This paper provides theoretical insights into Aboriginal educational and social transformation in Canada from an historical perspective. For almost a century, “decolonization” has been the most effective, and yet most commonly deployed conceptual tool in the writings on Aboriginal education. As an alternative to the decolonization paradigms, this paper suggests that postcolonial theory provides a more comprehensive, yet flexible conceptual framework to the understanding of historical and genealogical intricacies of Aboriginal education in Canada. In the process, theoretical underpinnings, questions, and situations inspired by the experiences of comparative colonialisms (such as the non-settler colonialisms) are discussed in conjunction with Canada's Aboriginal education.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
AgboS. A. (2002). Decentralization of First Nations education in Canada: Perspectives on ideals and realities of Indian Control of Indian Education.Interchange, 33(3), 281–302.
2.
AikenheadG. S. (2000). Rekindling traditions: Cross-cultural science & technology units. Retrieved March 17, 2006, from http://www.usask.ca/education/ccstu
3.
AshcroftB., GriffithsG., & TiffinH. (2007). Post-colonial studies: The key concepts.London and New York: Routledge.
4.
BarshR. L. (1994). Canada's Aboriginal people: Social integration or disintegration.Canadian Journal of Native Studies, 14(1), 1–46.
5.
BattisteM. (Ed.). (2000). Reclaiming Indigenous voice and vision.Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press.
6.
BattisteM. (1986). Micmac literacy and cognitive assimilation. In BarmanJ., HébertY., & McCaskillD. (Eds.), Indian Education in Canada: The legacy Vol. I (pp. 23–44). Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press.
7.
BattisteM., & BarmanJ. (Eds.). (1995). First Nations education in Canada: The circle unfolds.Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press.
8.
BattisteM., BellL, & FindlayL. M. (2002). Decolonizing education in Canadian universities: An interdisciplinary, international, indigenous research project.Canadian Journal of Native Education, 26(2), 2–95.
9.
BhabhaH. K. (1994). The location of culture.London: Routledge.
10.
BhabhaH. K. (1990). DissemiNation. In BhabhaH.K. (Ed.), Nation and narration (pp. 291–322). London and New York: Routledge.
11.
BoldtM. (1993). Surviving as Indians: The challenge of self-government.Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
12.
BradyP. (1995). Two policy approaches to native education: Can the reform be legalized?Canadian Journal of Education, 20(3), 249–366.
13.
BrayboyB. M. J. (2006). Toward a tribal critical race theory in education.The Urban Review, 37(5), 425–446.
14.
Canadian Council on Learning.2007. Redefining how success is measured in Metis, First Nations and Inuit Learning.Ottawa: CCL.
15.
ChakrabartyD. (2000). Provincializing Europe: Postcolonial thought and historical difference.Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
ChewM. (2001). An alternative metacritique of the postcolonial cultural studies from a cultural sociological perspective.Cultural Studies, 3(4), 602–620.
18.
ChisholmS. (1994). Assimilation and oppression: the northern experience.Education in Canada, 34(4), 28–34.
19.
ChrisjohnR. (1998). Retaining indigenous students in post-secondary programmes: what means for whose ends.Ottawa: Council of the Ministries of Education.
20.
CourtneyR. (1986). Islands of remorse: Amerindian education in the contemporary world.Curriculum Inquiry, 16, 43–64.
21.
De GennaroM. (2003). Fighting humanism in its own terms.Difference, 14(1), 53–73.
22.
DeiG. J. S. (1996). Anti-racism education: theory and practice.Halifax, Nova Scotia: Fernwood Publishing.
23.
FanonF. (1963). The wretched of the earth.New York: Grove Press.
24.
FernandesL. (2006). India's new middle class: Democratic politics in an era of economic reform.London: University of Minnesota Press.
25.
FerraziG. (1989). Forging Aboriginal/non-Aboriginal partnerships: The joint venture model.Canadian Journal of Native Studies, 9(1), 15–33.
26.
GandhiL. (1998). Postcolonial theory, a critical introduction.New York: Columbia University Press.
27.
GoddardJ. T., & ShieldsC. M. (1997). An ethnocultural comparison of empowerment in two school districts: Learning from an American Indian and Canadian First Nations school district.Journal of American Indian Education, 36(2), 19–45.
28.
GoldthorpeJ. H. (1982). On the service class. In GiddnesA., & MackenzieG. (Eds.), Social Class and the division of labour (pp. 162–185). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
29.
GuhaR., & SpivakG. C. (Eds.). (1988). Selected subaltern studies.New York: Oxford University Press.
30.
GuptaA. (1998). Postcolonial developments: agriculture in the making of modern India.Durham and London: Duke University Press.
31.
HamptonE. (1995). Towards a redefinition of Indian education. In BattisteM., & BarmanJ. (Eds.), First Nations education in Canada: The circle unfolds (pp. 5–46). Vancouver: University of British Columbia Press.
32.
HeberR. W. (2002). Aboriginal post-secondary education: Taiwan and Canada.Ottawa: Ministry of Education.
33.
KapoorI. (2008). The postcolonial politics of development.London: Routledge.
34.
KirknessV. J. (1986). Native Indian teachers: A key to progress.Canadian Journal of Native Education, 13(1), 47–53.
35.
LuffmanJ., & SussmanD. (2007). The Aboriginal labour force in Western Canada, perspectives on labour and income (catalogue number 75-001-XIE). Ottawa: Statistics Canada.
36.
MadeaD. (1997). The other women: Irreducible alterities in feminist theologies.Religion, 27, 123–128.
37.
McConaghyC. (2002). Rethinking Indigenous education: Culturalism, colonialism and the politics of knowing.Flaxton, Qld: Post Pressed.
38.
MealsN. (1999). Humanity/humanities: decolonizations and the poetics of relation.Topoi, 18, 13–28.
39.
MendelsonM. (2004). Aboriginal people in Canada's labour markets: Work and unemployment: today and tomorrow.Ottawa: Caledon Institute of Social Policy.
40.
MillerJ. R. (1996). Shingwauk's vision: A history of native residential schools.Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
41.
MitchellA. (2003, June 17). Changing native culture.Globe and Mail, p. VI.
National Indian Brotherhood. (1972). Indian control of Indian education: Policy paper presented to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development.Ottawa: National Indian Brotherhood.
45.
Pavan KumarM. (2007a). New sites of transformation in Aboriginal people's postsecondary education.Policy Dialogue, 15, 18–20.
46.
Pavan KumarM. (2007b). Symbolic violence and real victims: FNUC's governance crisis.Windspeaker, 25(2), 11.
47.
Pavan KumarM. (2008). Modern knowledge and ancient wisdom: An integration of past and present for a new tomorrow.Ottawa: Canadian Council on Learning.
48.
PetersE. J. (2002). Aboriginal people in Canadian cities, 1951-1996: Guide for research.Saskatoon: University of Saskatchewan.
49.
RichardsonC., & Blanchet-CohenN. (2000). Survey of post-secondary education programs in Canada for Aboriginal peoples.Victoria: Institute for Child Rights and Development and First Nations Partnerships Program.
50.
SaidE. W. (2004). Humanism and democratic criticism.New York: Columbia University Press.
51.
SaidE. W. (1978). Orientalism.New York: Pantheon.
52.
SaidE. W. (1994). Culture and Imperialism.New York: Verso.
53.
SpivakG. C. (1988). Can the subaltern speak? In NelsonC., & GrossbergL. (Eds.), Marxism and the interpretation of culture (pp. 271–300). Urbana: University of Illinois Press.
54.
SpivakG. C. (1990). Poststructuralism, marginality, postcoloniality and value. In CollierP., & Geyer-RyanE. (Eds.), Literary Theory Today (pp. 228–251). London: Verso.
55.
SpivakG. C. (1999). A Critique of postcolonial reason: Toward a history of the vanishing present.Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
56.
SpivakG.C. (1989). In a word: Interview with Ellen Rooney.Differences, 1(2), 124–56.
57.
Statistics Canada. (2003). The Canadian labour market at a glance.Ottawa: Minister of Industry, Science and Technology.
58.
Statistics Canada.2008. Labour force activity, Aboriginal identity, highest certificate, diploma or degree, area of residence, age groups and sex for the population 15 years and over of Canada provinces and territories, 2006 Census − 20% Sample Data (catalogue number 97-560-CB2006031). Ottawa: Statistics Canada.
59.
StonechildB. (2006). The new buffalo: the struggle for Aboriginal post-secondary education in Canada.Winnipeg: University of Manitoba Press.
60.
Van der LandM. (2004). Cursory connections: Urban ties of Rotterdam's new middle class.Delft: OTB Research Institute for Housing, Urban and Mobility Studies.
61.
WotherspoonT, & SatzewichV. (2000). First Nations: Race, class, and gender relations.Scarborough: Nelson.
62.
WotherspoonT. (2001). Prospects for a new middle class among urban Aboriginal people. In NewhouseD., & PetersE. (Eds.), Not strangers in these parts: Urban Aboriginal people (pp. 147–166). Ottawa: Policy Research Initiative.
