Aboriginal people continue to be amongst the most marginalized populations in Canadian society. Land claims are still being disputed. Aboriginal people who live on reserves and in isolated communities often experience inadequate provision of essential services and lack opportunities for economic development. Aboriginal people are greatly overrepresented in prisons.
As part of a healing process, Aboriginal communities are tackling the task of reinvigorating their social, spiritual and cultural lives after centuries of oppression. All of these issues make it critical for Canadians to engage in learning so that positive change can occur.
As citizens of a democratic country, we affect our fellow citizens and our society as a whole. We have a responsibility to strive to understand the complex social and cultural realities of contemporary Canada.
In particular, we should recognize our responsibility to learn about the diverse histories, cultures, and experiences of aboriginal people in Canada.
The Canadian government and Queen’s University have—to a certain extent—recognized the importance of a broad understanding of Aboriginal affairs by taking measures to break down barriers between Aboriginal people and historically “mainstream” post-secondary institutions.
At Queen’s, this has meant providing more and better opportunities for Aboriginal students in post-secondary education, as well as promoting learning about Aboriginal affairs. This is the mandate of the University’s Aboriginal Council, which was established in 1992 by the Ministry of Education.
The Aboriginal Council funds the Four Directions Aboriginal Student Centre, the Aboriginal Teachers Education Program, and the Aboriginal Studies program consisting of two courses: DEVS 220 Introduction to Aboriginal Studies, and DEVS 221 Topics in Aboriginal Studies.
In order to make Queen’s more accessible to Aboriginal applicants, some Queen’s faculties have instituted Aboriginal admissions policies. These are alternative sets of requirements for prospective students. For example, a letter from a community member outlining achievements in areas outside of academics might be required. In general, these policies are designed to recognize that not all learning is reflected in school grades, but more specifically, they validate other forms of knowledge which do not necessarily fit into the western model of education.
Queen’s has also addressed compromised accessibility through the employment of an Aboriginal student recruitment officer, currently Kristi Jamieson. Jamieson travels to Aboriginal communities and high schools with large Aboriginal populations. The recruitment officer not only promotes Queen’s, but works with her counterparts from other universities to provide information to students and their families about the broad range of post-secondary options available to them.
But the challenges faced by many Aboriginal students do not end with an acceptance letter. Being at university in an environment that may be very different from students’ home communities can carry its own set of difficulties. The Four Directions Aboriginal Student Centre provides a safe environment to nurture and promote success for students who may be far from their community support systems.
Operating on the premise of the medicine wheel—which strives for balance between cultural, earth, spiritual and academic knowledge—Four Directions is an inclusive place which brings together permanent staff, Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students, Queen’s professors and staff, as well as community members and visiting elders. In this way, the Centre promotes learning and sharing. As Four Directions administrator Heather Green puts it, “Not only do we break down the barriers for us, but we break down the barriers for others.” Four Directions offers students many opportunities to learn about the diversity amongst Aboriginal people through such events as the annual Native symposium, weekly feasts and medicine walks. The Centre supports Aboriginal students and education on Aboriginal affairs, which work together to promote mutual respect and understanding between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Canadians.
Four Directions also supports the activities of the Queen’s Native Students Association (QNSA). QNSA is open to all students. Its main activity of the school year is Queen’s Aboriginal Awareness Day. It is a day in which speakers, dancers and drummers will share their knowledge about Aboriginal arts and culture. As Canadians, we have the opportunity to enrich ourselves and improve our society by embracing the diversity which exists in our country. Yet, we seem to shy away from this opportunity to learn and work towards a more just Canada in which Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people can unite for a common goal of well-being for all.
Queen’s provides venues for us to fulfill our responsibility to familiarize ourselves with Aboriginal affairs. It is time now for individual members of the Queen’s community—students, faculty and staff—to follow through.
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Aboriginal Awareness Day will take place on Saturday, March 11 in Wallace Hall in the JDUC.
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