Reconsidering rural education in the light of Canada’s indigenous reality

Abstract

This chapter reports on findings from a qualitative case-based study examining the extent to which Indigenous cultural traditions and practices were promoted, and Indigenous students felt welcomed and respected in a rural school district in north-western Canada. The authors conducted a series of interviews with Indigenous liaisons working in the district, along with parents and community members from a local First Nation’s community. Among the numerous findings, the Indigenous liaisons felt the district was making great strides in these areas. They, however, highlighted the need for a whole school approach where all the responsibility for leading Indigenous initiatives did not rest solely on their shoulders. Of note, communitymembers, in general, did not feel the schools were fully embracing these goals. Guided by a parent and community engagement framework (Goodall&Montgomery), the study critically examines how the district could better support Indigenous students and parents, given the inherent tensions that exist among Indigenous-settler communities in rural Canada.