Executive Summary
Barriers to Indigenous Youth Accessing Education
First Nation, Metis, & Inuit youth have many barriers to accessing education, whether from rural, remote to urban communities.
The barriers to accessing education for First Nation, Métis, and Inuit peoples in Canada are significant and have been exacerbated by a long history of colonization and oppression. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action, the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 4, and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples provide essential frameworks for addressing these barriers. These frameworks provide a basis for governments to implement policies and programs to ensure that Indigenous, Métis, and Inuit peoples have access to culturally appropriate education and the resources necessary to succeed in school.
In conducting research for modern education a Sharing Circle of Barriers to Access Education for post-secondary education was held. A national sharing circle was held with
post-secondary students for the study that talked about the barriers of accessing education for First Nations, Metis and Inuit youth. During the sharing circle, participants shared that the most common barriers in modern times are financial, information of services available and leaving home to attempt to go into post-secondary education With these, then the First Nation, Metis, and Inuit students had conversations in solutions from, Indigenous mentors in school, possibly someone with a social work degree that checks on students and helps to connect them with resources, Not only making more funding available, but making it easier to access, Making programs more flexible – more online options for programs, having more in-community classes, and Transition programs from secondary to post-secondary – doing online transition in the community before moving. Barriers to Access Education Page 4
Historical
Historical Barriers in Accessing Education for Indigenous Peoples in Canada
There were extensive barriers to access education for First Nation, Métis and Inuit youth in Canada in the past. Stemming from the implementation of Residential Schools, “In 1967, there were only 200 Indigenous students enrolled in Canadian universities out of a total Indigenous student population of about 60,000 ” according to Harvey A McCue (2011)
In Figure 1.1
In 1967, 0.3% of the Indigenous population in Canada attended universities. The number has risen throughout the years.
First Nation, Métis, and Inuit peoples have experienced a long history of colonization and oppression in Canada, leading to a significant gap in educational opportunities and outcomes for these populations Despite the Canadian government’s efforts to improve access to education for First nations, Métis, and Inuit peoples, significant barriers remain to access and success in education. This paper will provide a critical analysis of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action, the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4), and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) as they relate to the barriers to access education for First Nation, Métis, and Inuit peoples in Canada.
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada was created and did the final report of recommendations in Barriers to Access Education
Figure 1.1: Indigenous People that Attended University in 1967.
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2015. Under education for post-secondary education the 11th call to action, “We call upon the federal government to provide adequate funding to end the backlog of First Nations students seeking a post-secondary education” .
Perspectives from Indigenous Youth in Modern Age
Modern barriers in the education system
One of the greatest barriers is for first-generation students from their families to attend a post-secondary educational institution. Transitioning from high school to post-secondary education is a large barrier for first-generation students. Indigenous post-secondary graduates who are first-generation students have cited the following as barriers:
● Transitioning from High School to post-secondary
● Just applying was difficult
● Lack of resources/not being made aware of the resources in school for Indigenous students
The examples above are feedback from youth that participated in the Barriers to Accessing Education sharing circle held as part of the Canadian Roots Exchange - Indigenous Youth Research Mentorship. Barriers to Accessing Education on Feb 4th, 2023 As the following documents support these modern barriers for youth One is The Truth & Reconciliation
Commission of Canada’s final report from 2015. Under education for post-secondary education the 11th call to action, “We call upon the federal government to provide adequate funding to end the backlog of First Nations students seeking a post-secondary education”
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC) was established in 2008 to document the history and legacy of the Indian Residential Schools in Canada and to make recommendations for reconciliation. The TRC’s Calls to Action, released in 2015, include a number of recommendations related to education for Indigenous, Métis, and Inuit peoples. These recommendations include the implementation of culturally appropriate curricula, the provision of adequate
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funding for Indigenous education, and the establishment of an Indigenous Languages Commissioner.
Act” to ensure that Indigenous peoples have access to culturally appropriate education.
The Truth & Reconciliation Commission of Canada was created and did the final report of recommendations in 2015. Under education for post-secondary education the 11th call to action,
“We call upon the federal government to provide adequate funding to end the backlog of First Nations students seeking a post-secondary education”.
The TRC’s Calls to Action are an important step in addressing the barriers to access-secondary Indigenous, Métis, and Inuit peoples in Canada. These recommendations provide a framework for governments to implement policies and programs that will ensure that Indigenous, Métis, and Inuit peoples have access to culturally appropriate education and the resources necessary to succeed in school.
The TRC’s Calls to Action also calls for the implementation of a “Jurisprudence Course” to ensure that all Canadians understand the history and legacy of the Indian Residential Schools and the implications of the UNDRIP. This course would be mandatory for all teachers and administrators in the Canadian school system. Additionally, the TRC recommends implementing a “Teaching for Reconciliation” program to ensure that all teachers are equipped with the knowledge and skills necessary to teach about Indigenous histories and cultures.
Sustainable Development Goal 4
Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) is part of the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. SDG 4 calls for “ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all”. This goal includes a number of targets related to access to education, such as increasing access to early childhood education, eliminating gender disparities in education, and providing access to quality technical, vocational, and tertiary education.
The TRC’s Calls to Action also calls for the establishment of an Indigenous Languages Commissioner to ensure that Indigenous languages are taught in schools and that Indigenous language teachers are adequately trained and supported. Additionally, the TRC recommends the implementation of a “First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Education
SDG 4 is an important framework for addressing the barriers to access education for First Nation, Métis, and Inuit peoples in Canada. The goal targets provide a framework for governments to implement policies and programs that will ensure that all Canadians have access to quality education. Additionally, SDG 4’s emphasis on eliminating gender
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disparities in education is particularly relevant to First Nation, Métis, and Inuit populations, which have historically experienced significant gender disparities in educational outcomes.
United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
The Truth & Reconciliation Commission of Canada was created and did the final report of recommendations in 2015. Under education for post-secondary education the 11th call to action, “We call upon the federal government to provide adequate funding to end the backlog of First Nations students seeking a post-secondary education” .
What was heard at the Sharing Circle
The United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) is an international human rights instrument that was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 2007. The declaration outlines the rights of Indigenous peoples, including the right to education. Article 14 of UNDRIP states that Indigenous peoples have the right to “establish and control their educational systems and institutions providing education in their own languages, in a manner appropriate to their cultural methods of teaching and learning”.
The following questions were two of multiple asked during the sharing circle, with responses noted below.
What were the initial barriers you encountered in starting your post-secondary journey? If you haven’t begun, what is preventing you from starting?
● Wasn’t aware of how to access resources at school for help with grades
UNDRIP is an important framework for addressing the barriers to access education for First Nation, Métis, and Inuit peoples in Canada. The declaration’s emphasis on the right to education in Indigenous languages and in a manner appropriate to Indigenous cultures is particularly relevant to First Nation, Métis, and Inuit populations, which have historically experienced significant barriers to accessing education in their own languages and cultures.
● Lack of advocacy for incoming Indigenous students
● Beginning school felt overwhelming
● Starting university just coming out of the foster care system
● Band doesn’t provide extra funding for supplies, school clothes, food – funding is not flexible
● Transitioning from High School to post-secondary
● Mental health concerns
● Just applying was difficult Barriers to Access Education Page 8
● Financial barriers
● Needing to work and go to school at the same time in order to be able to attend
● Need to be in class (not asynchronous)
● Being the first person in your family to attend post-secondary, lack of support system outside of school
● Leaving home and being away from family
● Limited online options for programs
● Applying for awards and funding was difficult to navigate
What was the most difficult barrier for you, and why?
Institutional racism
● Having an Indigenous centre at school, but not very active
● Rude professors based on the colour of your skin
● No one there to advocate for you against racism
Conclusion
● Felt unsafe to be there as an Indigenous person
Financial barriers
● Lack of funding for non-status people
● Hard to find and apply for scholarships
● Hard to access funding even while being non-status, limited funding available
● throughout one's lifetime through being status
Leaving family
● Having to work in a school full time and be in school full time
● Having to do everything on your own (no parental/family support)
Suggestions for future implementation in removing barriers to access education
The barriers to access education for Indigenous, Métis, and Inuit peoples in Canada are significant and have been
exacerbated by a long history of colonization and oppression. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action, Barriers to Access Education Page 9
the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 4, and the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples provide important frameworks for addressing these barriers. These frameworks provide a basis for governments to implement policies and programs to ensure that First Nation, Métis, and Inuit peoples have access to culturally appropriate education and the resources necessary to succeed in school.
With data from the event of CRE - Indigenous youth research mentorship program of Keenan Bird conducting of Sharing Circle held on Feb 4, 2023, & Surveyed Feb 27th - Mar 6th, 2023 that was implemented Responses to questions asked include:
If you were in charge of making changes or creating services to make accessing education easier, what would you change or create?
● Mandatory/compulsory credits in degrees – all universities and colleges should require Indigenous studies/Indigenous history credits to be taken, especially for service providers (social workers, healthcare workers)
● To help with reconciliation, combat institutional racism
● Indigenous curriculum for all ages, not just university and colleges
● Pay what you can afford tuition (costs less for low-income folks)
● Decolonizing post-secondary – not just in a performative way that’s being done in a lot of places now
● Cultural sensitivity training for professors and staff
● Extra funding for Indigenous students for the cost of living – and more flexible band funding
● More supports for Indigenous students on campus
● Indigenous mentors in school, possibly someone with a social work degree that checks on students and helps to connect them with resources
● Choice between French and Indigenous language(s) of the area as a second language in secondary and elementary schools, instead of just being forced to take French
● A system that supports teachers to learn about Indigenous history, helping them be more comfortable in teaching Indigenous history and talking about colonialism in Canada
● Having Indigenous folks come into classes to do teachings, having students learn first hand from local Indigenous folks
● Systemic changes need to be made
● Not only making more funding available, but making is easier to access
● Making programs more flexible – more online options for programs, having more in-community classes
● Transition programs from secondary to post secondary – doing online transition in community before moving
● Support with transportation for getting to school, In conclusion of the research opportunity presented itself with Indigenous, Metis and innuit youth participants shown tangible information and with supported research documents, and engagement with the sharing circle. Barriers
to Access Education Page 10
Appendices
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References
“Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all - United Nations 2015”
https://sdgs.un.org/goals/goal4
Sustainable Development Goals, Goal 4 Quality Education - United Nations 2015”
https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/education/
‘United Nations Declarations of Indigenous Rights - UNITED NATIONS 2007, “https://wwwun org/development/desa/indigenouspeoples/wp-content/uploads/sites/19/2018/11/UNDRIP E web pdf”
Truth & Reconciliation Commission of Canada - 94 Calls to Action 2015, “https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/british-columbians-our-governments/indigenous-people/aboriginal-peoples-documents/calls to a ction english2.pdf”
Government of Canada, The Constitution 1867 - 1982, Rights of the Aboriginal Peoples of Canada, Section 35
https://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/const/page-13.html#:~:text=35%20(1)%20The%20existing%20aboriginal,are%20hereby%20recogn ized%20and%20affirmed.&text=(2)%20In%20this%20Act%2C,and%20M%C3%A9tis%20peoples%20of%20Canada.
Statistics Canada, tuition fees for degree programs, 2022/2023
https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/220907/dq220907b-eng.htm
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Assembly of First Nations - POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION ATTAINMENT
https://www.afn.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/PSE Fact Sheet ENG.pdf
Harvey A. McCue, Education of Indigenous Peoples in Canada - June 6, 2023, https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/aboriginal-people-education
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