How Alberta Education’s First Nations, Metis, and Inuit Policy Framework influence students attitudes towards the Indigenous Peoples of Canada.

Tiffany Prete

doi:10.5204/ijcis.1840

Abstract

For decades, Indigenous education in Canada has implemented policies that provide a more culturally relevant curriculum for Indigenous students. It is thought that such a curriculum will improve morale and academic success in Indigenous students. Despite these efforts, a gap still exists between Indigenous students and their counterparts. Little attention has been given to the role that race and racism plays in the lives of Indigenous students. This study examines whether a need exists for race and racism to be addressed in the public school system. Using an Indigenous research methodology, a survey was administered to elicit non-Indigenous attitudes towards the Indigenous peoples of Canada. It was found that in the absence of an antiracist education, nonIndigenous students held negative perceptions of Indigenous peoples, as well as lacked an understanding of racism and its significance.

Highlights

Background contextThrough my educational experiences, I have come to understand that past events have a hand in shaping our current and future circumstances
The overall findings indicate that students could benefit from the inclusion of antiracist education to rectify their lack of understanding of race and racialisation
The results indicate that students enter high school with already preconceived negative notions about Indigenous peoples

Summary

Introduction

Background contextThrough my educational experiences, I have come to understand that past events have a hand in shaping our current and future circumstances. Under the Indian Act (1876) there were two main educational policies the Canadian government used for over a century to try to assimilate Indigenous children (Prete, in press). The first educational policy was assimilation through segregation, where Indigenous children were segregated from the rest of Canada and kept on-reserve to receive their education. The second regime was referred to as assimilation through integration, where Indigenous children were sent off-reserve to integrate among and be educated with nonIndigenous children (Dubensky & Raptis, 2017; Prete, in press; Raptis, 2011, 2018; TRC, 2015). An amendment to the Indian Act in 1985 gave the responsibility for educating Indigenous children to their respective provinces and territories (Indian Act, 1985)

Methods

Results

Conclusion