Abstract
In Canada, there are three groups of Aboriginal people, also referred to as Indigenous peoples, and these include the First Nations, Inuit, and Métis. Although often thought of collectively, each has its distinct history, culture, and perspectives. The Métis people are mixed-culture people stemming from a long history of Indigenous people and European settlers intermixing and having offspring. Furthermore, the living history representing mixed ancestry and family heritage is often ignored, specifically within higher education. Dominant narratives permeate the curriculum across all levels of education, further marginalizing the stories of Métis people. I explore the experiences of Métis women in higher education within a specific region in Canada. Using semi-structured interview questions and written narratives, I examine the concepts of identity, institutional practices, and reconciliation as described by Métis women. Results assist in providing a voice to the Métis women’s experiences as they challenge and resist colonial narratives of their culture and expand upon a new vision of Métis content inclusion in higher education as reconciliation.
Highlights
As a result of the final report of The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (2015) and its Calls to Action for education, many universities in Canada are working to design culturally appropriate curricula and to “Indigenize” their institutions
If Métis women are to believe in Canadian universities’ investment, where Indigenous initiatives and programs are advertised as available and advancing reconciliation efforts is a stated priority, there remains more work to be done to be inclusive of Métis people
Métis students know that there is a great deal of work to be done within higher education to achieve the diversity, equity, and inclusion that they seek as Métis peoples to be included within the institution
Summary
As a result of the final report of The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (2015) and its Calls to Action for education, many universities in Canada are working to design culturally appropriate curricula and to “Indigenize” their institutions. While the intention is to demonstrate reconciliation through institutional practices, rarely do these committees consider the university experiences of Indigenous, let alone Métis, students. Do these reconciliation plans veer away from a pan-Indigenous homogenizing approach to Indigenous content, subsuming Métis and Inuit cultures into First Nations as one monolithic category. This study focusses on how Métis women’s knowledge, culture, and experience need to be explicitly addressed and discussed as reconciliation in higher education. The term “Métis” is used to describe people of mixed European and Indigenous ancestry. These are the three recognized Aboriginal peoples in Canada. We use the term “Indigenous” in Canada to coincide with references made by other countries to describe their Indigenous people but note that their rights are reflected as “Aboriginal” people in the Canadian constitution
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
