The “4 Rs Revisited,” Again: Aboriginal Education in Canada and Implications for Leadership in Higher Education

Abstract

This chapter brings together the past ten years of my experience in Aboriginal education as a non-Aboriginal educator, researcher and educational leader. It is informed by two research projects, scholarship, and my own reflections and experiences. I share some of what I have learned about Aboriginal education, discuss what I view to be implications for educational leadership, and model how Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal scholars can work together in higher education. The work is conceptualized and organized around the principles of respect, relevance, reciprocity, and responsibility. As the starting point, I take up Michael Marker’s invitation to revisit the 4 Rs as we think about our work in higher education and our relationship with Aboriginal people.