1. Native Studies 1
Native Studies in Saskatchewan: A Policy for Change
EADM 310
Darryl Hunter
5 APR 2009
2. Native Studies 2
When the Canadian government began its move westward, its leaders had to
decide how best to deal with the population of people who were already living in the
territories. They decided upon a series of numbered treaties, which guaranteed certain
concessions to First Nations groups, in exchange for access to land. One of the most
important treatiesâ clauses dealt with education. First Nations leaders understood the
importance that an education would play in the future of their people, so they wanted to
ensure that their descendants would benefit not only from their traditional knowledge, but
also learn the ways of the âWhite man.â Now, over a century later, it has become
painfully obvious that the education guaranteed to Saskatchewanâs First Nations peoples
has not been properly provided.
In recent years, the Saskatchewan government has responded with several
different initiatives focused on improving the standard of education offered to First
Nations students. One such initiative was the creation of a separate Native Studies
curriculum, which for the first time allowed a class to be focused solely on First Nations
content. Though noble in its intent, Native Studies has not been without its detractors,
especially at the university level, and there is a question as to whether or not it should
remain a separate discipline in the K-12 curriculum.
It is hard to ignore the startling figures regarding this issue: Nearly 50% of self-
declared Aboriginal students in grade ten do not make it to grade twelve. One must also
consider the implications for those who do not make it to grade ten. Also, of those who
do make it to grade twelve, there is an average of two fewer credits per-year, for a total of
5. Native Studies 5
European explorers for pieces of their history that have been lost through centuries of
assimilation practices (Price 1981). The unfortunate side effect of one culture group
determining the history of another is that a substantial amount of detail and nuances can
be lost in the inherent cultural biases. Consequently, Native Studies courses attempt to
reestablish the unique method that First Nations people have in examining their own
history. At the same time, First Nation people hope to reintroduce the notions of
spirituality into the study of their history. Winona Wheeler speaks to this issue here:
âto strip our intellectual knowledge of its spirituality is colonialistâ (Wheeler 2001,
p.100). Therefore, by reintroducing aspects of Aboriginal spirituality, into the study of
First Nations people, it is the hoped that a more authentic version of their history and
culture may emerge.
Teachers, who seek to teach authentic versions of First Nations content, can face a
great deal of pressure: Native studies teachers must attempt to undo years of colonial
influence on First Nations culture, be accountable to a growing segment of the
population, and work hard to build up a knowledge base and skills beyond what was
taught to them in their schooling (Wheeler 2001). For teachers of Aboriginal decent this
will simply mean transmitting a wealth of information that they have lived first hand.
For non-Aboriginal teachers, however, this poses a great deal of problems. Ideally, there
would be a plethora of Aboriginal teachers all teaching Native Studies, the reality of the
situation is that the majority of teachers in the province are not of Aboriginal decent
(Ministry of Education 2008). For most concerned, this is one of the largest problems
6. Native Studies 6
facing the discipline.
There are many concerns raised over having non-Aboriginal teachers in charge of
Native Studies classes. The first, and most obvious, concern is that non-aboriginal
teachers will bring a Eurocentric worldview to the class, thus nullifying the desire to
decolonize the course material (Price 1981; Lindsay 2003; Rice 2003). While the
concern of these articles, Brian Rice in particular, is the overlooking of qualified First
Nations teachers for Native Studies positions; it is not from the stance of job equity, but
rather what content is being taught. This is made clear when William Lindsay is critical
of those First Nations professors who do get hired being Aboriginal on the outside, but
not on the inside (2003, p.189). The argument then becomes, is the important factor what
is being taught, or who is teaching it.
Rice (2003), in an impassioned retrospective of his career as a Native Studies
professor, argues that the most qualified person to teach Native Studies is someone who
has lived as an Aboriginal person (a feeling echoed by Wheeler 2006, and Lindsay 2003),
and that the discipline has essentially be hijacked by white professors, or Aboriginal
Professors who fit the white mold. Winona Wheeler (2006) adds that there needs to be a
high level of community involvement, and notions of Aboriginal spirituality, that can
only be provided by a First Nations teacher; otherwise the discipline is not unique, and âif
it is not unique, there is no reason for it to be separateâ (p. 100). Lindsay (2003) even
goes as far as to say that the day-to-day experiences of First Nations students are often
not understood by non-aboriginal teachers, and are therefore they do not receive the
proper support that they may receive from an Aboriginal teacher (p. 191). Even those
7. Native Studies 7
teacherâs having what Lindsay refers to as the âDances with Wolvesâ complex, meaning
those non-aboriginal teachers who had spent a great deal of time living and working in
Aboriginal communities, often had a hard time authentically relating to First Nations
students (2003, p.187). Clearly the indication is that the background of the person
teaching the course is just as important as the content. It is still worthwhile, however, to
examine what makes Native Studies unique enough to deserve a class all its own.
One of the key aspects to Native Studies arises from its unique view of the world.
First Nations notions of history, politics, and even economics, are rooted in their spiritual
beliefs. In this regard, religion serves as the root of their society, and dictates how they
should relate to their surroundings. Aboriginal educators must then examine how best to
express First Nations worldview in regards to their culture, history, and current situation,
and ensure that it does not compromise the integrity of their traditions (Wheeler 2001). In
many cases Aboriginal groups are used to ensure that programs are set up along certain
criteria that is deemed acceptable by the First Nations community (Lindsay 2003). It is
hoped that by fostering a more authentic view of Native Studies, that Aboriginal students
will be able to have a greater connection to the material, and therefore a greater chance at
success. It is also hoped that, by having an authentic Aboriginal classroom experience,
non-aboriginal students would gain a better understanding of First Nations Culture.
In a paper she prepared for a conference at the University of British Columbia,
Frances Widdowson (2008) takes on the idea of âauthentic Aboriginal content.â Her
argument is that in the rush to acknowledge the distinct nature of the Aboriginal
8. Native Studies 8
worldview, and a desire to allow First Nations groups to break their dependency of the
Eurocentric influence, they are avoiding educational scrutiny. She asserts that to better
help First Nations groups remove years of oppression from certain disciplines, such as
history and political science, these subjects should include examinations from an
Aboriginal perspective. However, a problem arises when people attempt to define what
constitutes Aboriginal content. Widdowson cites several examples of universities giving
preferential hiring to teachers who are capable of incorporating Aboriginal content in
their classrooms. When pressed to clarify what Aboriginal content is and how it differs
from non-Aboriginal content, most universities could not provide a suitable definition.
Next, Widdowson critiques the accepted definition of the Aboriginal conception of
history. Citing the Royal Commission on Aboriginal People, the First Nationsâ
conception of history is cyclical and crosses the boundaries between physical and
spiritual reality. First Nations people feel that the storyteller is as important as the story
being told, even if their account conflicts with another story teller or empirical evidence.
In Widdowsonâs thinking the reliance on oral accounts creates a lack of objectivity, as a
result, Aboriginal theories and methods lack credibility.
According to Widdowson, there are many similarities between Aboriginal
methods and Western theories. A problem arises from the interpretation of Western
examination as labeling Aboriginal cultures as inferior. The unwillingness to recognize
the developmental gap between the First Nations and Western cultures, during the
Contact Period, has allowed people to romanticize ideas about the complexities of First
9. Native Studies 9
Nationsâ society. Consequently, persons who service Native Studies do not have to prove
their truth claims with reliable evidence. As a result:
Political scientistsâŠare able to prevent their own truth claims from being
scrutinized by arguing that their views are rooted in âIndigenist thoughtâ, and
therefore any challenging of their veracity is an indication of âEurocentrismâ.
The tactic of name-calling is used to prevent the irrationality of âindigenous
theories and methodologiesâ from being recognized. The result is that many of
the arguments linking indigenous perspectives to decolonization have not been
critically analyzed. This has enabled ideas that actually maintain aboriginal
dependency and marginalization to be put forward under the banner of
âdecolonizationâ (Widdowson, 2008, p. 11).
The implication of Widdowsonâs argument is that the desires of White professors
to portray Aboriginal culture as different and distinct isolates Aboriginal thought in the
field of Native Studies. Unfortunately, this means that First Nations methods will not be
exposed to intellectual challenges necessary for their progress. As a result, the entire
purpose of including Aboriginal content, giving voice to Aboriginal people, is thwarted
because Aboriginal perspective is contained in the untouchable box of Native Studies
(Widdowson 2008). Essentially, in Native Studiesâ mad drive to purge itself of Western
thought it has subjugated itself to it; the exact opposite intention.
There is much to consider in regards to Native Studies classes in Saskatchewan.
The implications of Wheeler et al that the teachers of Native Studies should be
predominantly First Nations, and that the content must have distinctive Aboriginal
methods, proves to be a large obstacle: because the majority of teachers in Saskatchewan
are not First Nations. Beyond the concerns that low First Nations representation creates a
lack of significant role models for Aboriginal students, there is also the concern that the
material is being taught from a Eurocentric point of view (Lindsay 2003, Wheeler 2001).
One of the main concerns for non-aboriginal Native Studies teachers in Saskatchewan is
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the idea that they are teaching a culture they are not necessarily familiar with, to a group
of students who belong to that culture. It would be akin to someone who cannot speak
French working in a Fransaskois school. It is conceivable that a non-aboriginal teacher
would be capable of learning the content of a First Nations class in a manner suitable to
teach it to the students. Indeed, if the University of Regina is to be believed, most
teachers should be capable of teaching any class, with the proper pedagogy. However, it
would require a great deal of self-awareness with regards to any bias the teacher may
have. There is also the concern, as Lindsay has already pointed out, that non-aboriginal
teachers may have a difficult time overcoming these biases and relating to the
experiences of their First Nations students.
Even more difficult is the view held by Widdowson that there is not necessarily
such thing as a unique Aboriginal approach. This idea flies directly in the face of the
policies laid out by the Ministry of Educations discussed at the beginning of this paper.
Though her point about the possibility of current Aboriginal methodologies being counter
productive may be valid, one can only imagine the amount of backlash that would occur
if the Ministry of Education adopted Widdowsonâs views. It is no surprise that the topic
of Native Studies and Aboriginal content are touchy at best, considering the long history
of poor treatment of First Nations people in Canada, and even more recently the media
attention given to the atrocities conducted at residential schools in Saskatchewan.
While it may have seemed beneficial for First Nations students to create a
separate Native Studies program that better serves the Aboriginal population of the
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province with regards to methods and content, it is perhaps fair to say that it has not met
its expectations. The majority of First Nations students are either failing or struggling to
pass, and creating a single separate class is not the answer of how best to tackle this
problem. Another concern that arises is the notion of exposure. What this means is that
by having a separate First Nations content class, schools are effectively instituting a
segregation policy. Though nobody is forcing non-aboriginal students into history or
social, or barring Aboriginal students from those same classes, the perception is that
Native Studies is for First Nations students and non-Aboriginal students who are not
smart enough to take a real humanities class. As a result, Native Studies has become a
sort of dumping ground for students to get an easy credit (Saskatchewan Bulletin 2007).
It is also possible for a student who attends a school with no Native Studies program to
go their entire educational career without being formally taught any First Nations content.
By not being exposed to any other cultural content, these students are not meeting the
expectations of the policies of the Ministry of Education.
So who exactly is benefiting from the Ministries policies, or are we simply falling
prey to superficial Aboriginal content like Widdowson warned about. What would seem
more beneficial to First Nations students would be a focus on the Aboriginal perspectives
in all curriculums. This holds especially true for the social sciences, which Native
Studies is currently a part of. Recently there has been a call for a reunification of Native
Studies into the history and social curriculum. By mandating that there be First Nations
content within these classes, it is ensured that every student in the province is given
13. Native Studies 13
a significant amount of First Nations content, which should be released by the Ministry of
Education in the next few years. Anaquod is in favor of a more unified approach, and
feels that there needs to be greater inclusion of Aboriginal content in all class
curriculums, be it math, science, history, or religion. Wheeler even states that Native
Studies is trans-disciplinary in nature (p.100), and can therefore be applied to several
different disciplines, which also fits well with the policies of the Ministry of Education.
It seems counterintuitive then to want to limit Native Studies to one separate class.
The main obstacle that still remains after the assumed shift to a unified Social
Studies curriculum is the argument that non-aboriginals are not properly qualified to
teach First Nations perspectives. By instituting more Aboriginal content it would be
hoped that the success of First Nations students would increase, and that eventually the
number of those students attending post-secondary institutions would also increase.
Perhaps then there may be a rise in the number of First Nations students entering the
College of Education, and becoming teachers and role models for a new generation of
First Nations students. Unfortunately, at this point in time non-aboriginal teachers are just
going to have to do their best to ensure that Aboriginal perspectives are shown with as
little bias as possible. As suggested by the Ministries policy, the best method may be to
invite members of the Aboriginal community into the classroom to gain a more authentic
view. Teachers must at the same time be wary that the content presented by these
community members is relevant, and just as open to critical evaluation as the rest of the
content of the class. The goal should be to improve the educational opportunities to all
15. Native Studies 15
Wheeler, W. (2001). Thoughts on the Responsibilities for Indigenous/Native
Studies. The Canadian Journal of Native Studies, Vol.21 (1), p. 97-104.
Widdowson, F. (2008). Native Studies and Canadian Political Science: The
Implications of âDecolonizing the Discipline.â Unpublished paper prepared
for the annual meeting of the Canadian Political Science Association.
Retrieved from http://www.cpsa-acsp.ca/papers-2008/Widdowson.pdf