Aboriginal higher education is proving to be the catalyst for change, bringing economic benefits for people and the nation. Just as importantly, the inclusion initiatives are deepening cultural understanding and respect.
- By Donna Chan
Most Canadians are likely familiar with the Inuit, First Nations, and Métis saying: Education is the new buffalo. Many Aboriginals once relied on animals like buffalo to provide communities everything they needed to survive – clothing, food, and shelter. Now education is symbolically replacing the buffalo because it gives people the knowledge and skills to provide what is needed to prosper. In addition, Aboriginal higher education brings value to Canada as a whole by increasing national economic prosperity while deepening a sense of respect and appreciation for the culture, talent, and contributions of First Peoples. It is only right to measure the value of post-secondary education in terms of dollars and social benefits.
People describing the value of higher education to Aboriginals often begin by focusing on setting a wrong “right” because of historical events. For many generations, Aboriginals were isolated from the Canadian mainstream, even as the federal government tried to force non-culturally based education on their children. This is not meant to condemn historical decisions by the government of Canada, but to put the true value of higher education opportunities for Aboriginals into context. A long history of isolation on Reserves, destruction of collective identities, loss of traditional ways of life, and lack of education led to poverty and unemployment rates that are more than twice the rates for non-Aboriginals. Though many Aboriginals now leave the Reserves to move into urban areas, they have still faced racism, low skilled employment opportunities, and continued high rates of poverty.
Looking to the Future with Options
Higher education offers a solution to the past and a path for the future, if structured the right way. The ‘right way’ means offering higher education that meets the needs of the Aboriginals by offering support systems that enable Aboriginal students to stay culturally connected while studying away from family and friends, and coursework and degrees that enable students to pursue areas of knowledge they find beneficial personally and beneficial to their communities. A good example is the University of Victoria concurrent program that combines a law degree and a master of arts in Indigenous governance. The University, located in Saanich and Oak Bay, 5.71 km northeast of downtown Victoria, British Columbia has an annual enrolment of about 20,000 students.
Another example is Laurentian University in Sudbury, which offers a culturally specific degree in social work. The University is a Roman Catholic bilingual university in Ontario, which offers courses in French and English. Aboriginals earning degrees from these schools have the option of returning to their communities and leveraging their education by putting it to use in needed areas, starting businesses, or working for corporate Canada.
Post-secondary education reduces unemployment and raises people out of poverty. In 2011, Statistics Canada indicates that 48.4 percent Aboriginals aged 25 years old to 64 years old had earned a post-secondary certificate or diploma. The numbers broke down like this: 9.8 percent had a university degree; 3.5 percent had a university diploma or certificate below the bachelor level; 20.6 percent had a college diploma; and 14.4percent had a trades certificate. These numbers would surprise many Canadians who are not aware of the tremendous progress already made as a result of higher education efforts to attract Aboriginals.
Trained and educated Aboriginals offer a pool of talent for filling Canada’s skilled labour gap. The Centre for the Study of Living Standards reported that government spending on health care and social services would drop by $14.2 billion if Aboriginal Canadians were able to reach the 2001 level of the general Canadian population by the year 2026. At the same time, the income for Aboriginals would go up by $36.5 billion as they accept higher level, higher paying positions that corporate Canada often fills with immigrants. In fact, Aboriginal peoples who earned university degrees have been much more successful at closing the income gap between themselves and non-Aboriginal Canadians. The benefits of education are exponential.
Value of New Perspectives
The value of these certificates and degrees extends beyond simply giving people more job opportunities, but it is difficult to measure the value of social benefits in terms of perspectives and attitudes. What value can be placed on a role model? As more Aboriginals enter institutions of higher education and succeed, others behind them begin to think differently. What metric is assigned to a high school student who sees an Aboriginal attending the University of Saskatchewan College of Medicine and says to her- or himself, “I can do that, too” and then sets a new goal?
There is also the value of increasing cultural awareness and awareness of the importance of diversity to Canada. There are myths and misconceptions about Aboriginals that must be dispelled in order for them to truly enjoy equal opportunities. What many people are not aware of is that thousands of Aboriginals are succeeding despite the barriers they have faced historically and culturally. For example, the 2006 Census reported over 37,000 Aboriginals are self-employed business owners. In a follow-up study, the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business found that six out of ten Aboriginal businesses were reporting profits in 2010. In addition, Statistics Canada reported younger Aboriginals are more likely to have college diplomas compared to their elders, indicating the efforts to expand post-secondary educational opportunities are beginning to shift attitudes.
It should always be remembered that many Aboriginals who complete post-secondary education studies will return to their communities. They take their education, knowledge, and skills back to their communities, thus leveraging their education, knowledge, skills, and competencies in their own community. Canadian firms looking for ways to engage with Aboriginals on and off-Reserves will find most to be willing partners in engagement efforts. This is true for Aboriginals who reside in the urban areas as well as those who choose to return home and become entrepreneurs, employees, or community activists. Higher education offers a reality that includes increased productivity, greater cultural awareness, community engagement, higher income opportunities, lower unemployment rates, lower social costs, and so much more. Canada simply cannot go wrong by expanding educational opportunities.