The University of Alberta, Edmonton, announces the approval of a graduate program in First Nations education at both the master's and doctoral level. Describes program plans related to the use of elders, Native language revitalization, student selection, core courses, adjunct faculty (indigenous scholars), and the application process. (SV)

Describes the Frontier School Division (Manitoba) Social Studies curriculum for native children at the high school level that reflects the history, culture, and the social environment of native children in mainly native communities. (ERB)

The Project is a Native teacher education program which provides the first three years of the Bachelor of Education degree from the University of Alberta. Five areas (information, counseling services, support services, access, and financial aid) considered by the Project in regard to access for disadvantaged adults to learning resources are…

The spider's web is presented as a model for Indigenous education and community transformation, grounded in Okanagan philosophy. Children are at the center and benefit from the influence of extended family and community. The model's relevance for language revitalization, cultural maintenance, and educational planning and assessment is discussed.…

Reviews various approaches to assessment and instruction of Native students in Canada and the United States, particularly attempts to identify Native learning styles and to adapt curriculum to them. Describes two approaches particularly suitable for Native and other minority students because they teach social and academic cognitive and…

Draws on a recent Canadian study of university student services and Aboriginal students to highlight the importance of a culturally sensitive research process when exploring Aboriginal issues. Discusses involvement of participants in the three phases of the study's flexible research process, which incorporated guiding values of respect,…

Examines the importance and centrality of orality, rather than literacy, in the shared lives of the Cree of northern Alberta. Discusses orality consciousness related to the practice of shared memories and personal and communal healing during the "dance of the ancestors" or "ghost dance." Includes a short history of the Cree…

Traces the development of the Indian Education Program serving bands of Shuswap and Okanagan Indians in interior British Columbia (Canada). Describes the formation of an Indian advisory committee, formulation of educational objectives, and positive outcomes for Indian students. (SV)

Traces the 20-year development of the Cree Way Project in Waskaganish, Quebec, which now provides total Cree immersion from preschool through grade 4, trilingual instruction (Cree, English, and French) in upper elementary and secondary grades, culturally adapted curriculum and teaching methods, and extensive culture-based education, including…

A grandmother teaching fishtrap building by actually building one while telling a story provides a model and criteria for success in teaching Nlakapamux children, the most important criterion being the presence of cultural experts--grandmothers. Role-modeling, storytelling, and hands-on experience combine theory and practice and provide a mnemonic…

Revitalization of the Nishinaabeg language started in 1998 with the development of language materials. A committee on Nishinaabemwin orthography advised on the development of the text and writing system. Teaching methods follow the four parts of Medicine Wheel teachings: spiritual, emotional, physical, and mental. An interactive hockey game and a…

Dr. Terry Tafoya relates his experiences as a student and a therapist and integrates traditional Native American stories to illustrate the importance of balancing Western knowledge with traditional culture and values. Stresses the importance of approaching the acquisition of knowledge from different perspectives when developing graduate programs…

Stan Wilson (Cree), professor at the University of Alberta, discusses a spiritual experience that led him to a greater understanding of the life of his Native ancestors. Suggests that indigenous peoples need to shift attention to the spirituality that kept their ancestors in harmony with the environment and to recognize spiritual knowledge through…

Four Native American graduate students from Harvard University discuss experiences that led them to pursue advanced degrees, challenges they have experienced in higher education, the relevance of their cultures and languages to their education, the racism encountered in their college careers, and resources they have created to help support them in…

A Cree teacher-researcher in Alberta enrolled in a graduate education program in hopes of gaining insight into the low achievement of students in reserve schools. Courses taught from an Indigenous perspective and her own research with reservation students led her to the notion of inherent wisdom, expressed in the metaphor of a tree whose roots…