Abstract

Schooling is a means of cultural reproduction and a tool for social reform that has been extensively implemented in the efforts of colonization and absorption of Indigenous peoples. The policies of the Canadian government as they pertain to Aboriginal peoples were created for the purposes of domination and eventual elimination of them as separate peoples. The role that education played as a tool in the oppression, manipulation and forced assimilation of First Nations people by the government of Canada is clearly documented, as is shown by a review of the history of First Nations education. A critical, decolonising approach to research is required in this area to avoid further damage that might occur as a result of a more traditional research method.

The literature demonstrates that there are many flaws inherent in current programming and delivery of education in First Nations communities. Issues of control, governance, curriculum development, implementation, appropriateness, and the absence of structures that would allow for consistent, relevant and concerted development of programming all stand out upon examination of the literature.

This study investigated the education system in one First Nations community in Alberta in order to identify the educational needs and expectations of the community, determine the extent to which it addresses these needs, and to look at ways that it could better meet the needs and expectations of the people it is intended to serve. A discrepancy arose between the community's stated goals and needs for education and those currently guiding its education system. A new vision of education, based on the ideas of the community that emerged out of the data, is presented and discussed. Implications of the findings for policy, practice, and additional research are identified.