Whiteduck, Senior Education Advisor of the First Nations Education Council, told us about an important current FNEC project involving the establishment of a First Nations institution to deliver CEGEP, i.e., college-level⁵, post-secondary programs to First Nations students, starting in 2008. The programs would initially be offered in partnership with mainstream institutions having accreditation authority, with full First Nations jurisdiction over the programs the objective within 10 years. Mme Bastien stressed the significance of such an institution for the development of First Nations people, and the sense of community ownership it would engender. In her view, “[w]hat is most important is a strong connection with the community”⁶.

FNEC is already involved in some post-secondary programming, with a Certificate in Leadership program that is open to Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students, as well as a Micro computer program. Both are delivered directly to the communities by videoconference, in partnership with mainstream post-secondary institutions.⁷

Edith Cloutier, the Anishinabe Chair of the Board of the Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue in northern Québec, told us that UQAT offers First Nations and Inuit students from the region a variety of certificate and degree programs in English and French, both in the communities and at the Val D’Or campus⁸, and has issued over 150 certificates to date to Inuit, Cree, and Algonquin learners⁹. Committee members noted, in particular, UQAT’s approach to community-based programming described by Mme Johanne Jean, the President of UQAT, in which teaching and support personnel visit individual communities on a rota basis to deliver programs.

Gordon Blackned, representing the Cree School Board in northern Québec, expressed support for the UQAT initiative, viewing the establishment of institutions closer to Cree territory as a means of reversing poor post-secondary success rates of Cree learners who have previously had to travel to distant locations to pursue post-secondary education. The Cree School Board is itself submitting a proposal to the governments for a Cree CEGEP, hoping to work with an existing CEGEP in the region on a satellite basis. It recently opened a vocational training centre provided by Québec.

In addition to existing programming, Mme Cloutier and Mme Jean informed us that UQAT is planning a First Nations Pavilion within the University, with a view to eventual First Nations control of the institution.

Saskatchewan

Keith Frame, Research Co-ordinator for the Prince Albert Grand Council in northern Saskatchewan, gave the Committee strong evidence of the importance of comprehensive community-based data gathering and tracking in the education sphere. PAGC uses community surveys to build on baseline data from a variety of governmental sources such as Statistics Canada and Sask Trends Monitor. The monitoring of demographic changes and educational results over time at the K-12 and post-secondary levels, as well as labour market figures, gives the PAGC key information and enables key connections about system improvements or declines.

Ultimately, the information assists the PAGC to determine where and what decisions are called for in the interests of the community. In this respect, Mr. Frame spoke of the need “to look at the numbers honestly, look at the situation of what’s taking place and the needs at the community level”. PAGC asks “what is the data that will help drive policy and help drive decision-making”¹⁰.

As Mr. Frame explained to the Committee, it is not only important to gather information about learners that receive funding.

I’m interested in those students who didn’t get funding: How many were there? I’m interested in waiting lists: Who’s making up that waiting list? Male, female, kids, no kids? How long have they been on that waiting list? What types of programs have you been asking for? Those are some of things we’re looking at, to be able to gather some of that information.¹¹

Nova Scotia

Darren Googoo, Director of Education for Sydney’s Membertou First Nation, told the Committee of his conviction that there is a “need for a true partnership to exist between First Nations and institutions of higher learning”¹². He described the partnerships developed between his community and regional mainstream institutions as a reflection of the fact that Membertou, a “First Nations anomaly”, has achieved a financial position enabling it to “bring more to the table than just tuition dollars. … We have the ability to go to universities and say we want to buy programs”¹³. Mr. Googoo told us that the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding with the Nova Scotia Community College has been important in promoting post-secondary education in Membertou.

By signing that MOU with the community college and asking them to invest in our people, to invest in the First Nations councillor, to invest in different things and to come and do some public education in our community around the need for post-secondary education, it has paid dividends in a very big way for our community.¹⁴

Membertou is currently preparing to sign a second MOU, with Cape Breton University, that also asks the university to invest in Membertou members, not “just because they’re First Nation, we want them to hire people because they’re good qualified candidates. In order for that to happen our students need to get to post-secondary education” ¹⁵. Membertou has identified four areas of specialization in relation to current community needs, and is working with Cape Breton University toward the development of a baccalaureate in community studies that looks at the four target streams.

Committee members also learned that Membertou has an education constitution and that its largest funding envelope goes toward education. As a community, Membertou has decided that post-secondary education is a priority in light of its long-term objective, which “is no longer a job for everyone, it’s a quality of life job for everyone, and for a lot of people that means having access to post-secondary education”. As a result, “every single student who applies for funding for post-secondary is going to be funded. If it means that we as a community dig into our own coffers to make that a reality, we know as a community that is a worthwhile investment”¹⁶.

British Columbia

Chief Nathan Matthew of British Columbia’s First Nations Education Steering Committee and First Nations Leadership Council told the Committee of the progress that has been made in developing broad partnerships to address issues related to Aboriginal PSE in that province. He described the work of the recently formed B.C. Aboriginal Post-Secondary Education and Training Partners group¹⁷ as a collaborative process that involves identifying areas for positive interventions, with the first priority being student support, and a further focus on the need for improved data-gathering as the basis for decision-making. Chief Matthew also told us about FNESC “working toward” research that includes quality assurance work as well as handbooks on post-secondary best practices.

On a matter of great significance to Aboriginal people, Chief Matthew suggested that “[m]any things can be done to preserve culture and a sense of identity and esteem for First Nations learners in a post-secondary environment”¹⁸, and described innovative thinking taking place around that objective at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops. The Committee also noted Chief Matthew’s point that every PSE institution in the province has an Aboriginal counsellor on staff.

Another positive initiative mentioned by Chief Matthew was a “post-secondary education committee”, which has no stable funding, in which First Nations people “come together to think for ourselves about what’s good for our learners in post-secondary institutions … knowing that it’s important for us to represent ourselves, to develop our own institutions, but to develop our interests in public institutions and to represent ourselves there in the sense that we’re the only ones who can talk about culture and we’re the best ones to talk about the interests of our own learners”¹⁹.

Manitoba

Dr. Mary Young, Director of the recently-opened Aboriginal Students Services Centre at the University of Winnipeg, spoke of the importance of the Centre to the post-secondary careers of Aboriginal students:

Today we have a beautiful centre. That centre is a home away from home for many students. If we didn’t have that centre we would lose many Aboriginal students, because they don’t stay. They have to have a connection to the university; they have to have a connection with the staff and faculty. We still struggle with alienation. We still struggle with a sense of belonging. We still struggle with fear of failure. … Those are very real issues. If we can’t handle those things, we will not graduate from university.²⁰

Dr. Young also told the Committee of a precedent-setting 2005 “partnering” between the University and an Aboriginal organization, the Southeast Resource Development Council representing 9 Manitoba First Nations communities²¹, in relation to the opening of the University’s Wii Chiiwaakanak Learning Centre.

The recent addition of indigenous knowledge courses by the University of Winnipeg is seen by Dr. Young as an important, legitimizing influence: “When we have courses like indigenous knowledge and indigenous science, we’re telling Aboriginal students — and all students — that those courses are important, significant. That will help us collaborate with one another”²².

First Nations Technical Institute

In written submissions, Karihwakeron Tim Thompson, President and Chief Administrative Officer, advised the Committee of the First Nations Technical Institute’s 1985 beginnings as a result of partnerships among the Tyendinaga Mohawk Council, the FNTI Board, the Department of Indian Affairs and the Ontario Minister of Education and Training. The FNTI’s approaches to Aboriginal post-secondary education over the years include alternative delivery methods such as intensive course offerings, use of video-conferencing technology and community delivery of programming. Mr. Thompson suggests that, “[b]y taking education to the people, we have removed one barrier to access. By changing the delivery schedule we have removed another. Our final step is to create active, participatory learning environments with learning content which responds to the cultural and socio-economic needs of our learners”²³.

Mr. Thompson indicates international recognition for its programming has led to FNTI’s involvement with a range of Indigenous nations, governments and industry abroad. FNTI has an annual enrolment averaging about 300 Aboriginal students from across Canada in diploma, degree and certificate programs, a record of over 2,000 graduates since its inception, and a 90% employment rate for graduates.

The Committee noted that FNTI is also active at the elementary and secondary school levels as well as in the community-based research, and makes significant contributions to the regional economy.

National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation

Roberta Jamieson, NAAF’s Chief Executive Officer, described to the Committee the organization’s role as the largest non-governmental funding body for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis post-secondary students across Canada. In the 2005-2006 fiscal year, NAAF awarded $2.8 million in scholarships and bursaries to 934 Aboriginal learners in post-secondary programs such as social science, education, business, law and science, health career fields and fine arts or cultural projects. Total awards since NAAF was created amount to $23.5 million. Ms. Jamieson spoke of NAAF as

much more than another competitor for the federal dollar. We’ve demonstrated that we improve the return on investment in education of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit youth. We get results for the money. We nurture, support, encourage, and do all the things that investors do to realize return on their investments. We’re able to use federal money as leverage to bring in more from the private sector … and to mix that with provincial investment and even individuals who support the foundation. We’re also fully accountable. We demonstrate outcomes, concrete results for the money spent. … By the end of this year, the foundation will have given to more than 6,000 recipients over our life. Since 1999, 30% of our students have been in their final year of study each year, so that tells you they’re graduating.²⁴

NAAF has also acted on its recognition of the critical importance, for planning purposes, of monitoring key information about the Aboriginal learners it funds by expanding its tracking program to include learners in all funded post-secondary fields.

National Association of Friendship Centres

Peter Dinsdale, Executive Director of the NAFC, gave the Committee the important message that the organization is accessible to “all of Canada’s Aboriginal peoples — First Nation, Métis, and Inuit — irrespective of political or legal definitions, through really basic bread-and-butter services every day”²⁵, as evidenced by a one-year tally of 757,000 client contacts for all purposes through 117 centres.

Although the NAFC is a multi-purpose, multi-service organization, it does have some involvement in education, including adult literacy and upgrading, and the development of alternative schools “aimed at giving Aboriginal people who have already dropped out of school an opportunity to get back into education and finish school”²⁶. Friendship centres also serve as the first point of contact and referral for Aboriginal people moving to urban centres, a key factor for post-secondary learners experiencing geographic and cultural isolation from home communities.

The Committee found interesting Mr. Dinsdale’s suggestion that NAFC “could also be a delivery partner in terms of post-secondary education, accessing students in urban areas where you might not have access now”²⁷.