Date of Submission

8-10-2022

Document Type

OIP

Degree

Doctor of Education

Department

Education

Keywords

Education, Indigenous, Indigenous Leadership, Transformative Leadership, Transformational Leadership, Two-Eyed Seeing

Abstract

To address the atrocities that Indigenous people have endured and provide guidance to support reconciliation, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) of Canada released its 94 Calls to Action (TRC, 2015). Educational reform is one of the key areas identified as necessary for reconciliation. Educational institutions such as River College (a pseudonym) are working towards the integration of Indigenous knowledge into current educational strategies and practices to achieve the acceptance and inclusion of Indigenous epistemologies, thereby acknowledging that Indigenous peoples are significant to the formation of current day Canada. The colonized approach to education at River College lacks cultural connection and supports that relate to Indigenous students, thus, affecting their sense of identity, culture and belonging. The work in this Organizational Improvement Plan (OIP) will focus on creating and supporting stronger cultural connections through the two-eyed seeing approach embedded in professional learning as a method to provide a culture of inclusiveness and a welcoming environment for Indigenous students at River College. The initiatives proposed in this OIP will look to increase engagement with Indigenous knowledge systems at River College by achieving a paradigm shift that recognizes and validates Indigenous perspectives and voices, alongside Western perspective. I will draw from transformative, transformational, and Indigenous leadership approaches to strengthen the relationship between the staff at River College and the Indigenous community to foster meaningful implementation. The creation and implementation of a common vision for systemic change and organizational improvement at River College will serve as a model for other institutions to follow.

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