Success Stories: Aboriginal Students and Access to Post-Secondary Education
By
Joan L. Brett
B.A. University of Northern British Columbia, 2000

PROJECT SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF
THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF
MASTER OF EDUCATION
IN
MULTIDISCIPLINARY LEADERSHIP

THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA
Apri12010
©Joan L. Brett, 2010

tJNIVERSITY of NORTHERN
BRITISH COLUMBIA
LmRARY
Prince Georje. B.C.

~--~~~~--------------------~,

Success Stories: Aboriginal Students and Access to Post-Secondary Education

n

Abstract

This narrative study shares and honours the experiences of five Aboriginal students in
grades 10 through 12 and my own personal story from Prince George, BC. The purpose
of the study was to identify contributing influences that encouraged success for
.. ·

Aboriginal student participants, as seen by the students themselves. The narratives
revealed barriers the students had to overcome in order to fulfill their goals and the way
they explored their own interests to discover their strengths. Student narratives revealed
leaders and mentors that contributed to their success; these people varied from friends to
family and many other community and school-based people. The academic and social
success of these students varied and created interesting stories that may inform the
development of programs to support Aboriginal youth. The school that participated in the
study has a process that encourages Aboriginal students to succeed; although that process
is not thoroughly examined the student stories reveal the success of the process along
with other family and community influences. A common thread throughout these stories
is competency. Although these students appeared to have little access to culturally
responsive teaching, the common foundations of their success was skill development in
an area they were proud of and that contributed to a goal for post-secondary achievement.

Success Stories: Aboriginal Students and Access to Post-Secondary Education

111

Table of Contents

Abstract ............................................................................................................................... ii
Table of Contents ............................................................................................................... iii
List of Figures and Appendices ........................................................................................... v
Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................ vi
Dedication ........................... ~ .......................................................................................... viii

I - A Focus on Success ....................................................................................................... 1
Approach and Methodology ................................................................................................ 1
Positive Strength-based Approach ........................................................................... 2
Appreciative Components ........................................................................................ 3
Four Layers of Leadership ....................................................................................... 4
Storytelling ...... ......................................................................................................... 5
Purpose of the Study ............................................................................................................ 6
Influences and Experiences ...................................................................................... ?
Two Research Questions .......................................................................................... ?
Theoretical Framework ........................................................................................................ 8
Web of lnfluence ...................................................................................................... 8
Mentor .................................................................................................................... 10
Cultural Identity ..................................................................................................... 10
Cultural Continuity ................................................................................................ 10
Personal Competency ............................................................................................. 11
Definitions .......................................................................................................................... 11
Holistic Approach .................................................................................................. 13
Initial Findings ....................................................................................................... 14
Concluding Thoughts ......................................................................................................... 15
II - Literature Review ..................................................................................................... 16

Key Resources ................................................................................................................... 16
Interconnectedness ................................................................................................. 16
Informal Community ............................................................................................. 18
Residential School ................................................................................................. 18
The Influence of Mentoring ................................................................................... 19
Organizational Community .................................................................................... 20
Cultural Continuity in the Community .................................................................. 22
Educational Institutions ......................................................................................... 23
Teachers and Support Workers .............................................................................. 24
Culturally Responsive Teaching ............................................................................ 25
Positive Youth Development ................................................................................. 26
Healing Journey ..................................................................................................... 26
Community Leadership .......................................................................................... 27
Concluding Thoughts ......................................................................................................... 27

III- Research Method ..................................................................................................... 29

Rationale for Narrative Method ......................................................................................... 29
Listening ................................................................................................................ 30

I

Success Stories: Aboriginal Students and Access to Post-Secondary Education

1v

Eight Basic Themes .... .... ....................................................................................... 32
Orality .................. .... .................... .......................................................................... 32
Trustworthiness ...................................................................................................... 34
Aboriginal Perspective .............................. ..... ........................................................ 37
Appreciative Inquiry .............................................................................................. 38
Procedures .......................................................................................................................... 40
Data Analysis ..................................................................................................................... 43
Concluding Thoughts ............................................................................................ 45

.

IV- Students' Stories ...................................................................................................... 46
Introductions ...................................................................................................................... 46
Angela, the Dancer and Aspiring Doctor. ............................................................. .48
Brian, the Metalworker and Aspiring Policeman .................................................. 53
Daphne, the Artist and Activist. ............................................................................. 57
Quinn, the Cadet and Aspiring Marine Engineer. .................................................. 63
Lynn, the Artist and Aspiring Lawyer ................................................................... 67
Renate, the Aspiring Nurse and Scholar ................................................................ 71
Analysis .............................................................................................................................. 73
Significant Findings ............................................................................................... 78
Cultural Continuity ................................................................................................ 79
Challenge and Support Through Mentorship ......................................................... 82
High Expectations from Teachers .......................................................................... 84
Aboriginal Adults in the School ............................................................................ 87
Barriers to Success ............ ................................................................................................. 88
Concluding Thoughts ......................................................................................................... 90

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V- Completing the Circle ............................................................................................... 92
References ......................................................................................................................... 98

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Success Stories: Aboriginal Students and Access to Post-Secondary Education

v

List of Figures
Figure 1. Web of Influence ................................................................................................. 9
Figure 2. Flow Chart of Support and Specific Influence ...................................................... 17
Figure 3. Criteria for Interpreting Narrative Data ............................................................ .44
Figure 4. Web of Influence Factors as Experienced by Each Participant.. ....................... 75
List of Appendices
Appendix A Interview Questions for Six Aboriginal Youth in a Secondary School ..... 103
Appendix B Consent Form for Participants and Parents/Guardians ofParticipants ....... 105
Appendix C Research Ethics Board Approval ............................................................... 107
Appendix D School District 57 Research Approval ....................................................... 108

Success Stories: Aboriginal Students and Access to Post-Secondary Education

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Acknowledgements
My journey to complete my Masters has been a wild ride. I learned so much during the
courses and in this project. I am so blessed by the many people that supported and
encouraged me on this journey. Without a few notable people I would have not made it
through this process.
I owe a notable thank you to the following:
~,

Dr. Willow Brown, my supervisor. I owe so many thanks to Willow for being there for
me right from the beginning. Personally and professionally you have sailed me through
this ride with laughter and tears. I am so happy that I was able to meet you and able to
become acquainted with you through conversation and your moral support. Your
knowledge is so broad and the ability to transfer that knowledge is admirable.
Nak'azdli Band and Council, my band. Nak'azdli deserves so much appreciation from
me. Nak'azdli has been on my long academic journey from the time I left high school.
This was so important to me to have Nak' azdli support me in this vital leg of my
academic journey; without their moral and financial support I may have not been able to
fulfill this chapter of my life. Thank you for believing in me.
Dr. Linda O'Neill, my committee member. From the first course I took with Linda I
knew she had the spirit and strength to support someone like me in this tiring journey. I
will never forget the wonderful conversations and laughter we shared. You had the spice
that I needed for my committee, thank you.
Paul Michel, my committee member. I have known Paul for many years and was able to
have an opportunity to learn more about his knowledge and passion for Aboriginal
pedagogy. I am grateful for the time that you took to support me in my journey. Your
voice and knowledge enriched my own knowledge and writing. You are the storyteller
that I needed for this study. Thank you.
Dr. Catherine MacGregor, my supporter for admittance to the program. I will never
forget how Catherine just jumped on board with my application. Catherine helped me to
see the silver lining in the dark clouds that I faced in the beginning; she gave me the
support and guidance that I needed to help myself and future students similar to me. My
heartfelt thanks to you, although you may not realize how much you helped because you
did not see my entire journey.
Barbara Old, mentor and friend. I have been honoured to know Barbara. She has offered
the support and guidance for my professional and academic growth. Thank you for your
support and believing in me.
Angela, Brian, Daphne, Quinn, Lynn and, Renate my student participants. I now love
interviewing people because of my interviewing experience with all of you. You were all
a delight to interview; you are true role models and should pat yourselves on the back for

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Success Stories: Aboriginal Students and Access to Post-Secondary Education

Vll

a job well done. Thank you so much for taking the time to share your stories and I feel
honoured for being the one to have heard those stories.
Aboriginal Education Team and Administration at Duchess Park, my staff
participants. All of you are amazing people; you have contributed to Aboriginal student
success long before I arrived. I am thankful for your support and insight into the school
and students.
My family. My husband, Paul has been the catalyst in my journey. His pestering and
persistence is truly appreciated at this point. My children (Sydney, Alex, and Dominic)
have been so patient with me, they have had to see the back of my head more than any
other part for many years. My mom for supporting me whenever she could. My father-inlaw for wanting to hear about my progress and sharing my enthusiasm for my research
findings. To my other family members for their support and encouragement during my
academic journey over the years.
My friends, co-workers, and classmates. You have all contributed to my academic
success more than you may realize. Thank you for sharing and offering your support to
me. I am so blessed by such people as all of you.

Success Stories: Aboriginal Students and Access to Post-Secondary Education

viii

Dedication
My academic journey is dedicated to my father, George Schram. He was not present for
any of this portion of my journey to achieve this goal but I know in my heart he was there
in spirit. He did not have the opportunity to pursue school like I did but he knew how
important it was and did everything he could to help me make it happen for me. Thanks
Dad!!!

Success Stories: Aboriginal Students and Access to Post-Secondary Education

1

1: A Focus on Success

"First Nations education must go beyond the bounds of being only First Nations.
Our place in this land must be understood by all Canadians so
that we might work together toward building a more harmonious world. "
(Kirkness & Bowman, 1992, p. 103)
An inclusive society is one in which all groups of people, regardless of race,

linguistic background or cultural heritage, share equally in the benefits of society (Ryan,
2008). Although Canadian society has made progress towards inclusiveness, a
disproportionate percentage of Aboriginal or First Nations families currently live in
poverty (Helin, 2006). If post-secondary education is seen as a prerequisite to economic
and social success and enhanced life choices, then access to post-secondary education for
minority or marginalized groups becomes a key area on which to focus an inquiry.
Leaders and educators working toward an inclusive, equitable society may want to focus
their efforts on increasing post-secondary for all underserved groups, among them
Aboriginals.
Approach and Methodology

The rate of Aboriginal students accessing post-secondary education is also
proportionately low, a much lower rate than the mainstream population. This reduced
access has been attributed to a scarcity of success at the high school level (FNESC, 2008;
Battiste & Barman, 1995). Much of the academic literature on Aboriginal students has
focused on failure rates and suggested cultural or language reinforcement as appropriate
success-building interventions. However, in keeping with an Aboriginal world view and
traditional parenting approaches, in this study I assumed a strength-based stance and
focused on success stories. I used a narrative method to explore the personal success
stories of five Aboriginal youth who were identified by their Aboriginal Education Team

Success Stories: Aboriginal Students and Access to Post-Secondary Education

2

as successful in high school, with potential to attend post-secondary programs. As an
Aboriginal graduate student and community educator, I also see myself as successful and
my own story is woven through the study.
There is an abundance of research conducted on why Aboriginal students are not
graduating from high school at the same rate as non-Aboriginal students (Cowley &
Easton, 2004; School District 57, 2006). The number of successful students may not be
large but their stories may provide insights as to how communities, parents, and
educators can take steps to improve the Aboriginal student success rate overall. Positive
factors are explored when researching successful Aboriginal students.
My passion for this study evolved from my involvement as the Coordinator for
the Aboriginal Youth Mentoring Program co-sponsored by the College of New Caledonia
and School District 57 and my current employment with Justice Education Society
(formerly Law Courts Education Society ofBC). Common themes have surfaced in my
work environment and graduate studies, including barriers Aboriginal people face,
changes to the curriculum for Kindergarten through Grade 12, and changes in the
attitudes of the people who work with Aboriginal youth. At the beginning of the study I
wondered how these themes would be evident in the lives of my participants, successful
Aboriginal youth.
Positive Strength-based Approach
I used a positive strength-based approach to understand influences experienced by
successful Aboriginal secondary students as factors in their resilience. The term positive
strength-based approach refers to emphasizing personal accomplishment created from

behavioural and emotional skills, competencies, and accomplishments; those embracing a

Success Stories: Aboriginal Students and Access to Post-Secondary Education
strength-based perspective hold the belief that children, youth and their families have
strengths, resources and the ability to recover from adversities (Epstein, Hamiss,

3

;

.

''

Robbins, Wheeler, Cyrulik, Kriz & Nelson, 2003). A definition for resilience is the
ability to cope with an adversity or stress in life and the ability to cope with future stress
(Benard, 2004; Ungar, 2005). I collected and examined data through a narrative research
method and gained an understanding of the family, educational, and community
influences to which the five participants attributed their success.
Appreciative Components
I designed the study to have an affirming and appreciative, participatory
component to reinforce the strengths of the students being interviewed and acknowledge
supportive influences (Gilchrist, 1997). I chose a narrative method to honour the
student's stories; narrative research can capture the essence of meaningful educational
learning by emphasizing the importance of the story being told (Creswell, 2008).
Success stories linked the strength-based and narrative methods together and offered the
students an opportunity to have their story shared. A culminating celebration invited the
students to share their stories through a booklet that they will take away and a copy will
be left with the school to continue sharing their stories with future students. Celebration
is a strong component in many cultures; Aboriginal people celebrate birth, death,
marriage, name giving, and the list goes on. Archibald (1997) discussed the importance
of celebration with Aboriginal cultures; acknowledgement of the years of survival by
Aboriginal people through colonization and assimilation brings about a celebration. The
acknowledgement of these students' stories is important and it is respectful to give
something back to the young people who shared their stories with me. Leaving a record

,

.

Success Stories: Aboriginal Students and Access to Post-Secondary Education

4

of success stories at the school may contribute to the supportive culture and expectation
of increased Aboriginal student success that is building there.
Success can be linked to leadership through the actions of students, teachers,
administrators, family or other community people who influenced students in a positive
direction. A potential connection between leadership and success is the support that is
offered to the students through the school's Aboriginal Education Team; students are
given a safe place to study and receive extra help. This support is purposeful and related
to the school goal to enhance the factors of the success for Aboriginal students, which
demonstrates an exercise in leadership. In consultation with the Duchess Park Aboriginal
Education Team, which consisted of the Aboriginal Counsellor and Aboriginal Education
Workers, I defined a successful student as a young person who is completing courses,
attending school on a regular basis, making healthy lifestyle choices, and maintaining a
balanced life through school, volunteer work, family with a positive outlook on life.

Four Layers of Leadership
According to Lambert (1998), the term leadership needs to be used broadly and
should be associated with the school community rather than with an individual or role
within the school. Ryan (2006) defined leadership as "a collective process of social
influence that is aimed at a particular end" (p. 16). He specified that inclusive leadership
is "a collective process in which many people work together in a variety of ways" (p.17)
toward a specific end or purpose, to prepare all students to share in the opportunities and
benefits of society. Four layers of leadership can be identified in this study: (a) leadership
experienced by the students through participation in the school environment or

I

Success Stories: Aboriginal Students and Access to Post-Secondary Education

5

community; (b) the participants as leaders; (c) community leadership through mentorship;
and (d) my own leadership development as a graduate student and educator.
The narrative inquiry revealed these layers of leadership evident in all student
success stories. The narrative research method was an appropriate and effective approach
to this study. Speech is an amazing part of Aboriginal culture. According to Slim and
Thompson (1995) the spoken word is powerful; speech can cut "across barriers of wealth,
class, and race" (p. 1, 1995). "Words from the heart are more alive than your scribblings.
When we speak, our words bum" (Watson, p. 11, 1992). The information I have been
gathering on narrative research and the spoken word has been interesting because my
research citing has been from the written word. Chamberlin (2000) made a strong point
when discussing the choice of an oral culture and written culture, there is no such choice;
there maybe cultures that are stronger in oral traditions but still have components of
written traditions.
Every culture has eyes and ears, as it were, and the woven and beaded belts and
blankets, the carved and painted trays, the poles, doors, veranda posts, canes and
sticks, masks, hats, chests that are variously part of many oral performances
among Aboriginal peoples, especially those central to sacred or secular traditions
.... these forms of writing are often just as important as the stories and songs.
(Chamberlin, 2000, p. 138)

Storytelling
The stories told will many times involve writing or interpreting an object or piece
of art. It is not enough to hear the story but to listen to the story (Chamberlin, 2000; Slim
& Thompson, 1995). If the interviewer and researcher took on this perspective when

Success Stories: Aboriginal Students and Access to Post-Secondary Education

6

conducting narrative research I can only imagine the outcomes in their document or
presentation. Look at the whole picture, throw down your academic hat and listen, listen
to the words being spoken to your heart.
Through the narrative method, the researcher can acquire stories in authentic
settings, which enhances the trustworthiness and interpretation of the stories (Creswell,
2008). The key point that is made by Creswell (2008) and Lieblich, Tuval-Mashiach, and
Zilber (1998) is when participants share their stories they probably feel that their
experiences are important and that their stories are heard. Slim and Thompson pointed
out that the spoken word "gives voice to the experience of people whose views are often
overlooked or discounted" (1995, p. 1). Since all people have stories, narrative is a
natural format for doing research; participants can comfortably and easily share the
stories that are important to them (Creswell, 2008).
Purpose of the Study

The purpose of this study was to understand the factors that influenced the
decisions of successful Aboriginal secondary students in Prince George, BC, students
who planned to access post-secondary education. As coordinator for the Aboriginal Youth
Mentoring Program for six years, I became curious about the community or leadership
influences associated with Aboriginal students graduating and youth continuing with
post-secondary education. In this study I used the term Aboriginal, which is a collective
term that "refers to descendants of the original people of Canada; this includes Inuit,
Metis, and First Nations people." (Indian and Northern Affairs <J[ one under Aboriginal
Peoples and Communities). In School District 57 (the Prince George area) the six year
completion rate of the Dogwood Diploma, Grade 12, has risen to 46.7%. However, the

Success Stories: Aboriginal Students and Access to Post-Secondary Education

7

completion rate for English 12 is 15%, for Science 10 is 12%, and for Principles of
Mathematics 10 is 20% (School District 57, 2009). Aboriginal students may not be
accessing post-secondary education at a rate similar to non-Aboriginal students because,
although their completion rate is improving, their success in academic subjects at the
senior level is low. However, little attention has been paid to the experience and needs of
successful secondary students and to their transitions after high school. As an Aboriginal
graduate student I contributed to existing research by examining the issue from an
Aboriginal perspective as well as including my own experience in the study.
Influences and Experiences

I was interested in finding out from students in this age group what influences and
experiences they saw as contributing to their success, whether they had graduated from
high school or if they expected to graduate, and if they intended to pursue post-secondary
studies. Mentorship may have been a contributing factor to the students' success or
potential success. I wanted to derive, from the experiences of these students, implications
for leadership decisions to support increased access to post-secondary institutions in the
Prince George community.
My research focused on the following questions:
1. How do Aboriginal secondary students with the academic and social potential to be
successful, experience the influences contributing to their success and to their
opportunities to access post-secondary education?
2. What implications do these students' perceptions have for community leaders
interested in supporting Aboriginal secondary student success and access to postsecondary education?

Success Stories: Aboriginal Students and Access to Post-Secondary Education

8

Theoretical Framework
A theoretical framework for the work I have conducted in the mentoring program
and as the current Acting Aboriginal Programs Manager of the Northern Native Public
Legal Education Program for the Justice Education Society is positive youth development,
within the field of resilience research (Benard, 2004; Hanlon, 2008; Ungar, 2005 ). My
work with Aboriginal youth has inspired me to examine factors that have encouraged
student success as well as to acknowledge and attempt to help students overcome
barriers.
Web of Influence
To make sense of the literature on Aboriginal education through my own
experience and to construct an analytic framework for student narratives, I developed the
Web of Influence graphic organizer (see Figure 1). This organizer displays the support
system of people that I believe contribute to Aboriginal student success. It illustrates
interconnected potential sources of positive youth development and resilience for
Aboriginal youth. This diagram illustrates my synthesis of positive youth development,
an aspect of resilience research, with an Aboriginal world view ofinterconnectedness and
community. The framework integrates my understanding of all possible interacting
sources of influence that may contribute to academic and social readiness for postsecondary education. At the outset of the study, I viewed it as a rough hypothesis against
which to compare the influences as experienced by my participants.

Success Stories: Aboriginal Students and Access to Post-Secondary Education

9

Figure 1. Web of Influence

Culture Affirmation
Through Culturally
Responsive Teaching

This Web of Influence conceptualizes informal family and peer networks,
schools, and formal community organizations as all having potential to make a difference
in students' lives. I expected that each student would experience these influences with
varying impact but that there may be some powerful influences common to all
participants. Interconnectedness and community are important aspects of this theoretical
framework because Aboriginal people respect the connection of all living things

Success Stories: Aboriginal Students and Access to Post-Secondary Education

10

(McCormick, 1994) and in traditional Aboriginal communities, everyone shared
responsibility for supporting youth.
Mentor
A key part of youth or young adult success or resilience can be the influence of a

mentor, defined as "a trusted and experienced person, such as an advisor, who acts as a
guide to another person" (CAT, 2006, p.l). An Elder may fall into the category of a
mentor or significant person; a definition of an Elder is usually an older person in an
Aboriginal community who is recognized as having an abundance of knowledge and life
experiences (Battiste, 2000).
Cultural Identity
Initially, I expected a strong sense of cultural identity to be evident in participant
narratives because much of the literature that I reviewed identified cultural affirmation as
contributing significantly to Aboriginal youth success. For example, culturally responsive
teaching is an instructional approach that emphasizes cultural awareness, the teachers'
prior knowledge of the culture, and teaching techniques that the Aboriginal students will
respond to so that learning is more suitable and effective for them (Gay, 2000). Culturally
responsive teaching is recognized as a promising educational approach; student identities
are expected to be reinforced positively by favourable views of Aboriginal culture.
Cultural Continuity
Cultural continuity is another culturally affirming aspect of interconnectedness
that can be found in the community. Cultural continuity, for the purposes of this study, is
defined as having an Aboriginal culture present in a student's life through day to day
activities (Chandler & Lalonde, 1998). The components of the Web of Influence combine

Success Stories: Aboriginal Students and Access to Post-Secondary Education

11

to create interactive ingredients for healing; healing fosters the success for Aboriginal
students (Regnier, 1995).
Personal Competency

My narratives found personal competency to be a reoccurring theme in the
interviews. Personal competency is explored in Benard's (2004) discussion of the
resilience of youth: There are "certain characteristics of families, schools, and
communities that are associated with the development of personal strengths and in turn,
healthy development and their successful learning" (p. 4). Students saw inner strength
drawn from personal competency a factor that contributed to their successful learning;
each narrative is a single story of personal development and strength. Personal
development, inner strength, and competency are all connected within the notion of
resilience. A common misconception about resilience is the belief that some people have
it and others do not (Benard, 2004). Resilience is the "innate capacity bolstered by
environmental protective factors" (Benard, 2004, p.9), which are the "supports and
opportunities that buffer the effect of adversity and enable development to proceed"
(Benard, 2004, p. 8).
Definitions

For the purposes of this study, the definitions for terms are presented here.
Aboriginal, "refers to descendants of the original people of Canada; this includes Inuit,
Metis, and First Nations people." (Indian and Northern Affairs,<][ one, under Aboriginal
Peoples and Communities).

Success Stories: Aboriginal Students and Access to Post-Secondary Education

12

Aboriginal Education Team refers to the support team of people at Duchess Park

Secondary School, which consists of Aboriginal Education Workers, Aboriginal
Counsellor, and Aboriginal Teaching Assistants.
Appreciative inquiry is described as a cooperative search for the best in people, their

organizations, and the world around them. It involves systematic discovery of what gives
a system "life" when it is most effective and capable in economic, ecological, and human
terms. AI involves the art and practice of asking questions that strengthen a system's
capacity to heighten positive potential. It mobilizes inquiry through crafting an
"unconditional positive question" .... AI assumes that every living system has untapped,
rich, and inspiring accounts of the positive. Link this "positive change core" directly to
any change agenda, and changes never thought possible are suddenly and democratically
mobilized. (Cooperride & Whitney, 1999, <]{ 2)
Cultural continuity is defined as having an Aboriginal culture presence in a student's life

through day to day activities (Chandler & Lalonde, 1998).
Culturally responsive teaching is defined as an instructional approach that uses the

cultural awareness, prior knowledge, and responsive styles of the Aboriginal students to
make learning more suitable and effective for them; teaching is accomplished through the
strengths of the students (Gay, 2000).
An Elder is defined as someone with life experience and the ability to share their wisdom

with others (Battiste, 2000).
Healing is a transition towards wholeness, connectedness, and balance. (Regnier, 1995).

Ryan (2006) defines leadership as "a collective process of social influence that is
influence that is aimed at a particular end" (p. 16).

Success Stories: Aboriginal Students and Access to Post-Secondary Education

13

A mentor is defined as an experienced guide in a person's life (CAT, 2006).
Personal competence is defined as the individual characteristics that are developed
through personal resilience strengths (Benard, 2004). In this study, competence applies to
specific skills and talents that each student developed and which contributed to their
education and career goals.
Positive youth development is used as a term for creating structure and encouraging
development within youth activities so that the youth can expand their skills and coping
abilities (Hanlon, 2008).
The term positive strength-based approach refers to emphasizing personal
accomplishment created from behavioural and emotional skills, competencies, and
accomplishments; those embracing a strength-based perspective hold the belief that
children, youth and their families have strengths, resources and the ability to recover
from adversities (Epstein, et al, 2003).
A definition for resilience is the ability to cope with an adversity or stress in life and the
ability to cope with future stress (Benard, 2004; Ungar, 2005,).
I consulted with the Duchess Park Aboriginal Education Team to define a successful
student as a young person who is completing courses, attending school on a regular basis,
making healthy lifestyle choices, and maintaining a balanced life through school,
volunteer work, family and a positive outlook on life.
Holistic Approach
There is an abundance of research on Aboriginal education in Canada and
research that reveals similarities in other parts of the world, such as the United States and
Australia. Battiste (1995), Hampton (1995), and Archibald (1997) are prominent

Success Stories: Aboriginal Students and Access to Post-Secondary Education

14

Canadian researchers and authors in the field of Aboriginal education; the research they
have conducted examines the history of Aboriginal education with the transitions that
have occurred and suggests directions for improvement. Narrative research is a popular
choice for conducting Aboriginal research as it enforces the importance of storytelling,
which is a prominent factor in Aboriginal culture. I tried to conduct the research from an
Aboriginal perspective while maintaining a scholarly approach. My intention was to
contribute to the existing research and to benefit the participants by capturing the essence
of their stories. The holistic approach of preserving the words of the interviewee
(Archibald, 1997) directs the analysis and recommendations so that the stories remain as
the students' stories.
Initial Findings
The findings of my study were interesting and informative. The students shared
from their heart and were serious about what they shared. The students experienced a
range of levels of academic success and they attributed their success to a variety of
sources, including their own inner strength, as well as the support of family, friends,
teachers, and community members within community organizations. Although much of
the literature suggested that a strong cultural identity would be a significant factor, the
participants in this study told stories that emphasized a central theme of personal
competence. Each of the five students had something specific, within or beyond their
schoolwork, that they were good at and hoped to include as part of their adult life and
career, from metalwork to dancing to the medical or science field. Thus, this study raises
questions about whether the educational and community programs should also emphasize

Success Stories: Aboriginal Students and Access to Post-Secondary Education

15

developing personal competence as an important goal of programs designed to increase
Aboriginal student success.

Concluding Thoughts
Research on and for Aboriginal people needs to be conducted in a respectful and
reciprocal manner, given their history of oppression and abuse related to Colonization. I
understand the history of Aboriginal people in Northern British Columbia, which my
parents and grandparents have lived. Therefore I approached this study with appreciative
inquiry as a focal point of my approach to narrative. In keeping with the strong and
positive experience the participants have encountered, I have continued with this stance
in my approach and methodology. The participants reflected on influences in their life
that contributed to their success and they expressed this through storytelling with a
narrative approach. The approach was holistic and natural in order to affirm Aboriginal
ways and values as data was collected.

Success Stories: Aboriginal Students and Access to Post-Secondary Education

16

II - Literature Review
\

"No aspect of culture is more vital to its integrity
than its means of education. "
(Hampton, 1999, p. 7)
This literature review explored possible sources of influence that could interact to
support positive youth development, create personal competencies, and result in resilient
and successful students. I have organized the strands of the literature review to match the
components in my Web of Influence figure. In my readings and in my professional
experience, I have discovered these strands to be key themes for Aboriginal student
success. The competency theme emerged from the narratives, which caused me to return
to the literature and explore it as a related topic. "Personal resilience strengths are the
individual characteristics also referred to as internal assets or personal competencies
which are associated with healthy development and life success" (Benard, 2004, p. 13).

Key Resources
The literature that informed my study included further information on resilience,
Aboriginal education, and the history of Aboriginal education in Canada. Unger (2005)
and Benard (2004) were key resources for information on resilience and personal
competence. Ungar and Benard have similar definitions of resilience but Benard focused
on personal competence, which became increasingly relevant as I analyzed the data. The
interconnectedness of resilience and personal competence are woven throughout other
components of success.

Interconnectedness
I approached the study of Aboriginal student success with a perspective
emphasizing the interconnectedness of community, family, and the inner strength and

Success Stories: Aboriginal Students and Access to Post-Secondary Education

17

resilience of the students themselves. The prominent ideas that I discovered in my initial
review of the literature assisted in the development of a comprehensive theoretical
understanding of the successful student against which to compare individual narratives.
The opportunity for telling the stories honoured the student voices. The research process,
the act of inviting successful students to tell their stories, was intended to strengthen the
students and contribute to further success. The following Flow Chart of Support and
Specific Influence (see Figure 2). The chart shows the influence identified generally in

the Web of Influence lead, in the lives of participants, to specific supports to resilience. I
included this chart to demonstrate how the four base general categories lead to more
specific supports discovered in the participants' stories and finally how all connect to
personal inner strength, competency, and resilience; another demonstration of
interconnectedness.
Figure 2. Flow chart of support and specific influence

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18

Informal Community

Informal community included network of family, friends, media and cultural
influences. Many parents of Aboriginal students are not equipped to encourage or support
their children in school. Aboriginal parents should play a major role in the education of
their children but are generally excluded from the education process (Mattson & Caffrey,
2001). Parental support is needed to encourage children to stay in school and become
active in democratic decision making processes. Aboriginal parents are sometimes prime
examples of the oppressed within our society (Freire, 1993). Oppressed and marginalized
Aboriginal parents may not know how to become key people in the decision-making or
influence process or how to help their children resist inappropriate paths (Mattson &
Caffrey, 2001). Aboriginal parents may be excluded from educational influence processes
as they may not be comfortable with being in schools and around teachers, due to their
own personal experiences of oppression or exclusion in the education system (Mattson &
Caffrey, 2001). The lack of Aboriginal parental involvement in their children's education
is commonly seen as part of the legacy of Residential Schools. These residual effects
have been transgenerational. As parents and Elders heal they will realize that schools are
not a source of harm; Aboriginal people want schools to be a place where the common
goal of educating our future generations will occur (Mattson & Caffrey, 2001). In my
study there may have been a certain amount of healing that had already occurred within
my participants' families.
Residential School

Aboriginal student success may be built on many factors; one in particular is an
historical understanding of where our parents and grandparents have come from. Our

Success Stories: Aboriginal Students and Access to Post-Secondary Education

19

freedom today was not always freedom for our parents and Elders. The most recent point
in history is Residential Schools. Many of our parents and Elders experienced family
disruption because of Residential Schools. The after effects of Residential Schools are a
transgenerational effect that will continue if changes are not made; my study may help
with change implementation.

The Influence of Mentoring
Mentors can share with the Aboriginal students how to become academically
prepared for pursuing secondary and post-secondary education (Canadian Colleges and
Institutions, 2005). Currently, many of the Aboriginal post-secondary students return to
school later in life, are older in age, and need to do upgrading in basic skills in order to
succeed (Canadian Colleges and Institutions, 2005). Having access to mentors in an
Aboriginal student's life can be an effective component in a variety of aspects, such as
encouraging healthy lifestyle choices and having a role model to follow in academic
choices.
Mentoring is not a new concept to Aboriginal people; traditionally, that is how
Aboriginal peoples taught one another through watching, listening, and learning from
positive role models (CAT, 2006). Elder involvement has been noted as being the bridge
between the generations. Elders can be the liaison between the mentor and mentee and
provide traditional knowledge and experience to enhance the mentoring relationship
(CAT, 2006). Aboriginal students may benefit from the direction of a role model who has
experienced education through similar eyes (Silver & Mallett, 2002). Elders are an
important source of information for Aboriginal people as the Elders will share through

Success Stories: Aboriginal Students and Access to Post-Secondary Education

20

narrative and reinforce traditional knowledge; however, once the Elders are gone the
knowledge is gone with them.
Aboriginal student retention and success may be improved with a mentoring
program that focuses on academic achievement and healthy lifestyle choices (CAT,
2006). As defined in an Alberta report on Aboriginal Mentoring Projects: "A mentor is an
experienced and trusted advisor or teacher acting as a guide to another person and a
mentoring program is one that facilitates opportunity for mentoring relationships" (CAT,
2006, p.l). Through positive support and encouragement Aboriginal students can succeed
at school (Thomsen, 2002). The informal community contributes to the development and
success of Aboriginal students through support networks.
Organizational Community

In my study, cultural continuity did not appear to be prominent in most of the
students' lives. The positive influence of Fine Arts and Performing Arts were common in
four out of five of the student narratives; these interests developed as a result of school
and community influences. I anticipated another community influence to be my current
employer, Justice Education Society, which has secured funding that enables staff and
volunteers to offer programming for Aboriginal people (Justice Education Society, 2007).
One of my duties as the Acting Aboriginal Programs Manager is to build interest in
Aboriginal programming in the community. The Aboriginal programming is a unique and
monitored portion of our work at Justice Education Society. A Provincial Aboriginal
Steering Committee is active in ensuring the funding is spent in a useful manner and the
programming is meeting the needs of the Aboriginal people across the province of British
Columbia (Justice Education Society, 2007).

Success Stories: Aboriginal Students and Access to Post-Secondary Education

21

Two of the key and ongoing programs that are offered by Justice Education
Society are the school presentations and the Courtlink program. The school presentations
are offered in the school's classroom. The Justice Education Society staff visits the
school with our materials, such as the robes and other uniforms that courthouse personnel
would wear, and conduct a mock trial or two. In these presentations the students learn
about the history of the court system in Canada and compare it to Aboriginal restorative
justice techniques that were used for many years prior to contact (Justice Education
Society, 2007). With the Courtlink Program, the students come to the Prince George
Courthouse to learn about these factors and hear the story of an ex-offender, meet
courthouse staff, and participate as a court watcher. Ongoing evaluations are conducted
for both of these programs and the reviews from the students are positive; the students
learn about the BC court system and hear experiential stories from the staff.
One of the key concepts conveyed through our programming is the choices that
people make and the consequences that they will face (Justice Education Society, 2007).
The students learn of opportunities to work within the court system in some manner, as a
Probation Officer, Deputy Sheriff, lawyer, court clerk, or as an educator like myself. We
have students who come back years later to thank us for offering the Aboriginal
programming. The students who participate in our programming come from Burns Lake,
Vanderhoof, Quesnel, Mackenzie, and other communities in the outlying area. Within
Prince George we have both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students come from all types
of schools and programs. At Justice Education Society we try to make it as easy as
possible for the students to attend our programming; we work closely with the schools in
order to make the school presentation or Courtlink Program accessible to all Aboriginal

Success Stories: Aboriginal Students and Access to Post-Secondary Education

22

students. With community connections such as the programs offered by Justice Education
Society, study participants may describe community influences as contributing to their
success.
Cultural Continuity in the Community

Interconnectedness creates community; community assists with healing and
educating future generations. Brown (2006) discussed how healing can occur through
education; a cultural pedagogy is present in the holistic curriculum. Jules (1999)
discussed the holistic approach that Aboriginal people traditionally practiced with the
involvement of Elders teaching the young people. The more important aspects of
curriculum were taught through stories and private conversations with young people
(Jules, 1999). Contrary to the messages Aboriginal youth may receive through
mainstream culture, Aboriginal people are not inferior and as they become better
educated they are asserting their voices in society and in academic literature. McCormick
( 1994) and Freire ( 1993) both wrote of the facilitation of healing and contributing to
others with interconnectedness. Through interconnectedness, individuals, family, and
community can work together to facilitate Aboriginal healing. McCormick confirmed
that when Aboriginal people are experiencing a personal problem they will tum to family
or to mentors in the community for guidance.
An issue for Aboriginal peoples, and youth in particular, is an alarming suicide

rate. Cultural continuity may act as a defense mechanism against suicide for Aboriginal
youth (Chandler & Lalonde, 1998). A theme of cultural preservation and rehabilitation
has been emphasized as a prominent influence for healthy lifestyles for Aboriginal
people; the theme has also been identified as a factor in lower suicide rates for Aboriginal

Success Stories: Aboriginal Students and Access to Post-Secondary Education

23

youth in communities that engage actively in cultural practices (Chandler & Lalonde,
1998).
Educational Institutions
Schools that have a significant number of Aboriginal students can initiate changes
in the perceptions of education by Aboriginal people, through strategies such as having
teachers and staff participate in parent outreach. They may also incorporate cultural
activities, for example, bannock days or beginning the day with a circle and drumming
(Silver & Mallett, 2002). In a healthy, inclusive school community, parents of Aboriginal
students will be given opportunities to observe schools as not just a place of assimilation.
They may begin to believe that their children can have a positive education experience,
because all parents want their children to learn. As Bell et al. stated eloquently:
From the earliest days of contact, Aboriginal parents had the deep desire for
education that would equip their children to reap the benefits of the knowledge
and technologies of the Euro-Canadian society; however, they have maintained a
parallel desire to preserve their own ways of knowing, cultural traditions and
heritage. For Aboriginal students, education is not an "either or" proposition, but
a "yes and" situation. (p. 321)
Battiste (2000) presented the changes needed in the public education system to
include and recognize the Indigenous peoples of Canada. Robinson (2007) and Battiste
(2000) have both cited the National Indian of Brotherhood Indian Control of Indian
Education policy paper from 1972, which found that Aboriginal parents want their
children to be proud to be Aboriginal and knowledgeable of their culture but also wise in
the ways of the modem world. They want non-Aboriginal people to respect an Aboriginal

Success Stories: Aboriginal Students and Access to Post-Secondary Education

24

journey. Hampton (1995) discussed the need for equal terms for Aboriginal and nonAboriginal people; we need respect on both ends of the spectrum for people to co-exist.
Educational institutions are increasingly adding resources for helping Aboriginal
students succeed. Hampton (1995) shared how Aboriginal education recognizes the
importance of "an Indian sense of place, land, and territory" (p. 40). Additions to the
public school system at both elementary and secondary levels include Aboriginal
Education Workers, youth workers, and a safe haven in the school, a room sometimes
referred to as a multicultural room, where support workers, students and staff can gather.
These rooms or cultural centres promote belonging and involvement to counteract the
feelings of isolation or alienation that Aboriginal students sometimes experience. For
example, the University of Northern British Columbia and the College of New Caledonia
have a variety of programs and activities that encourage recruitment and retention of
Aboriginal students and assist with their success. These institutions have begun the
initiative with certain programming and activities but each year others are added or
current ones are expanded. In my experience as an undergraduate and graduate student at
the University of Northern British Columbia, I have seen the addition of staff and
programming established in the First Nations Centre to better meet the needs of students.
As an employee at the College of New Caledonia I have witnessed the changes that
occurred year after year to the Aboriginal Resource Centre.
Teachers and Support Workers
A common theme emerged in the literature pertaining to the study of Aboriginal
students and educational institutions. The Canadian educational system is not working for
Aboriginal people (Castellano, Davis & Lahache, 2000). Aboriginal youth who are

Success Stories: Aboriginal Students and Access to Post-Secondary Education

25

demonstrating the potential to be successful should be encouraged in a nurturing
environment where potential can grow (Canadian Colleges & Institutes, 2005). The
changes that need to occur to develop potentially successful students along with current
and present changes in the post-secondary environment can further empower Aboriginal
students to future success. Changes within the educational system can include cultural
content and processes and methods of delivering culturally resonant practices. The
following quote emphasized current thinking on Aboriginal people and the educational
system:
What Aboriginal people have said to us about the educational system is not that
Aboriginal people should be forced to change in order to fit into and 'succeed' in
school, but rather that the educational system needs to change. (Silver & Mallett,
2002, p. 6)
Culturally responsive teaching
Culturally responsive teaching is an instructional approach that uses the cultural
awareness, prior knowledge, and responsive styles of Aboriginal students to make
learning more suitable and effective for them; teaching is accomplished through the
strengths of the students (Gay, 2000). Benard (2004) explored environmental protective
factors that have fostered the outcomes of resilience in youth such as family, school, and
community. These environmental protective factors are referred to as the supports and
opportunities that could buffer the impact of adversity and create an atmosphere for
development to proceed (Benard, 2004). Family, school, and community create learning
which can include culturally responsive teaching in environments that youth can
emphasize their strengths and have the potential to be successful (Benard, 2004).

Success Stories: Aboriginal Students and Access to Post-Secondary Education

26

Positive Youth Development
The term for creating structures and programs to encourage youth to expand their
skills and coping abilities is positive youth development (Hanlon, 2008). Pittman,
O'Brien, and Kimball (1993) referred to positive youth development as an ongoing
process where the basic needs of the youth are met through personal, social, spiritual, and
psychological interactions that facilitate competency in their daily lives. I encountered
positive youth development through my experience with programs such as the Aboriginal
Youth Mentoring Program, which aids the promotion of healthy lifestyles and exposure
to post-secondary education through examples and role modeling. An initial review of
literature revealed experiential factors that can be expected to contribute to Aboriginal
student success and access to post-secondary education; such as the educational
experience referred to as a healing journey (Hampton, 1995).
Healing Journey
A healing journey must occur for those who have been harmed by Residential
Schools, including former students, their children, and even their grandchildren. The
compensation packages of today are not going to take away the after effects of
Residential Schools. The National Post, June 11, 2008 reported on the federal
government apology to Aboriginal people in Canada, "The government of Canada
sincerely apologizes and asks the forgiveness of the [A]boriginal peoples of this country
for failing them so profoundly. We are sorry." The apology is a start for generations to
follow who must understand and repair the harm created by Residential Schools.
Learning should involve a healing journey for Aboriginal students as there are many
barriers to overcome. McCormick's ( 1994) thesis illustrated a journey of healing for

Success Stories: Aboriginal Students and Access to Post-Secondary Education

27

Aboriginal people. McCormick explained his own personal journey and how others can
learn from the research he has conducted. Brown (2006) clarified the need for healing in
Aboriginal student learning; students interviewed by Brown spoke of aspects of their
lives that needed healing, for example, alcoholism, verbal abuse, and unrealistic
expectations. In healing the student should learn to accept him or herself and regain
healthy academic and social perspectives. A key point made in McCormick's research is
how Elders hold information that we can learn from and that can be shared with us in
traditional ways, in order to keep traditions living. In this study, I wanted to contribute to
the healing through appreciative and affirming interaction with participants.
Community Leadership
Leadership influence as experienced and understood by the Aboriginal youth may
be revealed in the interviews. Four layers of leadership have been identified in this study.
Leadership is defined as positive influences experienced by students during their years of
school attendance. Leadership may include coordinated, organizational efforts to
influence and educate the students, whether it is in the school or community. Student
leadership development may occur as a result of this study, in which participants were
encouraged to see themselves as leaders. Throughout the study I have written about my
own development as a community leader and mentor; this would be the last facet of
leadership identified in this study.
Concluding Thoughts
The key resources I discovered during this study have assisted me in
understanding and evaluating the narratives in an effective manner. The Flow Chart of
Support and Specific Influence along with the Web of Influence have mapped out the

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28

ideas I initially gathered about the study and how it progressed with the stories of the
students. From the literature I have learned where the students' stories contribute to the
existing research and demonstrated the components that are evident in the students' lives
and where improvement may be addressed.

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29

III - Research Method
"Story - in creative combination with encounters, experiences, image making, ritual,
play, imagination, dream and modeling forms the basic foundation of all human learning and teaching. "
(Cajete, 1994, p. 68)

My interest in understanding how to support Aboriginal student success and
access to post-secondary education arises from my own educational experience and my
current and past employment. As an Aboriginal student I want to share my own education
experience and as an educator and researcher I would like to learn more ways to promote
and lead Aboriginal students to success. Sharing the experience and the knowledge
gained through this study is an important aspect of my own leadership development.
Rationale for Narrative Method
Qualitative research using a strength-based or appreciative inquiry approach to
narrative method showed potential to reveal reasons that success is occurring for some
Aboriginal students in Prince George. I believed the narrative method would give
successful Aboriginal students the opportunity to share their success stories. I chose to
work with students face to face on an individual basis because I believed this would be
the most effective way to have the students share their stories. Appreciative inquiry has
been described as a narrative based process that engages participants through interviews
(Cooperrider & Whitney, 1999). Appreciative inquiry then moves the participant through
a series of sessions where dreams and visioning occurs for the future. The narrative
technique and appreciative inquiry seemed the most culturally fitting as it most closely
resembles traditional Aboriginal teaching.
Narrative research is just one of many qualitative research methods. In the past
few decades it has grown in popularity. Narrative research maybe conducted through one

Success Stories: Aboriginal Students and Access to Post-Secondary Education

30

interview with one person or through interviewing a small group of people (Lieblich, et
al., 1998). Narrative research is a choice that can be made because storytelling is a natural
occurrence in a person's life.
According to Creswell (2008), narrative research design is a type of qualitative
research where individual participants tell their stories to the researcher. There are
different types of narrative research; in this study the focus is personal accounts. I did not
want to know the whole life history of my interviewees; however, I did want to hear, in
their own words, their accounts of their successes and positive influences related to their
capacity to access post-secondary education.
In this study I have utilized the categorical analysis. The main purpose of
categorical analysis is to learn a non-apparent point that the speaker might not have
revealed through an examination of the content alone. Categorical analysis can have a
degree of variability in the categories depending on the responses of the participants. The
original stories told by a group of people that relate to a specific phenomenon are
arranged into sections which belong to a defined category (Lieblich et al., 1998).

Listening
A key technique in gathering information for narrative research is finding the
right questions. As the interviewer you are the guide of the discussion; a researcher
already has a topic in mind for which they are seeking information. Narrative research
can be conducted in many different ways and does not use a structured set of questions.
The researcher may have secondary questions prepared to follow-up on aspects of the
dialogue but the primary focus is in allowing the narrator to tell his or her own story.
Researchers need to be aware of their body language and its effect for encouraging trust

Success Stories: Aboriginal Students and Access to Post-Secondary Education

31

and openness. Slim and Thompson (1995) explained that the interviewer should be
"listening between the lines" (p. 2) but also be wary of discussing issues that are
inappropriate or not relevant to the interview. A good interviewer aims to say as little as
possible to make space for the story. The types of questions are important but should not
box the narrator in or lead to feelings of discomfort.
Researchers conducting narrative research have an obligation to not only hear the
story but to listen to the story so that the information shared can be interpreted
effectively. Slim and Thompson (1995) dedicated a whole chapter to ways of listening.
Researchers have to be aware of crossing cultures, although the spoken word makes the
crossing easier (Slim & Thompson, 1995). Slim and Thompson cautioned the researcher
to resist being tempted by already knowing the answers that they are seeking. The
process of listening as research starts with an interest in storytelling and proceeds with
training in listening, followed by interpreting or retelling of the story (Slim & Thompson,
1995).
In western culture there is a prominence of written documents; Chamberlin (2000)

emphasized that most important institutions of western culture such as "the church, the
courts, and the parliaments are places where speech has a considerable presence" (p. 138
- 139). Ideally the researcher should be of similar background to the person being
interviewed, which allows for some familiarization with the participant (Slim &
Thompson, 1995). When I first learned about interviewing in a formal setting the process
came quite naturally to me. I have had an interest in working closely with Aboriginal
youth and the small group work I have conducted in my work environment prepared me
quite well for this study.

Success Stories: Aboriginal Students and Access to Post-Secondary Education

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Eight Basic Themes
Narrative research may also foster the development of curriculum that would be
useful to bring Aboriginal pedagogy to the school systems. Lanigan (1998) explained that
storytelling is a crucial aspect of Aboriginal pedagogy. Lanigan proposed that children
can learn about themselves and their relationships to others through narrative research.
She also explained how Charles A. Smith discovered, through research, eight basic
themes of how children relate to their world. The themes are as follows: "becoming a
goal seeker, confronting challenges courageously, growing close to others, coming to
terms with loss and grief, offering kindness to others, preserving an openness to the
world, becoming a social problem solver, and forming a positive self-image" (Lanigan,
1998, p.107). If we did not conduct narrative research we may not discover the depth of
storytelling and how useful the technique is in the education of children.
Orality
Lanigan (1998) shared the oral account of historical events of First Nations
people; Elders provide accurate narratives and have the talent and gift to weave a story
eloquently through the strength of language and gesture. Archibald (1997) shared the
recipe for being an effective storyteller; the gifts that each of us has could be the
ingredients for being a lifelong storyteller. Archibald (1997) also spoke of the Elders who
knew that storytelling was a teaching tool and this was a technique that some Elders
worked on to become highly respected for their storytelling as teachers.
"Sometimes the hidden voices are the most important of all" (Slim & Thompson,
1995, p.5). The form or structure of Aboriginal storytelling invites the listener to listen to
the hidden voices, to make inferences, and to draw personal meaning for themselves from

Success Stories: Aboriginal Students and Access to Post-Secondary Education

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the words that are spoken. A quote from a teacher participant in a study by Brown (2004)
sums it up: "Not every elder is going to tell you the same story, and it is up to you to
make the circle, apply it to your life" (p. 268).
In addition to historical narratives there are personal narratives. Personal
narratives give a sense and teaching of pride and confidence to the younger generations
(Lanigan, 1998). During my research I conducted narrative research on student's personal
narratives; this gave the students ownership and will give them a sense of pride and
accomplishment that they have been involved in such a project.
Further to the historical narratives, Atleo (2004) gathered traditional mythical
stories as information that reflected "inclusive of all reality" (p. xi). The traditional
mythical story would supply the background which would be similar to information
utilized in narrative research because the value of the information shared would be
important to share with others. Atleo stated that "the theory of Tsawalk not only begins
with these 'tales' or origin stories, but also depends on these 'tales' both as the
foundation of knowledge about the state of existence and as a guide for its interpretation"
(2004, p. xi). Cole (2006) explored the art of storytelling in a unique book that it is
written with the purposeful intention to be read out loud.
journey of heartbeats journey of breath forward stroke
a push from shore

last prayer

song

stepslide

of farewell our canoe sets off

down the lillooet river Harrison Lake Chehalis rapids where auntiesuzie was born
to the fraser the sea and

beyond

paddlepaddle

it is part of storymaking rehearsing the future (Cole, 2006,p. 99)

Success Stories: Aboriginal Students and Access to Post-Secondary Education

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The stories and the unique writing style of Cole's work are useful to narrative research;
stories gathered through sharing are translated and written in a form that can be once
again conveyed in narrative form. Ross (2006) quoted Henderson on the function of
language in Aboriginal culture. "Language was not to become another pair of eyes, but
was to 'speak to the ear, and speak to the heart"' (2006, p. 121). Ross' interpretation of
this quote is as follows:
It involves thinking about music and what we find significant about music. It is

not the individual notes or sounds that appeal to us, as much as it is the way they
all blend together in their changing rhythms, patterns, and (to borrow a musical
term) "movements". What if we took that same focus and applied it to the rest of
our experiences, looking for the shifts, patterns, movements and cadences
exhibited by all the things that surround our every day? (2006, p. 122)

Trustworthiness
With all qualitative research it is important to consider how trustworthiness will
be ensured- readers must trust the researcher's voice in order to appreciate and perhaps
apply truths they see as relevant to their own situations. When a narrative method is used,
the stories that participants contribute are a rich resource drawn from multiple realities
and multiple truths. However, researchers must take care to ensure the trustworthiness of
their interpretations of these stories. Trustworthiness can be increased through
collaboration with participants, keeping them aware of and actively involved in the
process (Creswell, 2008). A step within collaboration is to check the trustworthiness of
the story's interpretation as it unfolds; each participant is aware of how the researcher is
presenting his or her story. Interpretations can also be confirmed through other sources,

Success Stories: Aboriginal Students and Access to Post-Secondary Education

35

such as conversations with those who know the participants. One of the challenges of
collecting stories is that the researcher must rely on the "memory, opinion and culture of
the narrator" (Slim & Thompson, 1995, p. 150). I believe that trustworthiness in this
study was increased in that I shared the cultural background of my participants and I had
similar experiences of resilience. However, I also took care to preserve each story as
spoken to me, influenced as little as possible by my own perceptions. The choice of
participants contributed to trustworthiness, as common experiences emerged across the
stories for participants with a common background. Finally, checking back with the body
of literature on Aboriginal school success contributed to trustworthiness by enabling me
to look for the significance of what was unspoken in the stories, particularly the mention
of culturally responsive teaching or cultural continuity.
Slim and Thompson (1995) advised that researchers should not make assumptions
about why things have occurred; for example why one student is successful at school will
not be the same reasons that another student is also successful. Participants must speak
for themselves so that, as a whole, their stories are a representative account of their
common experience as well as their unique personal differences. The culmination of the
information will be trustworthy and will reveal aspects of the common experience.
I wanted to focus on the strengths of the students partially as a personal
connection for me so that I could relate to what the students were sharing. I was not
comfortable with approaching schools to ask them to refer unsuccessful students to me
and such a study would be difficult if not impossible to conduct ethically; successful
Aboriginal students would have valuable information to share about their positive start in
the journey to social and academic success.

Success Stories: Aboriginal Students and Access to Post-Secondary Education

36

The characteristics of my study are that the sample size is small, I relied on what
the students were able to share with me, and I analyzed the narratives using a qualitative
holistic, and honouring approach. Due to the breadth of the potential responses, I wanted
to limit my interviews to a smaller number of students. I chose a narrative research
method as the method that is most strongly related to Aboriginal culture. A strength of
this qualitative approach is that it had potential to reveal individual lives and perceptions
in rich and authentic detail. I expected the understandings gained could inform day to day
leadership practice that is built on trustworthy interpersonal understanding (Goleman,
2002). These stories and their analysis may question current assumptions about
Aboriginal education that can later be explored quantitatively with a large sample size for
generalizable results. However, a small sample and narrative method are not intended to
yield generalizable results; it must be acknowledged that other students' stories may
differ widely from the stories told by these five students.
Battiste (2000) stated "indigenous knowledge, including its oral modes of
transmission, is a vital, integral, and significant process for Indigenous educators and
scholars" (p. xx). I integrated a strength-based or appreciative approach with the narrative
design to focus on the strengths or assets of the participants rather than on their problems
or deficits (Ungar, 2005). As a researcher I wanted to hear about what made these
students successful and their perceptions of the factors that contributed to their success. I
learned a variety of techniques and methods for leadership within our multicultural
society. I wanted to prepare a method for my research that expressed this aspect of my
own personal work and contributed to leadership development for the students, for
myself, and for community leaders faced with similar strengths and challenges. The

Success Stories: Aboriginal Students and Access to Post-Secondary Education

37

literature I have reviewed for the beginnings of my study has revealed a need for research
conducted from an Aboriginal perspective.
Aboriginal Perspective

My own Aboriginal perspective was a key aspect of the research as there have
been a number of studies conducted on Aboriginal people from a non-Aboriginal
perspective. Hampton (1995) discussed the need for educational leadership to create
accessibility for Aboriginal students to meet non-Aboriginal people on equal terms. A
large number of studies have been conducted on Aboriginal people; however the
interpretation of the data may be complicated because of cultural barriers (Gilchrist,
1997). A growing trend has been towards the Aboriginal control over Aboriginal
research; the need for collaborative and participatory methods in a local setting is being
recognized (Gilchrist, 1997).
I have supplemented my own perspective as an Aboriginal person with a scholarly
view by learning how research techniques may contribute knowledge that may inform
policy and also benefit the participants themselves. According to Gilchrist (1997), when
Aboriginal people do not have control over the research being conducted on them or their
community the ethics of research and the validity of the research are being compromised.
As a graduate student I conducted my research from the perspective of an Aboriginal
person with developing ability as a scholar. Battiste (2000) agreed that Aboriginal control
over research is necessary: "Together we sought to find ways of healing and rebuilding
our nations, peoples, communities, and selves by restoring Indigenous ecologies,
consciousnesses, and languages and by creating bridges between Indigenous and
Eurocentric knowledge" (p. xvii).

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38

The participants in this study are youth in an urban setting; according to Gilchrist
(1997), urban Aboriginal people are often not identified as part of a mainstream study
and conducting research in an urban setting is beneficial as there are a number of
Aboriginal people moving from the reservations to pursue education and careers in larger
centers. Within the urban setting of Prince George an Aboriginal Choice School is
scheduled to be opened on September 2010 as part of School District 57. Political support
and acknowledgement of Aboriginal education issues was needed in order to establish
this Aboriginal institution (Aboriginal Institutes' Consortium, 2005). Honouring the
perspective of secondary students in this study emphasizes the importance of witnessing
Aboriginal empowerment in Aboriginal controlled institutions, particularly at the post
secondary level (Aboriginal Institutes' Consortium, 2005).

Appreciative Inquiry
My hope is that this study will contribute to the positive identities and healing
journey of participants. Cooperrider and Whitney ( 1999) described appreciative inquiry
as:
as a tool for connecting to the transformational power of this core by opening
every strength, innovation, achievement, imaginative story, hope, positive
tradition, passion, and dream to systematic inquiry. It involves asking appreciative
questions. AI then uses the stories generated to create new, more compelling
images of the organization and its future. (')[2)
From an Aboriginal perspective, I saw my interaction with the participants as part of the
collective process of positive social influence intended to contribute to their continued
successes. One of the purposes of appreciative inquiry is "to affirm past and present

Success Stories: Aboriginal Students and Access to Post-Secondary Education

39

strengths, successes, assets, and potentials" (Whitney & Trosten-Bloom, 2003, p. 1). We
lead or mentor through our relationships and our shared affirmation. I have discovered a
comparison of my own experience to the students I interviewed and I have experienced
revelations in my own perspective as I pursued my educational path. The appreciative
inquiry through the narrative method may have minimized the barriers described through
maintaining and enhancing the success stories of the Aboriginal students to potential
contributing solutions to the access to post-secondary education.
Leaders listen to the narratives and ask themselves how they can develop a new
storyline; they bring an appreciative perspective to their work in creating a clear
picture of the ideal they are striving for; they don't back away from applying a
critical lens to challenge theories of action; and finally, they find opportunities for
reflection both individually and with trusted colleagues. (Kaser & Halbert, 2009,
p. 77)
I saw an appreciative inquiry approach to a narrative research method as
culturally appropriate. My research design made connections between each student's core
of strength and contributing positive factors. Procedures were envisioned as leadership
development, in that positive influences were, by the end of the study, synthesized to
develop a dream (Cooperrider & Whitney, 1999). In this case, the dream that was the
outcome of appreciative inquiry was "a new storyline for Aboriginal education" (Kaser &
Halbert, 2009, p.77).

Success Stories: Aboriginal Students and Access to Post-Secondary Education

40

Procedures

To initiate the study, I approached the school district with a secondary school in
mind, the one I graduated from 20 years ago. However, school district personnel
suggested another school as a more suitable fit for the study.
The term success was used to describe the students in their academic and social
sphere. The definition of success was determined collaboratively by me and the
Aboriginal Education Team to identify potential study participants. However, once the
student participants were selected, I considered each of the students successful in their
own lives. Success for one student may be overcoming obstacles just to graduate from
high school and possibly attend post-secondary; another student found school easy and
has goals that include graduate education. All of the students have succeeded in their
goals so far and desire to obtain some post-secondary education. Successful students
were identified by reviewing student grade statements to determine which student had
been attending classes regularly and were passing all classes. It remained for the research
to discover how each student had come to this success.
I interviewed five successful Aboriginal students from one high school in Prince
George in a safe and quiet environment (See Appendix A for the interview questions and
Appendix B for the participant consent form.)With the guidance of the secondary school
staff, including principals, teachers, and the Aboriginal Education Team, we identified
the five students to interview.
I met with each student once to let them know about the project and what I would
be asking. I also explained that the interviews would be recorded on a tape recorder (and
I found out that most of the students did not know what a cassette tape was). I was able to

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41

interview each student during the day at school because the Aboriginal Education Team
and teachers agreed to excuse students from classes. My follow-up communication was a
note with the transcripts of their interviews. I asked the participants for feedback and
clarification of information given in the transcript, if it was needed. All the students made
minor corrections and continued with their participation. My last communication with
them was to discuss the celebration aspect; I will be presenting their story in the form of a
booklet with copies for the students, the school, and the district.
Each student chose a pseudonym to preserve their anonymity in research reports. I
also changed the names of teachers, counsellors, and friends so that they could not be
identified. I audio recorded and transcribed the interviews. The participants were given an
opportunity to review the transcription and to give their final approval for use of the
information. The research questions were created through viewing samples of other
questions used in other research and in consultation with my committee; I established
some guiding questions to ask each student. Once I completed all of the participant
interviews I examined and created my own interview using the same guiding questions
and produced a pseudonym for myself, to make a total of six participants.
I conducted my research by following the University of Northern British
Columbia and School of Education guidelines, including submission of a research
proposal to the University of Northern British Columbia Research Ethics Board (REB)
(see Appendix C for the approval letter from REB). I referred to the school district
guidelines to gain ethics approval for conducting the interviews with Aboriginal students
(see Appendix D for the approval letter from the school district).

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42

I created a set of questions that I asked the students during the interviews (see
Appendix A). I utilized an open-ended questioning technique that invited students to
contribute their stories. Although I did not ask an explicit appreciative question, such as
"How did you come to be a successful student?" in order to open space for whatever each
student had to tell, the interview process was based on appreciative assumptions. For
example, I implicitly invited school personnel to assume that there were successful
Aboriginal students worthy of recognition, and by interviewing them I invited these
students to see themselves as successful. Subsequent questions implied that students'
school experiences were important and that they had benefited from supporters, mentors,
and role models. Finally, my questions implied that these students were expected to have
goals for further education and career goals. The belief in student potential is prominent
and these students have the learning capabilities.
Participants were aware that they had the right to withdraw from the research at
any time and if they did so the information would be excluded from the study. Quotes
from narratives approved by participants are included within my written project to share
their influences and perceptions and still maintain their anonymity. Participants agreed
that the raw data could be shared with my supervisor if I had questions or needed
guidance with the interpretation of the data. Within this process, the participants appeared
willing and able to share their stories openly. Although this study is not generalizable, it
may provide useful insights for schools and community based educators in other
localities as well as in Prince George.

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Data Analysis
One of the unique features of analyzing data collected through narratives can be
the holistic technique used to communicate the outcome. Lieblich et al. (1998) made
distinctions between a categorical approach with emphasis on content and holistic
approaches with their emphasis on form. In categorical analysis the text created from the
narratives is arranged in small amounts or in chunks of text into different categories; the
main interest is in "a problem or phenomenon shared by a group of people" (Lieblich et
al., p. 12, 1998). In the holistic approach the story is examined as a whole and sections of
the story are then examined in context of other components of the story; the main interest
of the researcher is in the person as a whole (Lieblich et al. 1998). According to Creswell,
(2008) narrative research is a flexible way of writing about the results discovered.
Creswell discussed following a typical story format with a beginning, middle, and end.
Lieblich et al. (1998) have created a format that encompasses the four quadrants as some
aspects of a story are more prominent and applicable to different approaches to analysis
(1998). "The reader should bear in mind that these fine distinctions are not always clearcut in the reality of conducting narrative research and interpretation" (Lieblich et al.,
1998 p. 14 ). Lieblich et al. developed criteria for interpreting data after conducting
narrative research, as presented in Figure 3. I used these points as a framework for
assessing the suitability of my categorical approach to analysis and presentations of
findings in a narrative form.
Using the categorical approach, my data analysis entailed coding the information
given in the interviews. The analysis and coding were guided by my research questions
and informed by the Web of Influence (see Figure 1) I expected that participant responses

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44

would contribute to evaluation and revision of the Web of Influence as a comprehensive
view of possible influences for Aboriginal student success. Categories derived from the
Web of Influence included the variety of people and institutional practices that
surrounded the students on their journey to success.

Figure 3. Lieblich, et al. (1998, p.172) Criteria for Interpreting Narrative Data
1. Providing "insight" into the person, clarifying the previously meaningless or
incomprehensible, suggesting previously unseen connections
2. Providing a feel for the person, conveying the experiences of having known
or met him or her
3. Helping us to understand the inner subjective world of the person, how he or
she thinks about their own experience, situation, problems, life
4. Deepening our sympathy or empathy for the subject
5. Effectively portraying the social and historical world that there person is
living in
6. Illuminating the causes (and meanings) of relevant events, experiences, and
conditions
7. Being vivid, evocative, emotionally compelling to read

I followed up with the students to ensure the accuracy of the information collected
and provided an explanation of the coding procedures. During the follow-up step with the
students I invited input for the celebration component to follow the study and asked if
they would like to participate. The second round of analysis involved the input from the
students in the follow-up session they reviewed and clarified the information they had
provided previously. My main purpose in using both the categorical was to match my
skills and also to answer my research questions effectively while honouring my
participants' stories.

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45

Concluding Thoughts
Qualitative research was a natural choice for this study as the method contains a
variety of positive and reinforcing characteristics. The narrative method suits the oral
tradition of Aboriginal people and offers trustworthiness through a categorizing approach
to analysis. Utilizing an Aboriginal perspective for researching the students in an urban
setting offers more qualities of trustworthiness in the study. The participants' stories are
retold in an honouring and holistic manner that will be a tool for affirming positive
choices and a sample of success stories.

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IV- Students' Stories
Be the change you want to see in the world.
-GANDHI
The five student stories and my own are presented in the following pages. Each
story belongs to the individual and I was honoured to share their experiences in this
project as well as to review my own. In this chapter I introduce each participant briefly
and then relate each participant's story. Stories are followed by my analysis of the set of
stories in response to my research questions and Web of Influence framework.

Introductions
Angela is a young woman in Grade 10. Her passion in life is dance and she would
like to graduate early from high school so that she can see if a career in dance is realistic
for her. If dance opportunities do not materialize, she plans to continue her postsecondary education with the goal of attending medical school. Her parents are very
involved in her life and she has a best friend, a young lady who is the same age as her and
is a strong supporter. This friend makes sure that Angela has all that she needs for dance
or school. Angela is the oldest of four children in her family.
Brian is a young man in Grade 12. He was focused on school so that he could
complete the graduation requirements; he really liked metal work. He has overcome
many obstacles and sees teachers and the Aboriginal Education Team as his main support
system. His career goals are to become an RCMP officer or to work in metal work as a
welder. He is the middle child with a younger and older brother.
Daphne is a young woman in Grade 12. She has been focused on school for many
years and in recent years she has become a strong social activist in the community. She
will be moving to the Lower Mainland of British Columbia to pursue post-secondary

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47

education in Fine Arts. She comes from a single parent family and she is the middle child
of three girls.
Quinn is a young woman in Grade 11 with the opportunity to graduate a semester
early. She was notably the most independent student. Primary influences in her life have
been the Cadets organization and a mentor who is a youth leader. Many of her friends are
older than she is and they support her goal to graduate from school. She comes from a
single parent family where her father is not involved in her life and she feels that her
mother does not really connect with her. She is the oldest of three children in her family.
Lynn is close to graduating from high school. She has really enjoyed school and
has always been a good student because this was expected of her by her parents and
friends . She has never really given her Aboriginal ancestry a lot of thought as it is just
"who she is". University is something that she will tackle at some point in her life. She is
the youngest of six siblings and the only girl in the family.
Renate is a young woman in Grade 11 with a goal of pursuing graduate studies in
a medical related field. She has been influenced by both of her parents, who are teachers.
She views her friends as the most influential people in her life, as she has been with the
same group of people since elementary school. She was one of the students who stood out
as coming from a multi-cultural ethnic background; in her initial interview she was not
comfortable with being called an Aboriginal student as this is a new aspect in her life one of her parents discovered their Aboriginal ancestry quite recently. The Aboriginal
Education Team sees her as a student of Aboriginal descent, a Metis student. She is the
youngest child with an older brother.

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48

The students interviewed were comfortable with identifying themselves as
Aboriginal students with the exception of one. Cultural continuity was not prominent in
their everyday learning. However, the absence of specific mention of cultural continuity,
affirmation, or culturally responsive teaching by these students does not mean that these
are not key components of Aboriginal student success. Only one student identified her
connection with Aboriginal spirituality and two other students identified connections with
Christianity. As the researcher I was pleased with their apparent comfort level as they
shared their thoughts on their identification and spirituality.
In the interviews it became clear that all of the students had graduated or expected
to graduate from high school. The main contributing factor to their success was
mentorship from family and teachers or support staff at their school. All of the students
had goals for post-secondary studies; some students had defined goals and two of the
students were not sure what they would pursue as they had more than one possibility.
Daphne was involved in school activities and community volunteer programs which
expanded her leadership skills. The students' individual stories are retold on the
following pages.

Angela, the Dancer and Aspiring Doctor
Angela was the youngest participant. However, she did not appear to be younger
than the other students as she was just as goal oriented and articulate as the others.
Angela is a beautiful young lady with a photogenic face and animated actions. She has a
soft voice and an expressive face. Angela has amazing energy and was a delight to
interview.

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49

From the first question Angela enthusiastically revealed that dance is the most
important part of her day. She goes to school in the morning and in the afternoon she
heads to the dance studio ~

about an hour or two hours after school and during this time

she does her homework while at the studio. When arriving at school she is there at the
exact moment and not a moment sooner. Angela goes out for lunch; she usually walks
somewhere for the lunch break. "I have my school life and then I have my dance life so
it's not really like I have to socialize and have fun so it's not like I am missing anything, I
don't feel, I love [dance] (p. 2)."
Angela's favourite part of the day is dance; she does ballet, tap, jazz ["they're
cool and comtemp" (p. 2)]. Angela began taking dance classes at the age of five when she
just wanted to try it out. She has been dancing ever since. Angela is a singer as well and
this year for the first time she was looking forward to going to the provincial competition
for voice; she usually goes to the provincial competition for dance so she was really
excited about the change.
In school Angela is enrolled in all the courses she needs to be taking, the usual
courses of Language Arts, Math, Sciences and she has taken Fine Arts as well.
I took drama - film and television because I dance I kind of wanted to take acting
and stuff because I might want to do that but I also really like Math and Science. I
am thinking of graduating a year early. I can if I want to so I am taking extra
Science classes for electives just to get it done faster. I'd rather, if I can graduate a
year early, why not? Get my life started a little bit earlier. Head start. (p. 3)
To support Angela through school and life in general she has parents that are there
for her. Angela's Mom does everything for her; she is a significant supporter. Angela said

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her Dad works long hours but he still has a significant impact on Angela's life because
"Dad's are the ones that you want to please" (p. 3). She described her Dad as being very
outspoken. Angela has a best friend who is like a second mom for Angela, especially at
dance class. Angela described her best friend in a manner similar to her description of her
Father: outspoken and speaks her mind. Angela said her Mom is a lot like her; nice and
quiet.
Angela shared some thoughts about people in her life who went to post-secondary
institutions. Her Mom went to college but did not go to university. Her Dad only finished
grade seven but owns a successful logging company. Angela's Mom wanted to be a
teacher but she met Angela's Dad and worked for his company doing the accounting for a
while. Angela's Mom's main purpose right now is raising the children; things change
when you have four children.
Angela moved to a different part of Prince George in grade nine so she had to
change high schools. Angela chose to attend the school her best friend was already
attending. The two of them have been in dance for many years together and because they
are at the same school they spend considerable time together.
Angela did not view anyone as a mentor but stated that her parents just want her
to be successful. They want Angela to do the best she can at whatever she does. Angela
chooses what she wants to do and she found out she likes Science and science related
topics. Her favourite course is Math but it depends on the teacher. She tried Biology and
really "enjoyed the human anatomy and the little specimens" (p. 5), seeing these
experiences as a good basis for learning more about the human body.

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51

Angela said that if she goes to university she would like to go to medical school
or something along that stream of work. What she would like to try out first is to go to
California and try a dancing career- this is why she would like to graduate a year early.
If, after two years, a dancing career does not materialize, she plans to return to school for
a medical career and she believes she would not be "behind". Angela is a hard working
student, dancer, and singer. She spends all of her time working on these aspects of her
life; she does not have time to party. She is hard on herself as she is not totally satisfied
with getting As and Bs; she feels she should be getting straight As. She explained that she
misses weeks of school at a time and wishes that the teachers would give her some work
for her performing arts travelling so that she does not have to catch up when she returns.
She enjoys having stress in her life but when "she is true stressed she goes into freeze
mode and cannot do anything so she manages to keep the stress at a coping level" (p.6).
Angela had one dance teacher for a number of years and she found this teacher to
be memorable because of how she pushed Angela. Angela stated this teacher found the
strengths that Angela held in dance and used these to push her to do better. Angela found
herself striving to maintain the high level she achieved with this teacher in such a short
amount of time.
Angela loves to perform; she would like to perform on the stage or appear in
movies. She wants to try the dance career and becoming a doctor will be her back up
plan. She feels that both career choices will be demanding because she needs to get good
grades in order to be a doctor but she also needs to dedicate the time to her passion in life,
dancing. She appeared confident in her ability to achieve her goals.

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When we spoke about role models, Angela described herself as an independent
person with supportive conditions and supportive people in place. Angela said that she
"get[s] everything from not necessarily people, like a certain person, just a collection of
everything that [she does]" (p. 6). Angela also shared an aspect of her life that she found
challenging. Alcohol once interfered in her life with family members but an interesting
change occurred. A family friend introduced her Dad to traditional Aboriginal spirituality
and this changed the alcoholism. The change occurred at a crucial time in her life, about
the time that she may have started experimenting and possibly started using alcohol and
drugs. She credits the traditional Aboriginal spirituality and the phase in her life that was
challenging as the two influences that protect her from that self-destructive lifestyle.
Angela sees all of her family as spiritual people. Her Dad embraces spiritualism
as a part of his daily activities for growth. Angela says that she believes too, but she does
not make her beliefs a strong part of her daily activities. She has participated in sweats
and fasting as a part of her growth. The other aspect of tradition that Angela spoke of was
her native language. She enjoys going back to her family's home because her
grandparents speak the Aboriginal language with her Dad. Her goal is to learn the
traditional language somehow; her grandparents do not want to teach her because of what
they went through in their past. Students at Residential Schools were often punished for
speaking their language. Her Dad really wants her to learn so Angela is determined to
have as many people in her family that speak the language to teach her whenever they
can.
Angela spoke of struggle at the beginning of school; "[s]chools were stupid and
they would take me aside and work with me on colouring and I really needed help

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counting and the other people would be doing actual important work while we were being
pulled aside ... " (p. 6). Her mom spoke to the school after learning that Angela was
actually discouraged by the assistance; since that time Angela has become a good student
and feels "normal". In grade six Angela spoke of an inspiring teacher. She started getting
As in his class and from the time that she obtained a taste of As she has wanted to
maintain that standard and school has been enjoyable for her. I asked Angela about how
she felt about being considered a successful student and she replied, "Well, I work really
hard, almost a little too hard. Not that I work really hard, harder than anybody else, it's
just to my ability ... is I just work harder than I have to" (p. 9).
Angela is an inspiring young lady who has a good relationship with her parents
and her best friend. She maintains high standards at school and keeps her extra circular
activities at a manageable level. She sees her life as busy but in a good way. She has
progressed admirably from a slow starting student to a high achieving student who has
learned to cope and work through the challenges that her family faced with alcoholism.
Angela has created a recipe for success with her own ingredients.
Brian, the Metalworker and Aspiring Policeman
Brian was the only male student. He was relocated to Prince George from his
small northern community to have a better chance at finishing high school. Brian is a
handsome young man with long dark hair and a mellow, laid back manner.
Brian was mysterious about certain aspects of his life; "it's pretty intense for me
... because over the years I've been through a lot" (p. 1). He talked about his current
situation being mellow, and with nothing really exciting happening. He was happy to be
graduating, although he shared that he had some doubt as to whether that would happen.

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The Aboriginal Education Team spoke highly of Brian; they said that he was reliable and
committed to graduating.
Brian had a humourous side to him to lighten up the seriousness of certain topics.
One topic that he shared openly was his half an hour walk to school in the "nice polluted
air" (p.l). He spoke highly of his community; he has family, friends and the great
outdoors back home. Brian spoke of how he has finally adjusted to the school and Prince
George; his beginnings in Prince George were not the best.
He arrives at school on time and spends his lunch hour "just hanging out" or
sometimes he walks over to the mall for the break. He goes to his classes and does the
work that he is supposed to do. He takes the basic courses in order to graduate; Physical
Education, Fine Art, Language Arts, Metalwork, and so on. The one class that he spoke
of eagerly throughout the interview was Metalwork.
Brian spoke highly of his Metalwork teacher, who was a role model for him. His
favourite memory of this teacher was his sense of humour and the quality of his teaching.
In Brian's words, he "taught me a lot of things too ... so made me understand some

basics, that's what influenced me too" (p.5). The teacher told Brian about the
requirements to become a welder and the different stages in gaining the certificates.
Brian spoke briefly of a Fine Art and Film teacher that is no longer at Duchess
Park; he described her as "awesome" (p.3). I asked for other examples of people he
thought highly of and he mentioned how he thought that the members of the Aboriginal
Education Team were like his aunties. He was quite comfortable when he mentioned this
because he laughed in the beginning before stating the comment.

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Brian felt that the Aboriginal Education Team was there for him in good times
and bad times, although he explained that he tried not to bring "his bad attitude here
[school]" (p. 4). He has a smiling face to hide the fact that he may be having a bad day;
this is his coping mechanism to keep his home life out of school. During his attendance
Brain was in the guardianship of non-Aboriginal people who agreed to take out of town
students into their homes. Brian described this living arrangement as a challenge for him.
Brian described how he has lived in a few homes since coming to Prince George;
he did really like one of his guardians but she had to give up the role. In one of the
homes, he felt that he was blamed for a lot of things and was not treated well: "[y]eah I
almost got kicked out of the house, my guardian kept blaming me for everything,
attacking me and stuff. Attacking me. I was frustrated, I was angry, I was not happy the
first year" (p. 7). The second year for him was better than the first.
When Brian first came to Prince George he did not have the support he and his
brother needed, "they [people back home] kept telling us that we are not going to make it,
we gonna fail, we're losers. I wanted to give up and go home" While he has been in
Prince George he has had family members in his home community die, so dealing with
death has been another challenge for him.
Brian has not found school easy at all; "elementary school was pretty harsh too"
(p. 7). He does not have pleasant memories of elementary school, "I used to get picked on
and beat up for not reason" He did not like doing homework and he gained a reputation,
for not doing it. At some point he realized that he had to start buckling down in school
because of how important it was.

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A point that resonated was alcoholism; he experienced it in his family and in his
community. He does not drink; he cannot stand people who drink, particularly his family.
I admire him for speaking up against the alcoholism at this age because it can be difficult
to admit that it is a part of your family.
I wanted to know about his goals. "Yeah, I was determined to ... grad, I don't
want to be ... I don't want to be a failure so I wanted to accomplish something. Prove
everybody wrong" (p. 5). He spoke of goals beyond high school as well, "I've been
thinking about becoming an RCMP officer or welder that's what I've been thinking about
but I don't know what my goal is right now. I'm kinda like a bush where I can't find
myself. Just gotta wait and see" (p. 5). I think that he may not know right now but the fact
is that despite all that has gone on in his life he can still have goals and hopes for the
future. I asked Brian what he thought of being considered a successful student; "No, I
think of myself as another Indian going to school. No- I think I am- no actually I don't.
I just wanted to grad" (p. 8).
We ended the interview off the record by looking at a mural he had helped to
make on a nearby wall. He was quite proud of the accomplishment of creating this mural.
He created a wolf as his part of the mural and shared with me what he had done as far as
technique and how he had edited someone else's work.
Brian was so humble about his academic accomplishments. He was placed in
Prince George with virtually no family or friends and expected to succeed. I did not
believe that he was supplied with adequate supports or coping tools to manage his life
alone in a city; he did not speak of support other than the people at school. I think I only
glimpsed a snapshot of the harsh reality of the barriers he had to overcome. I saw his

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graduation as a substantial accomplishment, considering the barriers he faced that could
have led to failure. I admired Brian for his ability to cope and persevere to achieve the
goal of graduating from high school.
Daphne, the Artist and Activist
Daphne's interview was the longest and it spanned two meetings. She is very
detail oriented and was a delight to listen to. The first time I met with Daphne she had
longer hair and the next time she had a short "funky" hairstyle. Daphne was animated in
her storytelling; she would use funny voices and make side comments.
Daphne shared her passion with me near the beginning of the interview; she is an
accomplished artist and has built an extensive portfolio. Daphne planned to travel to the
Lower Mainland to enter into the Illustration Design Program. She has volunteered and
worked at the local art gallery for many years. Her passion has been drawing, painting,
multi-media work since she was old enough to wield a pencil.
Daphne's accomplishment in receiving acceptance to the Illustration Design
Program was the reward for all of her hard work. She was one of, she recalls, 300
applicants. Then 200 applicants are chosen to proceed further with their portfolio; 60 are
selected at this point out of the 200. These 60 people are then put through a 3 Y2 hour
interview. Out of those 60 only 30 are admitted into the program. I see Daphne's
acceptance as an amazing feat. When she completes the three year program she hopes to
work with a non-government organization and hopes to further her education in the area
of global stewardship.
Daphne is the middle child of three children with a single mom. "We were always
just connected and really understood each other and [we have] been on the same level."

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(p. 7). Daphne cannot say enough about her Mom: "My Mom is just amazing!" (p. 5).
Daphne has an interesting family dynamic; when she was younger her Mom approached
the three girls and asked how they would feel about leaving their Dad. The girls and their
Mom left their Dad to be on their own. The Mom made it clear from the beginning that
things were not going to be easy but they would get through it. "It was really hard
financially but it never seemed ... she was always honest about it" (p. 6). It sounded as
though Daphne's family have the utmost respect for one another and just love their
Mother so much. The separation was a struggle for their Mom; she did what she could to
get what was fair for the children as she consulted with them all the way along. Daphne
was frustrated by how her Mom had to comply with visitation when the girls did not want
that: "people don't really take you seriously when you are under the age of twelve
because you are malleable at that age, which was in our case where people sort of applied
a stereotype to children to whose parents have separated" (p. 6). Daphne shared that they
did what the courts expected and this added to her Mom's stress along with the financial
stress that she incurred with the separation. "She worked for him [Daphne's Dad] when
she was married to him for 20 years so she didn't have a post-secondary education, she
didn't have a job or she didn't have time to have a job" (p. 6). Daphne and her sisters just
accepted that they could not afford certain things.
Daphne comes from this remarkable family that gets along and is very close. She
also has a wide array of people that have surrounded her with support over the years. She
seems to hold these people near to her heart. Throughout the interview these influential
people, ranging from teachers to counsellors to friends and or to mentors, would pop up
in the conversation.

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Along with her Mom, Daphne spoke of a variety of teachers in her life "probably
98% of the teachers" (p. 3) she has liked. However, Mr. L. was the most influential:
" ... Mr. L. my English teacher, he is just awesome, and I love talking to him." (p. 7).
Throughout the interview Daphne spoke of Mr. L. "I ... have conversations with Mr. L.
even though he baffles me sometimes and I don't know what to say, I can't think of a
clever response until that night and I wish I could have said it then. And you can't say it
the next day because it's expired" (p. 8). Daphne mentioned her past vice-principal, Mr.
B., her French teacher, Mrs. N., and her art teachers, Ms. B. and Ms. H. All have qualities
that she believes encouraged her to succeed. For instance, Ms. B. and Ms. H. established
a structure and purpose for Art courses that Daphne felt was missing in the program prior
to their arrival, "I like how much more structured they are and organized because until
this year, the art teachers and art classes started being- oh, that's my passing credit class,
you know, so there hasn't been much direction or much productivity, it's just, oh hand in
some projects, so that is really awesome" (p.3).
The teachers, administrators, and support staff have supported Daphne so much in
all the work that she has done around the school. Daphne has been on student council
since grade nine; she wanted to make changes to the council when she reached grade 11
and 12 because she always felt in the younger grades those students get left out of the
action that goes on. One of the fun-filled school traditions she told me about was a talent
competition open to the whole school; people get up and do what they are good at,
dancing, singing, playing an instrument or they just get up and have some fun. She
participated in getting food hampers together at Christmas and another school tradition
she has been involved in was Spirit Week, which involves students dressing up. One new

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thing that she helped plan was a clothing swap; she was not sure how that would go,
"high school kids are kind of weird about wearing each other's clothes" (p. 4). Her week
is filled with other school meetings and activities, such as student focus group, the green
initiatives team, graduation committee, and charity crew, which just finished building a
wall in Uganda. She has participated in the thirty hour famine; she has the support of
other students and staff to make this happen. Daphne is an active person in her school and
she has full support of teachers, friends, and family for these activities.
The people in Daphne's life that have had the most impact outside of school are
people who have supported her in her art career, people she has met through counselling,
peers, or past students that she went to school with. Cat was one of the notable people
that influenced Daphne in pursuing art as a career; "She is a brilliant artist and she is very
English" (p. 5). Cat helped Daphne put together her portfolio for her application to art
school. Daphne thinks "she is just brilliant ... she is so quirky" (p. 5). The other person
who helped her with researching schools, Bridget, is "a vat of random information" (p.
5). Daphne really enjoyed spending time with Bridget because she was so interesting to
talk to. Those were two people who also supported her in applying to art school.
Christy is one of Daphne's dear friends that she does not get to see much anymore
because she is in New Zealand. Christy went to the same high school as well and that is
where Daphne made her acquaintance. Daphne described Christy in the following way:
She just has this sunshine personality. It was her idea to start the charity crew and
I helped a lot with that so she was the head of that last year and I was right there
the whole time supporting her and being a part of it. She just has this personality

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that just pulled you in that say hey guys let's do this, okay, let's go! So, I love her
for that. (p.5)
Daphne explained how she was inspired by Christy's personality: "I love people's
energy; people have this great genuine energy that is something that Christy had, she was
not the most organized person but you just had to love her because she had this fire and
it's inspiring" (p.7).
Another influential connection that Daphne had made was with her counsellor,
Arthur. When her parents separated, Daphne went for counselling. Arthur has been great
for her; she was seeing him on a regular basis and he was a good person for her to talk to.
"He is very level headed and he listens to what you have to say and he knows me well
because I have been seeing him for many years now" (p. 7). When she would talk about
the separation she felt good about talking to Arthur, "he has always treated me like I was
mature and he really listened and he would be, okay, let's evaluate that sort of thing; he is
just a soft person and he plays guitar for us sometimes which is cool" (p. 8). Arthur is
involved in the local music scene and is involved in a music festival that Daphne became
involved in. She has volunteered for the music festival for the past few years.
Outside of school one of the other things that Daphne is involved with is
fundraising activities. The one she spoke of was for the Phoenix Transition House. She
was involved in a charity concert from which the proceeds went to the transition house,
earmarked for programs for children who have witnessed abuse. Daphne has been
featured in the local media a number of times for the work that she has done. She is a
wonderful speaker and an inspiration to other students.

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School has been good for Daphne. She went to a variety of elementary schools;
including the Montessori School, which she found to be enjoyable but not to have the
structure that she believed she needed at such a young age. She has seemed to have
always liked her teachers and fellow students. Although she went to many elementary
schools she has not seemed to have been socially disadvantaged. "It never seemed to be a
problem in elementary school, I always made new friends at each different school, and I
never saw it as an upheaval" (p. 10). Throughout school she never really disliked any
courses but she has always loved Art. In her senior years she took a wide variety of
subjects; she took Math all the way through with the exception of grade 12. She did the
same for Physics: "[groan], I absolutely hated Physics, I mean, it's just not my game, I
did well in Physics. I recognize that it is very important and relevant to many things
though, kudos to the people that do enjoy Physics" (p. 9). Daphne shared that up until
grade nine her focus was school and doing her homework and then she started to shift her
focus to a more balanced activity schedule. She started doing more committee work and
volunteering to grow beyond academics alone. "I could probably be getting better marks
than I am now, not to say that my marks now are bad" (p. 10). She thinks that she
currently has a well-balanced busy life.
With all of her extra-curricular activities, Daphne feels sometimes although she
has this "self-martyr complex" (p. 11). She recognizes that sometimes she just has to step
back and let things go, designate and delegate work and be confident that people will pull
through for her. Daphne feels that she is independent but maintains friendships for the
differences and similarities and as an independent person this works for her. She is able

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to participate in so many different events because of the support that she gets from the
people around her.
We had a good chuckle in the interview about her sleep schedule. Daphne has
been busy with graduation, classes, committee work, volunteer work, applying for art
school, getting her portfolio together, and the numerous other things she is doing to finish
up her final year at high school. As a result, she has developed a crazy sleep schedule that
she will be working to change; she would go home after school and do a few things, for
example, check her email. Then she would fall asleep and wake up to continue working
on school work or her application. "People get email replies from me at 3 o'clock in the
morning, why are you awake right now? It's okay I slept at 6. So, I am working on it
[laughing]" (p. 2).
Daphne is a busy person but she has an incredible amount of energy and
dedication that she applies on a wide variety of projects. I met her Mom briefly and she is
a delightful person. She is certainly a strong person for making a drastic change in the life
of her family and raising her daughters successfully as a single parent. Daphne has a good
set of role models and she is surrounded by friends who support her in her work.
Quinn, the Cadet and Aspiring Marine Engineer

Quinn is a beautiful yet strong looking young lady. Like the other students
interviewed, Quinn is goal oriented. However, she is interested in a career that people in
the interior of the province rarely consider, the Canadian Coast Guard. Right from the
beginning of the interview Quinn invested considerable thought in her answers and she
answered most questions with enthusiasm. She arrives at school on time, she walks
around for a while and "hangs out" with her friends before class begins. During the

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breaks she is with her friends but she has a unique situation where she spends time with
one group of friends for part of the day and for the other part of the day she is with
another group of friends. The two groups of friends are a reflection of her interests; she
spends time in Cadets, goes to Ness Lake Bible Camp, and has other friends who are out
of high school. She seems to be a socially functioning person.
Quinn had a strong community influence, the Cadets organization. Quinn has
been involved in the Cadets for many years and now mentors younger Cadets in the
organization, "[i]t's just something I really enjoy doing and every Wednesday and teach
kids and help them learn how to shoot the air rifles and get their levels for it." (p. 1). One
of Quinn's favourite activities is marksmanship. For Quinn the Cadets have influenced
her career goal of entering Marine Engineering.
Quinn talked about the courses that she is taking at school including Math,
Science, Social Studies, Language Arts, and Psychology. When she could she would take
Band, where she plays the trumpet. One course in particular she seemed to really like was
called "an active living PE course, which is really cool ... people go to Gold's, go to the
Y, you get to try curling, try golfing, try tennis and you just go and try different things
and see what's out there and see what you can do after high school" (p. 2). She also has a
part-time job in a sporting goods store in the mall; she really enjoys the work because she
gets to meet different types of people and learn many new things.
Quinn did not have the best elementary school experience. As the oldest in her
family, she has always been an independent person. She was usually by herself and she
was shy and quiet. Quinn described being "picked on" in elementary school. One of the
positive influences that she experienced was her contact with the Aboriginal Education

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65

Worker, who was the same person from elementary school to high school. Quinn
remembered doing different crafts and activities in elementary school with the Aboriginal
Education Worker: "We do the loom, Aboriginal type art products, we made button
blankets, and activities like that, I thought it was really cool; I was Aboriginal and I
didn't know much about it".
Quinn talked about how the school work was easy but she explained that issues
arose when educators could not understand her independence. Another challenge Quinn
revealed was that, in grade one, she realized she needed a different learning style. "I had
a hard time, still today I have hard times because I am a kinesthetic learner and lots of
teachers now write everything down or say it and that doesn't really register very well
since I am a hands on learner" (p.7). Over the years she has taught herself techniques to
help her study and retain the information, including highlighting and colour coding on her
pages. Quinn has discussions with her friends to make sure she has an understanding of
the material.
Quinn shared how her personality changed in grades six to nine and she was not
shy and quiet anymore. She has positive energy with the change; she is not "picked on"
anymore and she feels she is well supported. She spoke positively of the support she has
at school and outside of school.
Quinn believes that she has no family influence in her life; her strongest influence
is from her friends. She has many friends, "I have always had different groups [of
friends] so I find it pretty easy to slip my time between different people." (p. 1). Quinn
has older friends that she can talk to when she needs a confidence boost. She and her best
friend arrange homework days together about once a week. This homework collaboration

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benefits both of them, as both students can learn and revise. Quinn knows that her older
friends will help her with school work, too.
Quinn's support in school comes from a variety of adults. She had one notable
teacher, who supported Quinn when she needed it, no matter what the problem was. She
found his teaching style most helpful: because he can explain new ideas in way that she
can understand. The Aboriginal Education Team was identified by Quinn as another
group that supported her. She finds it reassuring just to see them and say hi. They are
always there if she needs help. Another person in her life who is a source of influence and
role modeling is one of her friends from her Church youth group.
Quinn's friend in her youth group is a good role model because she "is very true
to herself and very honest and I don't know she is just a really good role model and I
always look up to her. I want to be like that" (p. 6). One of her favourite memories of her
friend was on Quinn's birthday, and when her friends from youth group went out for
desserts. They went to different restaurants and were given free desserts because it was
her birthday. She remembers it as one of the "random adventures" they have had (p.6).
Quinn's goal, once she had completed high school, is to attend Coast Guard
College for Marine Engineering. Quinn originally learned about Marine Engineering at a
session preceding a Cadets' summer camp. She thinks Marine Engineering is a suitable
career for because she is a kinesthetic learner. She has told her friends about it and they
encouraged her to set a goal; when she began to doubt herself, her friends would be there
to support her. She has been working toward this goal by achieving good marks in school
and during the summer she earned her Marine Engineering Certificate through Cadets.
Quinn is looking forward to graduation.

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I asked Quinn about how she felt about being considered a successful Aboriginal
student.
As an Aboriginal student, yes, because I know that the Aboriginal rate for kids
graduating isn' t very high. I know I am graduating early and so I was one of the
really successful Aboriginal students and I was really lucky to have an Aboriginal
support system at the school and background and things like that to be able to be
successful. I wasn't totally successful getting here compared to some kids but I
know that I wasn't bad either, I was somewhere in the middle. (p. 3)
Quinn is a busy student and has many goals that she wants to achieve. She comes from a
single parent family but she did not speak much of her family. She knew that some of her
family especially on her Mom's side, had attended post-secondary institutions. Quinn is
already a role model to younger people and looks up to the role models she has in her
own life.
Lynn, the Artist and Aspiring Lawyer
Lynn graduated from high school before the project was finished. She is a "typical
teenager and I just want to fit in", which is what she called herself. She has grown up as
the youngest of six brothers with her parents. She is aware of her Aboriginal ancestry but
has not thought too much about it because she simply accepts that part of her identity.
Lynn is a quiet person with a soft voice, and a distinctive laugh.
Lynn' s typical day involved driving to school from the home outside of Prince
George where she has lived since Grade One. She arrives in time for the bell and attends
all of her classes. On her breaks she spends time with her friends. "Most of my friends I
have known since grade one or two; being from rural Prince George the groups are

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smaller and you just get to know everyone" (p.l). After school she drives home and does
her homework and watches television. On the weekends Lynn may go with her friends to
the movies or enjoys a movie night at one of her friend's houses.
Lynn considers herself to be an average student because she has never received a
lower mark than a C+ and her most frequent marks are Bs are what she usually receives.
Lynn does not like Science and Math; she did what she had to do for the required classes
on those subjects in grade 11. Lynn has always liked Art; she really liked the art teacher
she had in her last year, Mrs. R. "Mrs. R. was just really inspiring and always pushing
you to do better. I remember one piece of work I was working on and Mrs. R. came up to
my desk and said my drawing was very nice but do you think you could do this a bit
differently?" (p. 2). Lynn has liked taking Language Arts and Social Studies courses; she
enjoys reading. Lynn has thought of university at this point in her life but has not
prepared herself to enter university. Lynn has completed the required courses for
graduation and she enjoyed acquiring elective courses.
Lynn was happy to graduate and looked forward to moving the next few years.
She thinks that she will take a year off from post-secondary to work; "my Dad always
wanted me to concentrate on school and do the best I can so he never wanted me to have
a part-time job, he always made sure I had what I needed" (p. 3). Lynn is not sure what
kind of job she will obtain but she believes will be happy with whatever she does.
Lynn mentioned that she has a boyfriend who is a few years older than her; Nick
is the opposite of Lynn. Nick's parents credit Lynn as being a positive influence in Nick's
life and Nick is bringing the dreams to life for Lynn. She stated that "Nick has dreams
and is always asking me about my dreams, what do you want to do in your life?" (p. 5).

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Nick is encourages and supports Lynn in her dreams and wants her to continue to succeed
in all that she does.
I asked Lynn about how she found school from kindergarten until now. Lynn
explained that she has found school easy, except for Math and Science. "I remember one
time in science class we had to dissect things and I would always get so creeped out that
my partner would always end up doing the dissection" (p. 3). Lynn thinks she is
challenged so much in Math that she has some sort of "Math dyslexia" (p. 4). Elementary
school was okay; for the most part she had the same group of friends and most of her
teachers were acceptable. Lynn remembers Mr. L.: "he loved hockey and made all of us
crazy for hockey" ... good and bad for some students (p. 4). Lynn thought her grade two
teacher was wonderful, "she had this long dark hair and she was so encouraging to me, I
wanted to be just like her when I grew-up" (p. 3). Lynn thought Miss M. was wonderful
because she was so kind and always happy.
High school was kind of scary at first for Lynn. She described that she felt she
was a little fish in a big pond. Once you are used to the school, make new friends, and
take classes that your friends are taking, the routine is established. In high school she
discovered that she enjoyed Art. "I loved being in that class, I never thought of it as an
easy grade like some people did who took the class" (p. 4). High school had its easy
times and harder times; one thing she shared was that she was a dedicated student,
wanting to do the best she could.
People of influence to Lynn were few and far between. She grew up with the
challenges of alcoholism in her family but she believes that she managed to pull through
the events unscathed. Lynn appreciates the protection that her Dad and older brothers

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provided. Not all of Lynn's brothers graduated from high school, she although she
explained that the two youngest brothers did. Lynn's Dad only finished grade seven but
he was strong believer in education so he always encouraged her. Lynn's Mom went to
Residential School for years and continued school to grade 10. No one that she knows of
in her family went to university but she thought maybe some attended college. Her
strongest influence was her Dad, whose "strong work ethic was an influential
characteristic that I learned and strived to be like" (p. 4). She thought that maybe over the
years certain teachers have guided her in ways that she never really considered.
Lynn shyly shared that she wanted to be a lawyer, she was unsure of why she
wanted to go into this profession; she thought maybe to help people. She remembers
telling her Dad one time that "she wanted to be a lawyer because you can have a career
for many years or retire early" (p. 5).
Lynn shared that she has always liked having animals and taking care of all types
of animals. One summer, she remembered finding a baby squirrel, "I saw my dog barking
and scratching at something and I went to see what it was. When I saw it I did not know
what it was so I carefully put the thing in a container without touching it and showed it to
my Mom and Dad. They said right away it was a baby squirrel; it did not even has its
eyes open yet" (p. 4). She raised the squirrel until it ran away on its own near the end of
the summer. During her high school years she had wanted to be a veterinarian but did not
enjoy taking Science and Math courses.
Lynn was humble about her experience with school and her life. Lynn did not
have much to say about her being a successful student; I think she was slightly
embarrassed by the thought. I asked if she could describe herself from her friends' point

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of view. Lynn thought "they would say she is a hard working detail oriented person with
a strong work ethic" (p.5). She did not think that the role models and mentors she
mentioned were influential enough to have a major impact on her life. Lynn sees her
academic accomplishments as just what she does; she did not think it was anything other
than average.
Renate, Aspiring Nurse and Scholar
Renate is a goal oriented person. She is a beautiful young lady with a soft voice.
She had a good upbringing and good role models in her life. Renate shared many of her
goals in the interview.
Renate started her school day early on some days because she has Band practice;
some evenings are spent at the dance studio. "[T]hen normally after school, I have
depending on what day, one to five hours of dance ... " (p. 1). She generally has a lot of
homework to do.
Renate spoke of the courses that she is taking; "I have Principles in Math, Biology
12, English Honours, and Foods" (p. 1). I observed why she has a substantial amount of
homework. She talked about the courses, "I like Sciences and Math- well, I don't like
the classes themselves but the fact that I am learning it all and that I can actually do the
Math and dissect a body, I like that, it is fun" (p. 1).
Renate has had a stable life; she has attended elementary school and high school
with mainly a stable group of friends. Renate spoke of her friends as a source of her drive
to do well in school. "we have grown up together so it's kind of like there is pressure to
compete with your friends and get good grades like them or whatever, so it is just easier
having them around." (p. 2).

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We talked of role models and mentors; she did not have any one notable person.
"Yeah I don't really have one, just kind of different qualities from everyone in my life"
(p. 3). Renate spoke of her parents who are both teachers; she is bound to succeed with a
strong academic influence in her life. "My Dad works here. So if I have it really hard, I
can go see him and whatever." (p. 1). "My Mom, she is a teacher too. And she is really
on with grades and good marks so." (p. 2).
Renate did think of one person who has influenced her life. Renate spoke highly
of her youth leader from Church; she has known her youth leader and husband since
Renate was a baby. They have been there all the way pushing her along. Renate finds her
youth leader to be so easy to talk to, "if I ever need anything I can go to her" (p. 3).
Renate thinks that her youth leader is wise and reliable.
Renate has a variety goals, the first is to graduate from high school. She wanted to
go to the College of New Caledonia and the University of Northern British Columbia to
obtain her degree in Nursing. "[T]hen I want to get a Masters in Maternity or Paediatrics
and then I don't know?" (p. 3). To have a goal of pursuing her graduate studies is
admirable. She explained that she had been interested in nursing since she was a little
girl. "My grandma is a nurse and my cousin, a couple of my cousins are nurses and my
friend is a nurse and they all love it and just the last couple of years it really hit me, okay,
that's gonna be fun, let's do this!" (p. 3). She stated that nursing suits her because she
enjoys "the blood and guts, and things like that" (p.3).
Renate has found school work to be easy. She has had an advantage with her
parents being teachers, and she "knew the teachers that would be teaching her" (p. 4 ):

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Pretty much everything I found, there were a couple of things I struggle with, like
when I was younger in the French Immersion program my English was never
really great. Everything has been really easy and never really got anything below
a C+ in my courses so it's been good. It's harder now in the senior levels but its
pretty good. (p. 4)
When asked about whether she saw herself as a successful student she had a humble
answer. "Compared to some, yes, compared to some, no. But I think overall, I have done
fine and I mean, I never struggle or had to go home and stress about every day, it has
been pretty easy" (p. 4 ).
Renate has excellent guidance from her parents and friends. It is interesting to
learn of the stability in her life. She is an excellent example of success in the socially and
academically. Her life is an example of social as well as academic success.
Analysis
Ross (2006) shared an understanding of Aboriginal education that strongly links
an appreciative approach to narrative inquiry to an Aboriginal perspective on education.
I applied this wisdom to my analysis and presentation of student narratives:
There seems to be an understanding that education should focus on presenting
events or experiences in ways that encourage others to find their own
significance. As a result, neither the identity nor the intent of the teacher occupies
centre stage. At the same time, there is a clear expectation that different people
will react to "what was said" in very different ways. In fact, discussions become
almost a celebration of the rich diversity of life, thought and feeling, rather than a
contest between opposing views about what we "ought" to think or feel. (p. xi)

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My main intention was to honour the students' stories while answering my initial
research questions about the factors that students identified as contributing to their
success, and the implications of their stories for planning programs to support Aboriginal
students. Although narrative data may be presented in a compelling way in a dramatic
story style, a method better suited to my skills and information-gathering purposes was
the categorizing content analysis as described by Lieblich et al. (1998). My analysis
began with coming to know and appreciate each student more personally by reviewing
and transcribing their interviews, and then by rewriting their interviews as parallel
descriptions of their unique lives and influences. Analysis continued when I compared
each story to the Web of Influence framework and looked for themes common to two or
more narratives, as well as ranges of student responses within themes.
To refer closely to the Web of Influence and to highlight common themes, I
organized main points from each narrative in chart form (See Figure 4). This
organization emphasized information that had not been as evident from simply listening
to each story. It allowed me to test the Web of Influence Framework against the lives of
specific students and to understand the categories more fully.

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Figure 4. Web of Influence factors as experienced by each participant.
Brian

Daphne

Quinn

Lynn

Renata

-Her parents
- traditional
language
-Angela's best
friend
-Angela's
Father's own
healing
journey
- dance teacher

-home
community

-Daphne's
Mom
-Cat
-Bridget
-Christy
-Arthur

-friends
-best friend
-Youth
Group
Leader
-school
cultural
activities

-Dad
-other
family
-friends

-parents
-friends

-student
council
-school spirit
-school
fundraising
-designates
and delegates

-Youth
group

School
Public/
Independent/
PostSecondary

-was a slow
starter at the
beginning of
her school
years
-wants to be in
medical school

-Fine Arts

-Canadian
Coast Guard
College

-Fine Arts

Teachers,
Educators,
Support
Workers

-Grade six
teacher

-family affects
of residential
school

-Aboriginal
Education
Worker
-one notable
teacher

-Mrs. R.
-Miss M.

Government

Formal
Programs

-dance classes

-Metalwork
teacher
-Aboriginal
Education
Team
-relocated
Brian to the
urban setting
to finish
school

-will be
pursuing an
education in
the
Illustration
and Design
Program at
Capilano
College
-Mr. L.
-Mr. B.
-Mrs. N.
-Ms. B.
-Ms. H.
-courts
involved in
her parents
separation

Potential
Influences
Informal
Network

Leadership
&
Mentorship

Community
Leadership

Angela

-Art Gallery
-volunteer
work for the
community
-community
fundraising
activities

-Cadets
-Ness Lake
Bible Camp
-teaches
younger
Cadets how
to do certain
skills

-generates
her
strength
from a
variety of
qualities
in people
-youth
leader
-wants to
be a nurse,
pursue
graduate
studies

-parents

-family
affects of
residential
school
-dance
classes

Success Stories: Aboriginal Students and Access to Post-Secondary Education

76

I also looked for influences mentioned by two or more participants but not easily
categorized within the Web of Influence as I had diagrammed it. This step allowed for
reflection on the Web of Influence as a comprehensive framework for considering factors
influencing Aboriginal student success. As I completed the chart, I saw that influences
could be viewed within two main categories, based on their goals and outcomes.
Regardless of whether support carne from individuals or organizations, they addressed (a)
cultural continuity and affirmation, or (b) the development of personal competence, or a
combination of the two. Personal competence, a sense that they were good at something
that could lead to a career or to productive community life, was most evident to the
students who shared their stories with me.
For example, personal competence for all six of the participants resonates for
different reasons. Brian, Lynn, and Angela had the effects of alcoholism in their families;
each participant must have developed coping skills. Angela's discipline as a dancer was
applied to her studies as well, to support ambitious goals in two fields, dance and
medicine. Daphne, Renate, Angela, and Quinn also displayed personal competence in
their study skills and school achievement. Brian, Daphne, and Lynn have an interest in
the Fine Arts; Brian demonstrated excellence in his craft and Daphne has been admitted
to a prestigious college for Fine Arts. Quinn excelled and developed leadership skills in
Cadets because of her proficiency with hand on learning. Her specific goal, to become a
Marine Engineer, appears to have come from direct participation in activities related to
that field. Personal competence was a prominent theme.
Looking again at the Web of Influence, I now see the inner circle as a raised
platform of competence from which students launch into the adult world. All positive

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influences, whether personal and relationship-based or organizational and policy and
resource-based, contribute to lifting the student toward opportunities for a productive life.
Some students may draw their personal strengths from a cultural identity and others may
see themselves as members of other communities, such as a performing arts group or the
Cadets organization. According to the Campbell and Ungar (2008) Stories of Transition
study, which followed one hundred young people in the years after high school, the
young adults in this study are likely to change their plans before they settle into satisfying
work, particularly if they find that the resources available to them and their own aptitudes
are not sufficient for their goals. However, using categories from Campbell and Ungar, I
determined that my six participants represented themselves as Navigators or Explorers in
terms of transitioning to a satisfying place in life. None of the six participants, at the time
of this study, were Drifters- those experiencing aimlessness and passivity in choosing a
path.
The Web of Influence was conceived as I learned about interconnectedness. Now
that my study is completed, there are changes I would make to the Web of Influence to
improve its usefulness as an analytic tool. Participants' stories have helped me see the
complexity of each category. For example, Quinn's picture of herself as a kinesthetic
learner leads me to see learning styles as an important aspect of the school category. A
section on engagement could have been included within that category as well. At some
point in his life, Brian realized that school was important; attention to sources of
engagement, particularly critical incidents or turning points, may have helped reveal the
catalyst for his focus on school and his goals to become a police officer or a welder. I
now think of the Web of Influence as a mind map, with categories extended to sub-

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78

categories. This will be a useful framework for synthesizing new knowledge as I continue
to work in this field and to develop understandings about the complex factors that interact
to support Aboriginal youth transition to satisfying and productive adult lives.
Near the end of my study I discovered a diagram that resembles my Web of
Influence but describes the key factors contributing to Aboriginal school success (Bell et
al. 2004). The main categories in this model, shown as wedges in a circle, are programs,
leadership, school climate, staff, funding and resources, and community. The notes for
each category show that beneficial programs are described as featuring Aboriginal
content as well as systems for academic support. In the staff category, specifics include
caring and dedicated teachers and the continuity provided by Aboriginal teachers and
school personnel. Leadership includes continuous improvement in a culture of success. A
comparison of these findings with the Web of Influence described in this study confirms
two pillars of support for Aboriginal students: culture and competency.

Significant Findings
The most significant outcome of my analysis of the student narratives was the
surprising absence of references to cultural influences as opposed to the personal pride
and motivation each student drew from an area of competency. Flowing from this
emphasis, three other themes emerged prominently as contributing to success: (a)
mentors who challenged and supported the students' interests outside of school, (b)
teachers who took a personal interest in the student's achievement, and (c) the presence
of Aboriginal adults in the school. Reviewing these factors together revealed that students
generally attributed their competencies to warm relationships that included high

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expectations. These students were also socially competent and able to find and trust their
mentors and allies in relationships that were sustained over long periods of time.
Considering the implications of these factors for program planning, the main
insight that emerges from the narratives is not new but it is profoundly important.
Programs to support Aboriginal success, both in and out of school, are likely to benefit
from a focus on developing student competencies through warm and demanding personal
relationships. In light of other literature, ideally this emphasis on competency would exist
in tandem with culturally affirming practice. However, the stories supplied by these
students show that an emphasis on competency without cultural continuity can be a
significant factor in success for some students, as it was for Angela, Brian, Daphne,
Quinn, Lynn, and Renate. I wonder, however, if success for these students may have been
even more evident or if more of their Aboriginal classmates would be identified as
successful as well, if the twin supports of culture and competency were securely in place
throughout their lives.
Following an emphasis on support through mentorship, insights for program
planning include a "finding the gift" approach drawn from traditional Aboriginal
parenting, and specific, targeted efforts to teach students to seek out mentors and allies
who will support and challenge them.

Cultural Continuity
Although cultural continuity, cultural affirmation, and culturally responsive
teaching are emphasized in the literature as essential components of Aboriginal education
(Benard, 2004; Brown, 2006; Chandler & Lalonde, 1998; Friere, 1993; Gay, 2000; Jules,
1999; and McCormick, 1994) these factors did not appear, in the minds of these six

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young participants, to have contributed significantly to their success. Rather, they spoke
of significant individuals who had believed in them, demanded a great deal from them,
and supplied the support that made it possible for them to succeed at a level that inspired
self-confidence.
Descriptions of cultural continuity in the homes of the participants ranged from
non-existent for Renate, who was not even comfortable being identified as an Aboriginal
student, to taken-for-granted, for Lynn and Brian, who appeared to accept their
Aboriginal identity with little thought to what it might mean for them in a positive way.
Brian, however, hinted at a less than positive cultural identity when he described himself
·as ')ust another Indian going to school". Lynn's, Angela's, and Brian's description of life
with parents who abused alcohol as a legacy of the Residential School experience showed
how cultural continuity may have been broken and had not yet been repaired. Perhaps
these young people were not yet aware of what had been lost and at this point in their
lives, were not in need of a healing journey. Describing and portraying themselves as
"typical teens", as Lynn did, may have been a telling denial of Aboriginal identity, which
in itself, may require healing at some point in their lives. Another possible explanation is
that it may have showed an interest in belonging to mainstream culture that is common
for anyone at their age. Whether or not these young people will need a healing journey to
embrace their Aboriginal identity later in life, or at all, remains to be seen.
Somewhere between the extremes of ambivalence or indifference toward their
Aboriginal heritage and culture was Angela, who described the positive effects of her
Father's recent healing journey. This father's rediscovery of traditional spirituality was
viewed as a positive influence because he had given up alcohol, a decision that brought

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stability to their family life. Listening for the hidden words to note Angela's interest in
exploring traditional spirituality for herself someday, this recently renewed cultural
connection may have begun to contribute her own stronger sense of who she was as a
successful person from a successful family.
The literature contains many references to the importance of a healing journey
that repairs or restores cultural continuity and allows individuals to establish a positive
identity and overcome barriers to their success and the development of personal
competence (Brown, 2006; Friere, 1993; Jules, 1999; and McCormick, 1994). In many
cases, advocates seem to suggest that cultural awareness and pride must be established as
a prerequisite to other approaches, such as increased expectations. Toulouse (n.d.) cited a
growing body of literature that demonstrated that Aboriginal students' self-esteem was a
key factor in their school success, explaining that "an educational environment that
honours the culture, language and worldview of the Aboriginal student is critical to this
process" (p. 2). This view was confirmed by Bell et al.(2004) in their recommendation
that schools "work to establish learning climates that are culturally friendly to Aboriginal
students by encouraging all staff to learn about local culture and traditions, by prominent
displays of culturally relevant items, and by inviting local elders and community people
to share their knowledge in classes" (p. 325). However, these same authors concluded
that effective support required attention to culture and competency combined:
"Aboriginal students need to learn in a setting that recognizes their needs, values their
culture and identity, and challenges and equips them to succeed" (p. 325).

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Challenge and Support Through Mentorship

A significant relationship with at least one caring adult is a commonly cited factor
in resilience (Benard, 2004; Ungar, 2005), the ability to rebound from adversity. My own
life experience as well as my professional experience has taught me that mentors can
have significantly positive influence with Aboriginal youth, both through role modeling
and through student-focused informal counselling. The interviews revealed that each
participant had a mentor who recognized the student's strengths and encouraged the
development of a particular strength into a life-enriching interest or a potential career.
Mentors were prominent each of the participant's lives, as expressed in their
stories. Angela was inspired in her dance career by one particular dance teacher who
pushed her beyond the best she thought she could do; Angela was so pleased by the
progress in her dancing skills during the direction of this teacher.
Quinn was motivated by her youth leader, who has many qualities she enjoys and
wants to emulate. Quinn has already started building similar qualities in herself through
her role as a community leader with the Cadets; she is now a role model for younger
Cadets. Quinn also spoke highly of her best friend, whom I see as a mentor to Quinn and
a surrogate for the older sibling that she does not have. Quinn enjoys the company of this
friend and respects her for being true to herself.
Brian admired his Metalwork teacher; he spoke of him frequently throughout the
interview. Brian described this teacher approachable and explained how he encouraged
him to develop his strengths. For Brian, isolated from his family and community and in a
difficult living situation, mentorship at school seemed to be incredibly important.

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As her most prominent influence, other than her parents, Renate pointed out the
youth leader who has known her since she was a baby. Renate finds comfort in knowing
that she can tum to her youth leader. Renate also hinted at the compound effects of a
community of mentors when she explained that it is a collection of people and qualities
that she finds most beneficial.
Lynn remembers the kindness of two particular teachers who inspired her to do
her best and boosted her self-esteem through their kind-heartedness. She is also inspired
by her Dad and her boyfriend Nick, who are both significant mentors because they
recognize and believe in her as a successful person. Lynn's Dad reinforces the
importance of a strong work ethic and a good education to move past menial jobs and
have a better life: He does not want to see his daughter "scrubbing toilets" for the rest of
her life. Nick contributes a positive vision of the future. The mix of these two influences
brings Lynn dreams for her life as well as the means to tum them into achievable goals.
Daphne had many mentors that she spoke of throughout the interview, including
teachers, community workers, and family. The one person that she appreciated above and
beyond all was her Mom. Daphne has a respectful and loving relationship with her Mom
and she felt a cohesiveness with her siblings -together, they were a strong family.
Overall, mentors were a variety of people, including family members, friends of
all ages, and teachers. The most positive effects seemed to occur when participants
admired specific competencies in the mentor and also experienced the mentor's belief in
their own abilities. Compound effects occurred when students had several mentors in
different areas of their lives, to help them build a variety of competencies. Ideally, every
student would, like Renate, experience mentorship through a supportive community laden

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with expectations for the young person's success. However, even one significant person
who took the time to invest in a young person's opportunities, such as Brian's Metalwork
teacher did, could make a significant difference to the quality of their life.
High Expectations from Teachers
The school experiences of these participants confirm highly competent, warm,
and demanding teachers as having a positive influence on Aboriginal student success
(Bell et al., 2004). Toulouse (n.d) connected this common finding to Ojibway value of
love, "which is perceived as those acts that we selflessly perform for others in our world"
(p. 4). In the professional values adopted by the BC Principal's and Vice-Principals
Association (BCPVPA), the dedication of teachers and their leaders to success for all
students is identified as moral purpose, the foundation for other competencies (BCPVPA,
2007). Flowing from a deep moral purpose in teaching is the conviction that all students
can learn and all are worthy of support. Although participants mentioned teachers as
mentors, this is a professional basis for the personal interaction on which mentorship
depends.
In Grade Six, Angela's teacher believed in her and encouraged her to achieve top
grades in school; since this point Angela has strived to maintain this standard. Angela
discovered her true potential because of a teacher who believed in her, and Lynn had a
similar experience. Renate has friends who remind her of the standard they all hold for
achieving high marks and her parents, who are both educators, reinforce these goals.
Quinn spoke of a teacher who believed in her and understood her learning style. Daphne
discovered at a young age that she enjoyed the Fine Arts and she always had teachers
who fostered this gift. Daphne also valued the competence of Fine Arts teachers who

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understood and valued their subject enough to help her prepare for and achieve entrance
to a prestigious art school. For Brian, who was isolated from family and lifelong friends,
the personal interest and high expectations shown him by a teacher were powerful factors
for success.
The stories of the participants in this study emphasize the life-changing influence
of competent, caring teachers who are willing to engage personally with students and can
find the time to do so. The teachers identified as having significant impact in each
student's success understood and valued their subject areas deeply and they appeared also
to understand and value these students. They were able to transmit their passions for a
specific discipline or craft to the young people.
The Aboriginal youth in this study experienced, for at least part of their school
career, caring and competent support from teachers who believed that these students were
capable learners. However, some stories also revealed, poignantly, the students'
awareness of being dismissed and undervalued by teachers. Angela told of her frustration
with school in Kindergarten: At first, she thought of herself and her siblings as slow
starters because they were assigned to learning assistance. In the classroom, Angela
found herself colouring when she really wanted to learn. She expressed her frustration to
her mother, who intervened with the school, and more appropriate placements and
expectations eventually occurred. In Grade One, Quinn recognized for herself that she
had a different learning style. Throughout the years, Quinn has developed and practiced
techniques that allow her to learn; Quinn did not mention teachers who helped her with
this but she did mention their frustration with her independence. Bullying was an issue
for Brian and Quinn that made their elementary school experience unpleasant.

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Apparently, they did not trust their teachers enough to ask for help and make the bullying
stop, or perhaps their requests for help were dismissed.
Although childhood memories may not offer a fully accurate account of events,
powerful feelings and the way the experience is framed in subsequent years appeared
influential. Students recalled some interactions with their teachers as unfair and harmful
to their current success. Thankfully, their positive relationships with teachers included
experiences of personal recognition and high expectations for learning and these became
more prominent in their minds over time. Sufficient mentorship resulted in an inner
strength that allowed them, when necessary, to mentor themselves with determination to
acquire the skills that would help them achieve their goals.
Quality teaching was significant for developing Daphne's art work, Renate's
interest in science, and Brian's metalwork skills. Insights from this study echoed
recommendations from Bell et al. (2004): "schools working with Aboriginal students are
urged to hold high expectations for achievement while recognizing the existence of their
special needs and providing multiple layers of support" (p. 17). They also support the
view that leadership in schools that serve successful Aboriginal students will focus on
ensuring the quality of teaching, from hiring excellent teachers to retaining them and
supporting their continued growth and collaboration. Bell et al. summarized this aspect of
their findings on successful schools: "These schools maintained high expectations for
both staff and students" (p. 14).
Although I might assume, from an appreciative standpoint, that the students in
this study were all uniquely talented and therefore the exception, some of the early school
performances they described showed that they were not. Their comments about

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themselves showed that they did not see themselves as exceptional. Rather, their talents
had blossomed over time with the care and attention of teachers like the one Angela had
in grade six, who gave her a taste of the kind of competency that is identified with top
grades. Two important inferences come from this aspect of the narratives: (a) successful
Aboriginal students are not unique or unusual; they are ordinary and possibly even
typical Aboriginal people who have responded to exemplary teaching that contains both
challenge and support; and (b) students who receive teacher mentorship later in their
school career can, in some cases, recover from negative experiences in their early years.
Aboriginal Adults in the School
Several students in the study described the beneficial support they received from
their school's Aboriginal Education Team. Quinn mentioned that she felt comfort in
knowing the Aboriginal Education Team was there, even just to say hi. Daphne did not
mention the Team specifically in her interview but her community activities show that
strong connections have been developed. The Aboriginal Education Team identified
Daphne as a successful student because of who she has become and community people
see her as successful because of her service activities. Brian's amused comparison of the
Aboriginal Education Team to the "aunties" in his home community showed that the very
presence of these mentors brings cultural continuity to the school situation, even if
cultural practices are not the topic of conversation or the focus of a lesson.
Cultural affirmation occurs in the way that Aboriginal adults and students
recognize and relate to one another, in verbal and in non-verbal ways, and with
understanding of the students' autonomy that draws on the traditional value of noninteference or non-coercion (Ross, 2006), the uniquely Aboriginal understanding of

Success Stories: Aboriginal Students and Access to Post-Secondary Education

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respect for the self-determination of each person (Brown, 2004). Several students in this
study acknowledged the Aboriginal Education Team as a key factor in their success. This
finding is confirmed in conclusions drawn from a study of effective school districts in
British Columbia, that "emphasize[d] the role of Aboriginal support workers in providing
academic and behavioural support as part of the school-based team, create a welcoming
environment for parents and children in the school, and keep parents informed and
involved in their children's education" (McBride, as cited in Bell et al., 2004, p. 13).
Noticeably absent, however, was mention of Aboriginal teachers as role models, which
may suggest an important area for growth in northern British Columbia.

Barriers to Success
In addition to specific answers to my research questions, I expected that

participant narratives would reveal something about the barriers they faced and the
curriculum and attitudes they had experienced at school. The effects of poverty, singleparent families, and the alcohol abuse of family members were factors that some of the
students shared and overcame. These adversities, which in various combinations affected
five of the six participants, affirmed that resilience research is an appropriate lens through
which to view their accomplishments. Specifically, their lives are stories of positive
youth development, because in each case a program or person encouraged and fostered a
gift of talent or ability toward competence; this competence then contributed to resilience
and the personal strength to move beyond adversities (Hanlon, 2008; Pittman, O'Brien, &
Kimball, 1993).
With most participants, I found that barriers to success were rooted in economic
disadvantage. At least two of the participants came from single parent families and they

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described their family as not having a lot of money. Alcoholism was a factor in three of
the student's families. The lack of role models with successful careers was prominent and
few of the students had family members who had attended obtained post-secondary
education. However, participants benefitted from the advice of family members who
stressed the importance of education, perhaps yearning for their children to overcome the
disadvantage they had experienced in their own lives. Brian faced an additional obstacle
of being relocated to a city from a small remote reserve in Northern British Columbia.
Economic barriers to Aboriginal student success were discussed by Helin (2006),
who described an elementary school in Vancouver that had a high percentage of
Aboriginal students and the worst reputation in the district. Students at this school faced
similar barriers to the students in my study: the poverty level was high, role models were
scarce, substance abuse was common, and relocation occurred frequently, possibly due to
an inability to pay rent or to family breakdown. The principal and her staff were unsettled
about the school's reputation and the poor education the students were receiving and they
explored options for an effective action plan, including balancing academics with
alternative learning styles and introducing a cultural component. The goal was to educate
students in the ways of the modem world and also teach them to understand and uphold
traditional values. This school has improved drastically in the quality of student life as
well as academic achievement. However, Helin (2006) takes a controversial position
when he attributes the school's success more to an emphasis on high expectations than to
the cultural component. He advocates for greater attention to developing competency in
Aboriginal education. By itself, a cultural emphasis is not enough to scaffold widespread
success - an expectation of achievement is also required.

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The component of curriculum with the participant stories was not prominent. The
story of Angela not being recognized as possibly being a slower starter rather than a slow
learner was a frustrating process for her. The prominent factor that I observed was the
presence of the students being interested in Math and Science; this myth of Aboriginal
students not being able to do Math and Science is shattered in this study as Brian was the
only student who did not mention enjoying Math and Science. Brian stated that he
enjoyed Metalwork and connected with the Metalwork teacher; the curriculum and
teacher in this case were suitable for Brian as he found his strengths in this course and
had them reinforced by the teacher.
The attitudes of teachers who worked with these participants are well adjusted and
created connections with these participants. I recall the participants having more
challenges with people outside of school. The students mentioned teachers and support
staff that are valuable in their success stories. The teachers and support staff that the
participants spoke of had a positive and strength building approach to the participant in
assisting them to succeed.
Concluding Thoughts
The six stories in this study, including my own, are remarkable. These students
know what they have to do to graduate and each of them has goals for post-secondary
education. This study and the appreciative questions I asked them may have helped them
to strengthen their identities as successful people and to clarify those goals or build
confidence for their attainment. If so, I am among the variety of people who have
influenced these students and participated in the community-based care of children and
youth, which is a traditional Aboriginal practice (Archibald, 1997; Battiste, 2000). I

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really felt that the students were humble about their own accomplishments; this is another
quality of Aboriginal people, we do not boast about our accomplishments (McCormick,
1994). As the researcher I tried to preserve their stories; I did not want to miss out
information or to minimize anything that the participants had shared.

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V: Completing the Circle
"One solution is for people of all ethnicities to start thinking less about our differences
and more about the fabric that binds us together as a human species. Too often we forget
that we all must answer to the same laws of nature regardless of the colour of our skin or
the language that we speak; that we share a commonality of
cultural wisdom and ancient learning. "
(Helin, 2006, p. 166)
In this project, I have worked to highlight the positive aspects of an underresearched topic of Aboriginal access to post-secondary education, focusing on the
factors that contribute to success for youth and allow them access to post-secondary
education and a more productive and satisfying life. I attempted to produce a research
design that would provide an Aboriginal perspective based on affirming and cultivating
the strengths of our young people, which emerged from the narratives as an emphasis on
developing personal competency.
Although it is not a part of the project at this point, I envisioned a learning
journey that could be followed, both for me and for the young people who shared their
narratives, with an Aboriginal approach to the celebration of leadership. Such celebration
could occur through visual images, the beating of a drum, or the creation of
commemorative artifacts drawing on cultural traditions. The purpose of my project was
to contribute to a healing journey for myself, for the student participants, and for those
who read and learn from my research. I hope that the Aboriginal Education Team at
Duchess Park School will feel appreciated for their contribution to this research and also
affirmed in their important work by its outcomes.
I also anticipate that educators in northern communities, especially in Prince
George, will take notice of the research conducted in order to lead Aboriginal student
success in their school, community organization, or post-secondary institution. Educators,

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support workers, families, schools, community organizations, and Elders have key roles
in leading Aboriginal student success, both academically and socially. My research
emphasized the importance and impact of these roles as experienced by a small group of
successful Aboriginal students. Particularly, the study revealed the potential of personal
friendships and mentorships to contribute to youth resilience and sense of identity,
competence, and purpose.
The strands of literature that were most relevant for the design of the study and
for data analysis were the strength-based aspect of positive youth development, under the
umbrella of resilience research. A strength-based approach is not specifically Aboriginal
but the approach is similar to the Aboriginal view that we all have competencies and we
should build on these strengths as we address other growth areas as well (Ross, 2006). In
an ideal world, leadership for resilience and positive youth development would be
integrated within a community that helps young people find and develop their unique
gifts. The holistic Web of Influence would provide a strong web of support, for different
people in different ways. Competency and health would be antidotes against loss of
identity, loss of place, and loss of meaningful ways to contribute to society. The effects of
a healing journey for Aboriginal people would be evident in Aboriginal self-reliance as
well as substantial contributions to mainstream society. The vision of an ideal world,
inspired by this study, creates a compelling image of the future of Aboriginal education,
both within and beyond the school walls. Perhaps this study and its affirming, inclusive
approach will play a small part in "developing a new storyline for Aboriginal education"
(Kaser & Halbert, p. 77).

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Some of the participants in this study were from single parent homes. They all
worked hard at school and maintained friendships. Some volunteered in a variety of
opportunities in the community. Most expressed an understanding of a healthy balance of
school work and recreational and community activities. They enjoyed movies with
friends and learning new skills at school or in community groups. Overall, they were
much like non-Aboriginal students their age.
However, all of the students except for one had considerable adversities to
overcome, which combined with their recognition as successful students, demonstrated
their resilience. The study design, an appreciative approach to narrative inquiry, was
followed by categorical analysis of the positive question, "How have these students
become resilient?". The resulting narratives showed the importance of support initiatives
that require institutional support and funding, such as the presence of the Aboriginal
Education Team at Duchess Park School. The study confirms a common finding in the
literature that Aboriginal students, like other groups of students facing barriers to school
success, can be supported within a culture of high expectations, where support to meet
those high standards is also provided. Surprisingly, the study does not confirm claims for
the effectiveness of cultural continuity and culturally affirming school programs as
factors for success in themselves, without the companion benefits of high expectations
and support to build competency.
Although this combination of two characteristics for successful Aboriginal
education is common in the literature (Bell, et al., 2008), it took this study for me to see
them, in a new way, as two essential pillars for success. These narratives, which honour
the perspectives of the youth themselves rather than the voices of cultural advocates or

Success Stories: Aboriginal Students and Access to Post-Secondary Education

95

adults who may be speaking from their own experience, also show that an emphasis on
competency with little attention to cultural awareness can lead some students to healthy
and productive lives.
However, Aboriginal culture has been well-established in the literature as a key
factor in supporting success for Aboriginal students. I do not want to diminish this
important point made by previous researchers. The participants in my study may not have
articulated their interest or involvement in Aboriginal culture because it was largely
unavailable to them, either at school or in their community. I did not ask students
specifically about their participation in First Nations Studies courses or whether teachers
used culturally affirming materials to deliver content across the curriculum. Students may
have had these experiences and simply not noticed the beneficial effects, given their
natural adolescent concern with relationships and mainstream activities. Or they may
have thought that because I did not ask about those things specifically, I was not
interested in them.
Narratives revealed cultural disruptions in the community and in families that
have limited the opportunities these young people had to connect with their heritage.
Further investigation is needed to determine what cultural access students do experience
and to consider whether increased attention to cultural awareness and practices would
benefit curricula or program development. It is my hope that the Web of Influence I have
developed and my interpretation of the student narratives will affirm and possibly extend
the positive work that is done by all individuals and organizations. Above all, I hope that
showcasing these six stories of successful Aboriginal students will contribute to

Success Stories: Aboriginal Students and Access to Post-Secondary Education

96

widespread belief that Aboriginal students can learn and are worthy of the investment
required in terms of time, attention, and funding.
Each student experiences success differently and comes to it in different ways; all
approaches and resources are needed at some point, for some individuals and for some
groups with characteristics in common. Although I propose that greater emphasis on
personal competency may be as beneficial for other students as it was for the young
people I interviewed, such an insight should be applied with an inquiring mindset (Kaser
& Halbert, 2009). Other researchers, teachers, and leaders will want to listen carefully to

individual stories, as I have done, and attend also to the hidden words that paint a vivid
picture of the whole person, their struggles, and triumphs. To extend and complement this
study, further research is needed to assess the effectiveness of particular emphasis across
a broad population.
As Toulouse (n.d.) mentioned, an oft-quoted lament of Aboriginal Elders is that
our youth "don't know who they are". At this point in their lives, these students appeared
to be very aware of who they are in terms of the way mainstream culture will view them,
through their competencies and their potential occupations in the non-Aboriginal world,
as dancers and artists, as future police officers and medical professionals. It remains to be
seen whether each of them will need to, or will be able to reconcile these worlds in a
healing journey that integrates their personal competency in the modern world with
collective Aboriginal values and traditions.
To conclude, I want to reaffirm my belief, developed through this study, in the
two pillars of culture and competence as supports for Aboriginal student success. When
one of these is absent, underdeveloped, or simply not of interest to an individual,

Success Stories: Aboriginal Students and Access to Post-Secondary Education

97

emphasis on the other may compensate and success may result. However, I believe more
strongly now that the ideal approach is to support Aboriginal students through both of
these approaches, so that each young person may choose and design his or her own
personal balance between belonging to the Aboriginal community and to the modem
world.
Throughout this project I have discovered meaning that has contributed to my
healing journey, the reintegration of my sense of personal competence with the strength I
am increasingly able to draw from my Aboriginal community's history and culture. I am
hopeful that the five high school students I interviewed will also look back on this study
as beneficial to them. As I have interpreted their stories, I have completed a circle of
meaning for myself. I offer this study as a gift to educators and community leaders,
inviting readers to complete the circle for themselves, and find lessons to apply to their
own role in supporting young people achieve success.

Success Stories: Aboriginal Students and Access to Post-Secondary Education

98

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Success Stories : Aboriginal Students and Access to Post-Secondary Education
Interview questions for six Aboriginal youth in a secondary school.

104

APPENDIX A

Part A: Setting Rapport
I would hope that from previous meetings the students know who I am and that I would
like to interview them. I would remind the students that they can withdraw if they wish. If
they want to continue, I would thank them for their participation. I would explain that I
want to explore the idea of student success with them in this interview. Have them sign
the student consent form and obtain parental or guardian consent prior to starting the
interview.
Q 1. Describe a typical day for you. What would you see? What experiences would you
be having?
Q2. How do you feel about this typical day? Tell me about how you feel about these
experiences?
Q3. Tell me about a typical day at school. How do you feel about school?
Q4. Thinking about a typical day and a typical day at school; tell me about your favourite
activity.
Part B: School and outside school. How do you feel about the session so far? Do you
have any concerns? Do you feel comfortable? If you are okay and comfortable, I would
like to continue on to school and the people in your life.
Q5. Do you like your school? How long have you been attending this school? Describe to
me your school in as much detail as possible.
Q6. Tell me about the courses you plan to take this school year. Can you describe to me
how you decided on these courses?

Success Stories: Aboriginal Students and Access to Post-Secondary Education

105

Q7. Tell me about the people who support you while at school. How long have you
known these people? At school who is your favourite support person? Describe them to
me.
Q8. Tell me about the people who support you at home. Describe some of the ways they
support you. Outside of school who is your favourite person. Describe them to me.
Part C: Mentors
Q9. Describe to me your goals in life. How did you decide on these goals?
QlO. Was there one person or some people who was a role model in your life? Please
describe them to me.
Qll. Describe your favourite memory of this role model(s). How does this make you
feel? Describe your feelings to me.
Q12. Who would you say is your favourite role model? Describe the person and the
influence they have had on your life.
Q13. Do you plan on attending college or university? Describe to me your process for
coming to this decision.
Q14. If you are planning on going to post-secondary school or you would like to, what do
you think you would like to study? Describe to me the areas that interest you.
Ql5. Describe to me your career goals. Who would be involved in making these career
goals happen?
Q16. Tell me your story, how has school been for you since kindergarten until now?

Success Stories: Aboriginal Students and Access to Post-Secondary Education
Consent form for participants and parents/guardians of participants.

106

APPENDIXB

Consent Form
Title of the Study: Success Stories: Aboriginal Students and Access to Post-Secondary
Education
This study is being conducted by Joan Brett, Candidate for the Master of Education
degree under the supervision of Dr. Willow Brown at the University of Northern British
Columbia. This study will be researching the positive influences of successful Aboriginal
students and their access to post-secondary education. The study is restricted to
Aboriginal students from ages 15 to 19 years who are enrolled at Duchess Park
Secondary School. This study has been reviewed by Duchess Park Secondary School and
by the Research Ethics Board at the University of Northern British Columbia. As a
participant, you will be asked to participate in four meetings.
The first meeting will be recorded (audio) and will take maximum 90 minutes and
subsequent meeting will take about 45 min. The meetings will take place at a location of
your convenience. If at anytime you would like to quit this study, you may do so without
any loss or penalty. You may withdraw from this study at any time by advising the
researcher of your decision and any information given up until this point will be
automatically withdrawn. By participating in this study you will be contributing your
personal experience stories for the mutual benefit of your satisfaction and the study.
Names and any other self-identifying information are not required, and individual
information will be removed from the interview transcript upon your request. In the
interviews the students will only be labeled as "Subject A", "Subject B", etc to ensure
anonymity of the students. Only the researcher will have access to the corresponding
names and labels. You will be provided a copy of the interview transcript for your
approval before your responses are used for the study. Transcripts will be kept in a locked
filing cabinet in my home away from the research site. The transcripts will be destroyed
after December 2009.
A celebration component will be considered by the participants where a photo of
themselves or a mentor will be on display and a short write-up on their story will be
created if agreed.
The benefits for you as the participant will be the opportunity to share your story with
others and provide a learning opportunity for other researchers; the risks of participating
in the study are minimal -the celebration component of the study, should you want to
participate, will have you revealed as a participant in the study, therefore anonymity will
not contained.
If you have any comments or concerns resulting from your participation in this study, or
would like to be informed of the results, please contact Joan Brett at brettj @unbc.ca. Any

Success Stories: Aboriginal Students and Access to Post-Secondary Education

107

complaints should be directed to the Office of Research at the University of Northern
British Columbia, 250-960-5820 or by email reb@unbc.ca
Please fill out the following questions and if agree sign the bottom of the document. The
signature of the student and parent (if under the age of 19) is required.

I understand that I have been asked to be in a research study.

Yes

No

I have read and understand all of the information provided
to me on this form.

Yes

No

I understand who will have access to the information that I
provide.

Yes

No

I understand the risks and benefits of participating in this
study.

Yes

No

I understand that the interview will be recorded (audio).

Yes

No

I understand that I have the right to refuse to answer any of
the questions asked of me or to withdraw from the study
entirely at any time with no explanation necessary with all
information automatically withdrawn.

Yes

No

Name (please print)

Signature of Research Participant

Date

Signature of Parent/Guardian
(students under 19 years of age)

Success Stories: Aboriginal Students and Access to Post-Secondary Education

APPENDIXC

Research ethics board approval.

UNNERSITY OF NORTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA
RESEARCH ETHICS BOARD

MEMORANDUM
To:

Joan Brett
Willow Brown

From:

Henry Harder, Chair
Research Ethics Board

Date:

January 5, 2009

Re:

E2008.1124.204
Success stories: Aboriginal students and access to post-secondary education

CC:

Thank you for submitting the above-noted research proposal and requested
amendments to the Research Ethics Board. Your proposal has been approved.
We are pleased to issue approval for the above named study for a period of 12 months
from the date of this letter. Continuation beyond that date will require further review and
renewal of REB approval. Any changes or amendments to the protocol or consent form
must be approved by the Research Ethics Board .

if'

Good luck with your research .

l~ . .

Sincerely,

'/

l

108

,.,.

;

Success Stories: Aboriginal Students and Access to Post-Secondary Education
School District 57 research approval.

APPENDIXD

SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 57 (PRINCE GEORGE)
2100 Ferry Avenue , Prince George, B.C. V2L 4R5

Phone: (250) 561-6800 • Fax (250) 561-6801
www .sd57.bc.ca

December 5, 2008

Joan Brett
#104-4198 Davis Road
Prince George, BC
V2N 6X4
Dear Joan:
This letter is to confirm the discussion at our meeting on October 29, 2008 regarding
your request to access to schools in the Prince George School District for the purpose
of educational research. As we discussed, the school district recognizes the integral
part that research plays in education. We support the research sponsored by our local
tertiary institutes as a priority. Your project, to examine success stories of aboriginal
students and their access to post secondary education, is very interesting and should
provide useful information for you and the district.
This letter's purpose is to indicate that you have district approval to proceed with
your project. "District approval" allows the researcher to approach principals, and
subsequently teachers, to request their permission to conduct research in their
schooVclassroom. Your next step will be to contact the principal of Duchess Park to
set up a meeting to discuss your project and obtain her pennission to undertake the
project in her school. I would also suggest that you contact Mary LaMarre, the
Aboriginal counsellor at Duchess Park, to seek her assistance in identifying
appropriate students for the project. A copy of this letter has been forwarded to
Sherrie Thibault, Principal, Duchess Park and Mary LaMarre, Counsellor, Duchess
Park.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call me. Good luck with your
project. I look forward to receiving a copy of the final report.

Bonnie Chappell
Director, School Services
BC/hg
CC:

S. Thibault, Duchess Park
M. LaMarre, Duchess Park

109