Resisting symbolic violence: Métis community engagement in lifelong learning

Abstract

ABSTRACT Speaking to the need for decolonising the oppressed, Métis scholar and activist Howard Adams once questioned why many Métis became confused, puzzled, and lived in constant denial of their unique history and culture. His reflection speaks to the ways in which a colonial form of education strategically and effectively erased, subsumed, and demonised Métis realities and peoples through acts of symbolic violence so effective that even the oppressed were misled. This article explores how Métis community members have demonstrated agency in rectifying this situation via a historic review of community experiences, initiatives, and recommendations in education that reflect recent conceptions of lifelong learning as adaptations to significant life events. Across the Métis homeland, political leaders, activists, educators, and community members have collectively worked to respond to educational needs through a variety of initiatives with the restoration of cultural knowledge and pride as a primary undertaking. Reflecting social literacy aims, the Métis are sustaining a tradition of lifelong learning activities that seek decolonising and self-determining goals that help make sense of their lived experiences through a collective approach. Still, the ability to educate others on Métis topics is contingent on powerholders who privilege the current status quo.