Date of Award
2008
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy
Program
Education
Supervisor
Dr. Rebecca Coulter
Second Advisor
Dr. Regna Darnell
Third Advisor
Dr. Jerry Paquette
Abstract
As involuntary minorities within their own ancestral lands, Canada’s First Nation people have experienced trauma within western-based education systems such as federal residential and day schools, public, and independent schools, which has resulted, in many cases, in social devastation and economic disparity. An indigenous and community approach to education and research promises to provide a solution to such intergenerational problems. This research provides compelling evidence that improvement to First Nation education is possible when initiated at the local community level. This is an important discovery as most non-native policies and initiatives designed to improve education for native people have failed. A community-based culturally relevant definition of success in education has been demonstrated to bring about increased levels of critical awareness that provide incentive for an informed response that contributes toward improvements to education for First Nation people at the community level. This research involved my entry into the Chippewas of the Thames First Nation community as a researcher, possessing both “insider” and “outsider” status, initiating relationships with people based upon our commonalities of culture and roles in society. In efforts to facilitate increased awareness levels in response to areas of difficulty within education, I facilitated a community-based inquiry using a culturally-based methodology that I have termed Anishinabe Meno-Bimaadziwin Action Research. The results were successful in that participation within the community-designed and community-driven research led to increased awareness and incentive for transformative action in iii education at levels that surpassed community involvement within other initiatives that were not community-based. The results of this research provide insight into the potential that exists within a First Nation community to devise culturally relevant solutions to challenges that occur within education. These findings support the validity and effectiveness of community-based development and initiatives in education, and in other areas of local community development within First Nation communities. These findings provide a strong argument in favour of increased native jurisdiction and self-government initiatives at the local community level.
Recommended Citation
Bressette, Christy Rochelle, "UNDERSTANDING SUCCESS IN COMMUNITY FIRST NATION EDUCATION THROUGH ANISHINABE MENO-BIMAADZIWIN ACTION RESEARCH" (2008). Digitized Theses. 4465.
https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/digitizedtheses/4465