Date of Submission

8-26-2024

Document Type

DiP

Degree

Doctor of Education

Department

Education

Keywords

Indigenous Child Welfare, Community Engagement

Abstract

For Indigenous leaders in British Columbia, the over-representation of children in the child welfare system, is a longstanding issue. K’uba Wilksihlkw Society (KWS) is an Indigenous-led non-profit delegated Aboriginal agency (DAA) operating under the Child, Family, and Community Services Act (CFCSA) in British Columbia, whom place Indigenous culture at the centre of its child and family programming and service delivery. In January 2020, Canada passed Bill C-92, affirming and recognizing Indigenous peoples' right to exercise full jurisdiction over child and family services. Efforts by KWS to pursue a jurisdictional readiness framework under Bill C-92 require collaboration with Indigenous communities to develop culturally appropriate solutions and long-term reform. This Dissertation in Practice (DiP) is timely as it centres on the challenges faced by KWS in effectively communicating and engaging with the Indigenous communities they serve regarding the shared vision and mission to support Indigenous child welfare jurisdiction under Bill C-92 over the past three years. Two leadership approaches inform this DiP: first, the Indigenous educational leadership theory, and second, authentic leadership through an Indigenous lens. The change implementation plan of this DiP utilizes a decolonized change management framework inspired by the Gitksen worldview of using the four seasons called the Gitksen seasonal approach (GSA). Additionally, this DiP presents plans for implementation, communication, and monitoring and evaluation to support the change management process.

Keywords: Indigenous educational leadership, authentic leadership from an Indigenous lens, Indigenous communities, change path model, Bill C-92, Gitksen

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