msu aboriginal students policy paper

7/29/2019 MSU Aboriginal Students Policy Paper

1/16

Aboriginal Students

Prepared by:

Huzaifa Saeed, Vice-President (Education)12/13McMaster Students Union

With files from:

Alexander Burnett, MSU Research Assistant 13


2/16

Introduction

The current climate of Aboriginal students and post-secondary education has beennegatively influenced by a complex history covering issues of culture and socio-economic factors. This has lead Aboriginal people to have lower levels ofrepresentation within post-secondary institutions. Universities must proactively reach

out to Aboriginal students to bridge divides that have been created through amultitude of systemic discriminations. Accessibility for Aboriginal students is ofutmost importance with Aboriginal issues experiencing particular focus at this time.The McMaster Students Union advocates that federal and provincial governmentsmust develop proactive initiatives to increase the presence of Aboriginal students inhigher education in order to deconstruct past barriers.

There are several barriers identified by sector stakeholders and most notably in thework conducted by our partners Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance andCanadian Alliance of Student Associations over the past few years. Therefore, thispaper is admittedly intentionally designed to not be an exhaustive look into the

various complicated socioeconomic and historical factors on this issue since throughits membership within the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance as well asCanadian Alliance of Student Association; the McMaster Students Union indirectly isrepresented by more comprehensive policy papers. Instead, it is part of a series ofpolicy papers that are being authored by the MSU to reflect our position on pressingPost-Secondary educational matters as an independent Students Union. The researchis largely sourced from secondary reports and reports, two focus groups (2010 &2011) attended by Aboriginal Students hosted by OUSA at McMaster University and aconsultation with staff at the Indigenous studies office in January 2013

Context

In 1952 only two Aboriginal students were attending university in all of Canada. By1969 this number had risen to a mere 100 Aboriginal students. Today it is estimatedthat there are nearly 30,000 Aboriginal students in university in Canada, with nearlyhalf in Ontario.1 Despite this dramatic increase in university enrolment, Aboriginalpeople are still far less likely to enrol in post-secondary education (PSE) than non-Aboriginal individuals. In Ontario, recent data suggests the university attainment gapamong 24 to 26 year olds is 28 per cent. 2 The ramifications of this gap areconsiderable. The Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples estimated that Aboriginalpoverty will cost Canada $11 billion per year by 2016, which is double the cost ofservices and programs reaching First Nations communities. 3 Compared to non-Aboriginal Ontarians, Aboriginal individuals have lower life expectancies, higher

incarceration rates, are more likely to live in poverty, and are more likely to beunemployed.

The low participation rate of Aboriginal peoples in post-secondary education stemsfrom a complex interaction of historical, cultural and socio-economic factors.

1The Aboriginal Institutes Consortium. (2005).A struggle for the education of Aboriginal students, control of Indigenous Knowledge andrecognition of Aboriginal institutions: An examination of government policy. Ohsweken, ON: Canada Race Relations Foundation.2 Finnie, R., Childs, S., & Wismer, A. (2011). Under-Represented Groups in Postsecondary Education in Ontario: Evidence from the Youth inTransition Survey. Toronto: Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario.

3 Government of Canada. (1996). Highlights from the report of the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples. Ottawa: Indian and Northern AffairsCanada.


3/16

Principle One: All willing and qualified students in Ontario must be able toaccess and excel within Ontarios post-secondary education system.

All willing and qualified students in Ontario must be able to access and excel withinOntarios post-secondary system, regardless of ethnicity, socio-economiccircumstances, geographic location, or any other external factor. Students recognizethe advantage of higher education from both a social and economic perspective. Thesocietal benefits of a highly educated population serve to relieve the poverty cycle,reduce crime rates, and increase civic participation and engagement with socialaffairs.4 Aside from the notion that all students should have an equal opportunity toaccess higher education, the economic need to engage underrepresented groups inPSE is clear. In economic terms, the oft-quoted statistic is that 70 per cent of jobsrequire some form of post-secondary education or training.5

While participation in PSE has been increasing steadily over the last decade,participation rates some groups that have been traditionally underrepresented,including Aboriginal students, have not kept pace. Aboriginal peoples in Ontario tend

to occupy a marginalized position. Due to a history of injustice, they have lowerincomes that non-Aboriginal families, a higher incidence of suicide, are more likely tobe incarcerated, and have life expectancies that are eight to ten years lower thanthose of non-Aboriginal Ontarians.6 Evidence suggests that successful completion ofpost-secondary education can help close the earnings gap between Aboriginal andnon-Aboriginals because the gap between the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginalunemployment ratesdeclines with education until there is little difference amongthose with a university degree.7 That all willing and qualified Aboriginal students canaccess and excel in Ontarios post-secondary system is particularly important giventhat many Aboriginal communities face skilled-labour shortages in a number of fieldscrucial for community development and self governance, including education, medical

fields, and environmental sciences.

Principle Two: Aboriginal students face unique historical and culturalbarriers to participation in higher education.

While some barriers that Aboriginal students face in accessing post-secondaryeducation are shared with other groups, like low-income and rural and northernstudents, it is important to recognize that Aboriginal students also face uniquehistorical and cultural barriers to participation in higher education. Education was oneof the major means through which European settlers attempted to assimilateAboriginal peoples. The residential school system was intended remove students fromtheir parents, and communities, to prevent the transmission of Indigenous knowledge

and language from generation to generation. Historically, urban and rural Aboriginalstudents attending provincially-funded schools have had to contend with Eurocentriccurriculum that ignored Aboriginal issues. Similarly, Aboriginal students attendingaccredited post-secondary institutions have faced a hostile, culturally insensitivecurriculum and system, which has not recognized Aboriginal cultural values andcontributions to contemporary societies. Even more disturbing, up until 1960, anyAboriginal person who earned a post-secondary credential was automatically

4 TD Economics. (2004). Investing in higher education delivers a stellar rate of return. Toronto: TD Economics.5Ontario Ministry of Finance. (2010). Post-secondary Education, 2010 Ontario Budget. Toronto: Ontario Ministry of Finance.6 Holmes, David. (2006). Redressing the Balance: Canadian University Programs in Support of Aboriginal Students . Ottawa: Association of

Universities and Colleges of Canada.7 Hull, Jeremy. (2005). Postsecondary education and labour market outcomes, Canada, 2001. Winnipeg: Prologica Research.


4/16

enfranchised as well, as recognition of their integration into Euro-Canadian society.8Higher education was then directly associated with assimilation, through the bothEurocentric curriculum content and the loss of Aboriginal status under the law. Thislegacy has led to a multitude of social problems in Aboriginal communities, andcreated an atmosphere of distrust regarding education between Aboriginal peoplesand provincial and federal governments.

Principle Three: Both the provincial and federal governments holdresponsibility for providing Aboriginal communities with improved access topost-secondary education.

Both the federal and provincial governments have articulated a responsibility forimproving access to post-secondary education for all Aboriginal students. In January2007, the Ontario government directly acknowledged this responsibility, launching anew Aboriginal Education Strategy stating that it was committed to providingaccessible, high-quality education and training opportunities to Aboriginal peoples atall levels of learning.9 Many Aboriginal groups believe that a fair interpretation of

treaty rights obliges the federal government to fund post-secondary education in thesame way that it funds primary and secondary school for status-First Nations andInuit students.10 The federal government disagrees with this view, but at the sametime has taken responsibility for some funding of post-secondary education forAboriginal students, through the creation of the Post-Secondary Student SupportProgram (PSSSP) and Indian Studies Support Program (ISSP). While it is beyond thescope of this policy to judge whether a fair treaty interpretation mandates the fullfederal funding of post-secondary education for Aboriginal students, students believethat all youth in Ontario should have an equitable opportunity to attend post-secondary institutions. In recognition of the historical and contemporary injusticesAboriginal people face in Ontario, both the provincial and federal government have a

responsibility to improve access to post-secondary education for Aboriginal students.

Financial Resources

The fastest growing population segment in Canada is Aboriginal youth, those betweenthe ages of 15 and 3011. In fact, between 1996 and 2006, Canadas Aboriginalpopulation grew nearly six times faster than the non-Aboriginal population12. It iscrucial to support this young and growing community, which has the potential toaddress current and future labour gaps.

Despite growing costs for accessing PSE, the supply of financial resources from thegovernment has not reflected this, specifically for Aboriginal people. The Post-

Secondary Student Support Program (PSSSP), utilized as the dominant fundingmethod for many Aboriginal students, has been capped at a annual 2% increasesince 1996. This has forced a small pool of money to be spread thin among a growingpopulation amidst growing costs for education.

8The Aboriginal Institutes Consortium. (2005).A struggle for the education of Aboriginal students, control of Indigenous Knowledge andrecognition of Aboriginal institutions: An examination of government policy. Ohsweken, ON: Canada Race Relations Foundation.9 Ontario Ministry of Education. (2009). Backgrounder: Aboriginal education in Ontario. Toronto: Government of Ontario.10 Report of the Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development. (2007). No higher priority Aboriginal post-secondaryeducation in Canada. Ottawa: Communication Canada-Publishing.11

HumanResources and Skills Development Canada.AboriginalYouthInitiatives. Accessed online:

www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/employment/aboriginal_employment/youth/index.shtml. January 25th, 2013.12

Statistics Canada, Industry Canada. ExtractfromtheCensusofPopulation. Accessed online:www.statcan.gc.ca/imdb--bmdi/3901--eng.htm. January 17, 2013.
http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/http://www.statcan.gc.ca/imdb--%E2%80%90bmdi/http://www.statcan.gc.ca/imdb--%E2%80%90bmdi/http://www.statcan.gc.ca/imdb--%E2%80%90bmdi/http://www.statcan.gc.ca/imdb--%E2%80%90bmdi/http://www.statcan.gc.ca/imdb--%E2%80%90bmdi/http://www.statcan.gc.ca/imdb--%E2%80%90bmdi/http://www.statcan.gc.ca/imdb--%E2%80%90bmdi/http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng/


5/16

Those who receive funding from the program now have the highest graduation ratesthan at any point in the history of the PSSSP. The program has increased successrates for those who have been able to access funding. In 2008/2009 a higherproportion of funding recipients graduated than any time since the inception of theprogram. Regretfully, due to growing demand and increased costs, the 2% funding

cap placed on the program has been outstripped and qualified students are beingturned away. From 1997 to 2009 recipients of PSSSP dropped from 22,939 to18,72913. This figure can be attributed to rising costs not being matched withincreased program funding, fewer students are accessing these funds to go to schoolthan over a decade ago. This is clearly posing as a major barrier for a fair Post-Secondary Education that the MSU believes in. This practice is also a major issue forboth current and potential McMaster students who rely on PSSP funding, as stated bystaff members in the Indigenous Students department at McMaster, since BandCouncils only get a limited and fixed pool of money, any new applicants have to waittill a previous batch has graduated before they can expect to receive any funding.Similarly, many current students might find their funding cut in order to

accommodate a new student who also needs funding. This limitation of funding alsoforces band councils to make difficult decisions on which students to allocate theirfunding to and who to deny14.

At this point it is vital to consider that Aboriginal Canadians are also less than onethird as likely to hold a bachelors degree than non-Aboriginal Canadians15. Duringthe recession in late 00s, 390,000 jobs were created for people with university andcollege educations and 433,000 jobs were lost for those with lower levels ofeducational attainment16.

The McMaster Students Union and the Canadian Alliance of Student Associations(CASA) and the Ontario Undergraduate Student Alliance (OUSA) have therefore havelong supported and advocated for removing this 2% cap, believing that increasingfunding for these students would be a small cost for a large benefit for a largelyunderrepresented group.

The House Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Developmentpublished a report in 2007 entitled, No Higher Priority: Aboriginal Post-SecondaryEducation in Canada where it looked at the state of post-secondary education for FirstNations, Metis, and Inuit in Canada. It highlighted certain issues within the PSSSPand provided guidelines for resolving a currently flawed funding method.

It specifically targeted the following17:

- The elimination of the annual 2% cap for the Departments Post-SecondaryEducation Program

13Assembly of First Nations. FactSheet:FirstNationsPost--SecondaryEducation. Accessed online:www.afn.ca/uploads/Qiles/pse--fact--sheet.pdf. January 26, 2013.14

Author Interview with McMaster Indigenous Studies Program Office, Hamilton Hall 103. January 24th

2013.15

Assembly of First Nations. FactSheet:FirstNationsPost--SecondaryEducation. Accessed online:

www.afn.ca/uploads/Qiles/pse--fact--sheet.pdf. January 26, 2013.16

Davidson, P.AUCC:Postsecondaryeducationpaysforeconomicgrowth. Accessed online:www.ipolitics.ca/budget

2011/? p=60118. January 16th. 2013.17

Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Developmenthttp://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?DocId=2683969&File=102#Student
http://www.afn.ca/uploads/Qiles/http://www.afn.ca/uploads/Qiles/http://www.afn.ca/uploads/Qiles/http://www.afn.ca/uploads/Qiles/http://www.ipolitics.ca/budget%202011/http://www.ipolitics.ca/budget%202011/http://www.ipolitics.ca/budget%202011/http://www.ipolitics.ca/budget%202011/http://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?DocId=2683969&File=102#Studenthttp://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?DocId=2683969&File=102#Studenthttp://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?DocId=2683969&File=102#Studenthttp://www.ipolitics.ca/budget%202011/http://www.ipolitics.ca/budget%202011/http://www.afn.ca/uploads/Qiles/http://www.afn.ca/uploads/Qiles/


6/16

- Increasing spending on PSE programming on actual costs associated withprogram components, without being subjected to discretionary caps

- The department should prioritize ensuring that every eligible First Nations andInuit learner can access funding, with a plan highlighting target dates andgoals

- The Department ensures that financial assistance for Aboriginal people underthe PSE program is reflective of actual costs for tuition, travel, and livingexpenses indexed annually to reflect rises in both tuition costs and the cost ofliving

- The expenses routinely experienced by Aboriginal people are covered underthe funding plan. Particular areas include child care, special needs, and specialshelter. This review should occur immediately, and then continued at regularintervals.

Canadas Aboriginal population was hit hard by the most recent recession. In thecore-aged working population (25 to 54 years old) employment dropped 2.8% in

2009 and 4.9% in 2010 among Aboriginal people18

. For their non-Aboriginalcounterparts employment fell by just 1.7% among core-aged workers in 2009 andgrew by 0.8% in 2010.6 By 2026 it is estimated that 600,000 Aboriginal youth will beof the age to participate in the labour force19. In the December 2011 reportReforming First Nations Education: From Crisis to Hope, The Standing SenateCommittee on Aboriginal Peoples noted: Seven in ten First Nations youth aspire tocomplete post-secondary education20. Ensuring equal educational outcomes forCanadas Aboriginal peoples would have a positive and immediate economic impactthat would compound over time. Recently, the Centre for the Study of LivingStandards (CSLS) outlined the potential returns to Aboriginal Canadians and theeconomy if Aboriginal educational attainment was improved.

According to CASAs research, In 2008, 3,213 eligible students were denied fundingand there was a backlog of 10,589 students who were eligible and ready to enroll butcould not get funding to go to school. This backlog speaks to the funding gap createdby the 2% cap on Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada (AANDC)program expenditure for PSSSP. Making post-secondary educational attainmentequally available to Canadas First Nations and Inuit youth will require a significantinvestment. However, it is critical to understand that adequately supporting FirstNations and Inuit Canadians will allow them to reach the same levels of educationalattainment as non-Aboriginal Canadians. This would have staggering benefits toCanadas Aboriginal population, the economy, and all Canadians.

As prominently highlighted by a recent study conducted by Centre for Study of LivingStandards (CSLS) in 200921, there are tremendous societal and economic benefits tohigher levels of educational attainment by Aboriginal youth. By 2026, they estimatedthat a cumulative increase of $401 billion could be expected for Aboriginal incomes.

18Statistics Canada. Study:Aboriginalpeopleandthelabourmarket. Accessed online:www.statcan.gc.ca/saily-quotidien/111123/dq111123b--eng.htm.19

Hull,J.Aboriginal YouthintheCanadianLabourMarket. Horizons, vol. 10, no. 1, 2008. Referenced via the Canadian

Alliance of Student Associations brief on Post Secondary Student Support Program; November 201220

Assembly of First Nations. FactSheet:FirstNationsPost--SecondaryEducation. Accessed online:

www.afn.ca/uploads/Qiles/pse--fact--sheet.pdf. January 26, 2013.21

Centre for the Study of Living Standards. The Effect of Increasing Aboriginal Educational Attainmenton the Labour Force, Output, and the Fiscal Balance. CSLS Research Report 2009-3. Ottawa. May 2009
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/sailyhttp://www.statcan.gc.ca/sailyhttp://www.statcan.gc.ca/sailyhttp://www.afn.ca/uploads/Qiles/http://www.afn.ca/uploads/Qiles/http://www.afn.ca/uploads/Qiles/http://www.statcan.gc.ca/saily


7/16

Furthermore, the Government would see a net revenue benefit of $116 billion by2026 due to increased tax revenue and decreased program expenditure.

Based on the aforementioned evidence:

Recommendation 1: That the federal government fund the backlog of

students eligible for the program but not receiving funding to ensure thatthey can access post-secondary education. To make this a realityGovernment would have to make a one-time investment of $272 million.

Recommendation 2: That the federal government remove the 2% cap onPSSSP funding and fully fund the program to increase access to funding. Thiswould cost an estimated $147 million in the first year, and increase in

subsequent years to cover demand and rising costs.

Institutional Barriers

The historical, cultural, and socio-economic complexities that have prevented theparticipation of many Aboriginal people in higher education are still perpetuated. Theprovincial and federal government need to make a concerted effort in raisingAboriginal representativeness in post-secondary education in order to combatsystemic barriers that have prevented their enrolment. Areas in which difficulty isfound for Aboriginal students include community outreach, support services, financialsupport, and the respect for, and inclusion of aboriginal perspectives withininstitutional education.

Despite the growing presence of Aboriginal people in PSE over the last decade, theystill remain largely underrepresented in comparison to other groups. Post-secondaryeducation can help close earning gaps between Aboriginal individuals and othergroups, increasing levels of employment. Heightened levels of participation in thelabour force improve community development, as well as combat issues regardingself-perception.

A significant part of this participation gap is due to the fact that Aboriginal youth havemuch higher secondary school dropout rates than non-Aboriginal youth.22 Aboriginalyouth are more than twice as likely to have dropped out of secondary school as non-Aboriginal youth, with a third of all Aboriginal 25-68 year olds not having completed asecondary school diploma. This number rises as high as half of all youth for on-reserve and Inuit communities.23 It is worth noting, as Figure 224 demonstrates, that

Aboriginal students who have graduated secondary school have similar, thoughslightly lower, overall PSE participation rates as the non-Aboriginal population,indicating that increasing the secondary school completion rate is an important stepin raising post-secondary participation of Aboriginal youth as a whole. However, this

22 Social Research and Demonstration Corporation. (2009). Post-secondary student access and retention strategies. Literature review. Montreal:Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation.23 Berger, Joseph, Anne Mott, and Andrew Parkin. (2009). The price of knowledge: access and student finance in Canada. 4th edition. Montreal:Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation.

24 Finnie, R., Childs, S., & Wismer, A. (2011). Under-Represented Groups in Postsecondary Education in Ontario: Evidence from the Youth inTransition Survey. Toronto: Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario.


8/16

is not the only solution. Aboriginal applicants to post-secondary education in Ontarioare twice as likely to decline offers of acceptance as non-Aboriginals.25

Figure 1: Highest level of attained education, Aboriginal and Canadianpopulation aged 20-24 (OUSA Aboriginal Students Paper, 2011)

Figure 2: Impact of Secondary School Completion on Aboriginal PSEAttainment in Canada, Ages 25 to 34(OUSA Aboriginal Students Paper,

2011)

Recommendation 3: The government needs to fund high-quality andappropriate education at the levels preceding PSE to ensure preparation andassist in success

25 McCloy, U., & Sattler, P. (2010). From Postsecondary Application to the Labour Market: The Pathways of Under-represented Groups . Toronto:Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario.


9/16

A number of social and educational issues hinder the quality of education thatAboriginal students receive at the primary and secondary levels. This contributes toincreased levels of dropout, university acceptance, and failure to remain enrolledonce in the PSE sphere. In many cases, Aboriginal schools face poor funding and lackbasic technology and textbooks. This is compounded by the poor integration bymainstream curriculum to reflect the Aboriginal perspective. It is necessary that high

quality, culturally reflective education systems at the primary and secondary levelsare achieved to improve representativeness at the PSE-level.

Aboriginal students receive inadequate support both on-reserve as well as off-reserve. Poor pay and limited support hinders desirability for high quality teachers toeducate youth. Inadequate preparation not only limits the academic skillset, but alsoincreases self-doubt and self-perception, again, perpetuating barriers to PSE.

Recommendation 4: Aboriginal nations and communities should have controlover curriculum material and delivery of primary and secondary educationwithin reserves.

The history of residential schooling has painted education in a negative light thatmust be combatted through providing the means for Aboriginal people to dictate theireducation at the primary and secondary level. Indigenous knowledge prioritizesthings that are rarely considered in mainstream curricula, thus making it necessaryfor Aboriginal people to control the content and delivery within reserves. TheAssembly of First Nations asserts that the education provided by Aboriginal people toits students would ensure they are capable of succeeding in society while stillhonoring tradition and cultural values. The MSU respects and agree with the trend ofAboriginal people shaping their primary and secondary education to ensure theirculture is appreciated and allowing a welcoming and facilitating environment thatprovides Aboriginal students the opportunity to attain and excel within PSE.

Recommendation 5: Early outreach initiatives are important to improvingaccess for Aboriginal students, and should be directed and managed byAboriginal communities and organizations to address their particular needs

Due to high rates of dropout at the secondary level, it is necessary for outreachinitiatives to begin early, particularly because most youth decide to attend PSE beforegrade 9. Proposed outreach ideas include mentorship programs, interaction withElders and academic support, visits to PSE institutions, among other things. Due tothe negative image of the current education system in the eyes of many Aboriginalpeople, it is necessary that they are heavily involved in shaping these initiatives to

dispel barriers and address the unique concerns and priorities of their respectivecommunities. The expense of these outreach initiatives should be covered by theprovincial and federal government, while allowing Aboriginal communities todetermine what approaches should be used for their communities.

Concern: Aboriginal students face systemic barriers due to unique historicalbackground and cultural climate, limiting participation in PSE.

While other groups such as low-income, and rural northern students also experiencebarriers to PSE, it is important to recognize the unique experience of Aboriginalstudents. Historically, education was used as a means of assimilating Aboriginal

peoples through the use of residential schooling. Furthermore, according to critics thecurrent education curriculum is focused on a Eurocentric perspective at all levels of


10/16

education, rarely regarding the Aboriginal viewpoint26. Aboriginal students alsoexperience hostility and cultural insensitivity in PSE institutions, as they fail torecognize the values and contributions of Aboriginal people

In contexts where Aboriginal organizations and communities have controlled programcontent and delivery, programs have tended to be more successful in recruiting and

retaining Aboriginal learners.27 Aboriginal post-secondary institutions, which havebeen present in Canada since the 1970s, have had success in attracting andgraduating Aboriginal students, because these institutions pioneered the use oftraditional teaching methods, consultation with Elders, partnership with thecommunity, and Aboriginal administrators and professors at the posts-secondarylevel.28 At McMaster, there is an established Indigenous studies program where suchinitiatives are centralized, since its inception; the Indigenous Studies Program (ISP)currently located in Hamilton Hall incorporates a very unique teaching structure ofIndigenous knowledge which involves many Native peoples and Elders. This uniqueperspective assists all students from various cultures and background in learningabout the history and lives of Aboriginal people within an Indigenous perspective. The

faculty and staff who works within theIndigenous Studies Program are dedicated toeducating Indigenous perspectives and issues, as well the success of students.29

On that note the MSU was encouraged that in June 2011, the President of McMaster,Dr. Patrick Deane, announced a very prestigious Indigenous Knowledge Chair for theuniversity. This Chair was donated by McMaster Alumnus, Paul R. MacPherson.

Concern: Post-secondary institutions often consider the only legitimateapproach to knowledge to be Eurocentric content and structure, ignoringAboriginal culture, knowledge and language.

Despite the increasing numbers of Aboriginal-focused courses at McMaster; Criticsargue that Aboriginal content and structure is often is argued to be presented assubordinate to European worldviews, and treated as irrelevant to subject areasoutside of Indigenous Studies at many Canadian Universities. Another report citessubtle and systemic racism as the biggest barrier for FN [First Nations] learning.30As a participant in Aboriginal post-secondary education strategies put it, [Non-Aboriginal people] are allowed to be ignorant of Aboriginal people. Thus we exerciseracism unconsciously.31 Several Aboriginal students at McMaster focus groups hostedby OUSA have cited faculty as presenting discriminatory or subtly racist perspectivesin classes.32

In addition, there are difficulties in making the more substantive changes to the

pedagogical and evaluative structure of universities that would incorporate Aboriginalmethodologies and pedagogies. For example, while it may be relatively easy toinclude a section on Aboriginal authors in a Canadian literature course, it would be

26R.A. Malatest & Associates Ltd. (2004).Aboriginal Peoples and Post-Secondary Education What Educators Have Learned. Montreal: Canada

Millennium Scholarship Foundation.27 Ibid.28 R.A. Malatest & Associates Ltd. (2010). Promising Practices: Increasing and Supporting Participation for Aboriginal Students in Ontario.Toronto: Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario29

http://www.mcmaster.ca/indigenous/about_us.html30 Battiste, Marie. (2005). Indigenous Knowledge: Foundations for First Nations. World Indigenous Higher Education Consortium Journal.Accessed at: http://www.win-hec.org/.31 R.A. Malatest & Associates Ltd. (2004).Aboriginal Peoples and Post-Secondary Education What Educators Have Learned. Montreal: Canada

Millennium Scholarship Foundation.32 McMaster University. (28 October 2010). Aboriginal Focus Group.
http://www.mcmaster.ca/indigenous/about_us.htmlhttp://www.mcmaster.ca/indigenous/about_us.htmlhttp://www.mcmaster.ca/indigenous/about_us.htmlhttp://www.mcmaster.ca/indigenous/about_us.html


11/16

much harder to change the structure of individual work and hierarchical evaluationthat underlies the course design to reflect Aboriginal values of reciprocity andcollaboration. To a large extent, current initiatives to include Indigenous Studies inuniversity programs have focused on content, rather than structural changes. A morecomprehensive approach to the inclusion of Aboriginal knowledge in post-secondarycurriculum would recognize the contributions to diverse fields of study that

Indigenous knowledge has made, and also the alternative methodologies for studythat can be found in Aboriginal knowledge.

Recommendation 6: The MSU encourages continued and enhancedcoordination and consultative consideration of Aboriginal perspectives in allelements of curriculum development. Especially in light of its upcomingmove under the Faculty of Social Sciences.

Recommendation 7: For McMaster University to include Aboriginalperspectives as part of mandatory/optional Positive Space training offeredto Staff, Professors, Volunteers and TAs, as well as any other campus

stakeholders involved with servicing underrepresented groups on Campus.

Indigenous Studies and Student Support at McMaster

Aboriginal student centres refer to any physical spaces on campus designed to be asafe place for Aboriginal students, which may include a student lounge, as well asmentoring, academic, and personal counselling support. Aboriginal student centresare important because they provide sense of belonging and guidance to studentswho may find that the university environment is very different from environments inwhich they had previously lived.33 Evidence suggests they can combat feelings ofisolation, racism, and other issues among Aboriginal students, while generatinggreater awareness of Aboriginal programs among non-Aboriginal students and facultymembers.34 McMaster currently offers such a space at Hamilton Hall 103 which isdeemed as temporarily adequate by many students and staff according to interviewsand focus groups. McMaster also announced a new space for Indigenous Studies,which will be located in the upcoming Wilson Building for Humanities and SocialSciences, set for construction the summer of 2013. This will mean more space forstudents and services for students of Indigenous Studies.

To further support this point a Canada-wide survey found that 73 per cent ofuniversities and colleges have some type of Aboriginal student centre, and it isbelieved that nearly every Ontario institution has a centre, though the servicesprovided through these centres varies widely.35 Stakeholders at institutions in Ontario

also indicate that they view their Aboriginal student centres as a key component ofattracting Aboriginal students to PSE and improving student retention. 36Nevertheless, stakeholders also expressed strong concerns that these centres wereoften severely underfunded, which compromised their ability to provide essentialservices to students. 37 Less than a third of Aboriginal student centres receive

33 R.A. Malatest & Associates Ltd. (2010). Promising Practices: Increasing and Supporting Participation for Aboriginal Students in Ontario.Toronto: Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario.34 Ibid.35 Association of Universities and Colleges of Canada. (2010).Answering the call: The 2010 inventory of Canadian university programs andservices for Aboriginal students. Ottawa: AUCC.36 R.A. Malatest & Associates Ltd. (2010). Promising Practices: Increasing and Supporting Participation for Aboriginal Students in Ontario.

Toronto: Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario.37 Ibid.


12/16

dedicated funding from the government, the private sector, or Aboriginalorganizations.38Concern: Many Aboriginal student centres across the country haveexpressed a need for more physical space, tutors, counsellors, andadministrative staff, in addition to funding and families for cultural andceremonial event.

Specifically program administrators at McMaster cited an extreme uncertainty withthe funding of their department since it was directly reliant on provincial funding; thestaff members were unsure what a change in government or a policy change woulddo to their jobs and department. The counsellors did not receive any consistentfunding from the University operating budget to offer the unique services theyprovide.

From a budget of approx. $350,000 the Program is currently funding three full timestaff, an elders program and other important services, recruitment efforts,promotional events and other important requirements. While barely adequate for

current operations, the limitations in funding prohibits the program from exploringadditional programming and awareness activities on campus.

Recommendation 8: McMaster Administration release a long term plan forsustainable and reliable funding for necessary Aboriginal Student SupportServices

Random Tangent39: The Faculty of Engineering at McMaster hosts a successfulexample of Early Outreach for Aboriginal Students via its STEM program. Since theVenture program within the Faculty has begun focusing on aboriginal outreach in thespring of 2012, over 1200 aboriginal students have been reached through effortsincluding workshops, McMasters Cultural Science Day, and aboriginal bursary spotsin camp. Funding largely came from Engineering Alumni and other external funding.Opening up the campus to students from such underrepresented background isknown to aid in attracting interest in McMaster University as an attainable target.

Provincial Funding Programs

Concern Ten: The provincial Aboriginal Bursary program reaches relativelyfew Aboriginal students.

The Aboriginal Bursary is a provincial program for Aboriginal students with financialneed, studying full or part-time at a college, university, or Aboriginal post-secondary

institution. The details of the application process, including how much money isreceived, who qualifies as having financial need, and any additional requirements isset by individual schools, but students generally do not have to be status-FirstNations to qualify. In 2009-10, the Aboriginal Bursary was received by 741 studentsfor an average of amount of $1,600. Given that there are approximately 14,000Aboriginal students enrolled in post-secondary education in Ontario, and that many ofthese students have substantial financial need, it is concerning that so few studentsreceived the Aboriginal Bursary.

38 Holmes, David. (2006). Redressing the Balance: Canadian University Programs in Support of Aboriginal Students . Ottawa: Association of

Universities and Colleges of Canada.39http://leap.mcmaster.ca/aboriginal.html
http://leap.mcmaster.ca/aboriginal.htmlhttp://leap.mcmaster.ca/aboriginal.htmlhttp://leap.mcmaster.ca/aboriginal.htmlhttp://leap.mcmaster.ca/aboriginal.html


13/16

The low number of Aboriginal Bursary recipients is likely due to both the complicatedapplication process and the limited availability of funds. The application for theAboriginal Bursary is not tied to the OSAP application process, as are the vastmajority of provincial bursaries, but rather involves a separate application set by theindividual institution. As a result, there is little consistency in application processesbetween institutions. In addition, a student who applies for OSAP would not

necessarily know that there was also a provincially-funded Aboriginal Bursary theycould apply for, and students applying for the Aboriginal Bursary may not also realizethat they can apply for OSAP. This concern is further enhanced by issues and stigmarelated to self-identification and how it is non-cohesively handled by Institutions,Government and OUAC.

Another concern is that despite significant unmet financial need in the Aboriginalcommunity, institutions were only able to disburse 85 per cent of the AboriginalBursary funds in 2009-10.

In addition, studies have pointed to the fact that despite the increased costs of

attending post-secondary education in recent years, the availability and magnitude ofbursaries for Aboriginal students has not increased to meet the increased need. In2009-2010, a mere $1.5 million dollars was available in total funding for theAboriginal Bursary. The funding of the program is not based on the number ofstudents with financial need who apply, but rather is a fixed amount per institutionbased on their Aboriginal student population. Consequently, applicants have noguarantee that they will receive any funding, let alone enough to meet theirexpenses. This contrasts with the OSAP process, where all students receive fundingbased on their need regardless of the demands on the provincial budget.

Recommendation 9: The provincial government must expand the AboriginalBursary program to meet the unmet financial need of all Aboriginal students.

The provincial government should take steps to ensure that all Aboriginal students inOntario with financial need can access the Aboriginal Bursary program. Aboriginalstudents who have been accepted to a post-secondary institution have alreadyovercome substantive barriers to higher education. Currently, the provincialgovernment gives each university an allocated amount of Aboriginal Bursary fundingfor them to disperse as they see fit, and this amount is not based on actual need, butrather the funds available for the program. Students recommend the government setthe funding for the program based on Aboriginal student need, and commit toproviding each student who qualifies for OSAP with a bursary to help eliminate anyunmet need. Expanding the Aboriginal Bursary program is particularly important

given that evidence shows many Aboriginal students are debt averse and aretherefore unlikely to apply for OSAP.

One possible implementation method could involve setting a maximum bursaryamount whereby any financial need that would have otherwise been met by OSAPthrough a loan is converted to non-repayable aid through the Aboriginal Bursary. Anyfurther expansion of the Aboriginal Bursary program should be equally available to allAboriginal students, regardless of status, Mtis or Inuit identity, and should beavailable to all Aboriginal students with financial need regardless of what year ofstudy they are entering. No qualified status or non-status First Nations, Mtis, orInuit student should be deterred from enrolling in or completing post-secondary

education due to a lack of funding.


14/16

Recommendation 10: The provincial government must change theapplication process for the Aboriginal Bursary to increase use of theprogram.

To ensure that the maximum number of Aboriginal students apply for the AboriginalBursary, students recommend the provincial government proactively raise awareness

of the bursary, by ensuring that Aboriginal community centres, schools, and otherorganizations have adequate information about the bursary and qualification criteria.In addition, a relatively simple way to improve the uptake rate of the AboriginalBursary would be to include the bursary in the OSAP application process. This couldbe done in a way that every student self-identifying as Aboriginal on the OSAPapplication process is directly considered for the bursary. This would remove some ofthe confusion associated with institutions individually disbursing funds through avariety of criteria and processes, and ensure that more Aboriginal students receivefunding through the bursary. To address the issue of debt aversion, the AboriginalBursary could remain available independently of the OSAP application through thegovernment or institutions so students can apply for the bursary program even if

they do not wish to access OSAP

Recommendation 11: Ensure that independent students who are Aboriginalor have a child under the age of 12 are adequately supported by the newtuition grant or other existing financial assistance programs. (Sourced fromthe MSU Tuition Policy40)

Estimated Cost to Government: $5-10 million

The MSU is very concerned that the eligibility requirement excluding students whohave been out of high school for more than four years is shutting out sub populations

that are already financially vulnerable. The MSU was very pleased to see thatStudents with disabilities were accommodated in the grant program through theextension of the eligibility period and a reduction in the definition of a full course loadto 40 per cent for these students. Expanding eligibility to more Aboriginal studentsand students with dependents continue to remain priorities for students.

Aboriginal students are already severely underrepresented in post-secondaryeducation only 9 per cent of the Ontario Aboriginal population aged 25-64 has auniversity degree, compared to 26 per cent of the non-Aboriginal population, a gapthat has widened in recent years41. There are a number of reasons for thisunderrepresentation but significant financial barriers are chief among them;Aboriginal students are more likely to come from low-income families, while federal

band funding has not kept up with demand. Most concerning for the purposes of thetuition grant is that more than half of Aboriginal students are mature and are thusineligible42. The median length of time between graduating high school and enteringpost-secondary education is 15 months for Aboriginal students, compared to just 4months for non-Aboriginal students43. There are a number of reasons for this,including wait times for Post-Secondary Student Support Program funding, the

40https://www.msumcmaster.ca/governance/bylaws-policies/general-policies

41Canadian University Survey Consortium, Graduating Student Survey (2009).

42R.A. Malatest & Associates Ltd., Promising Practices: Increasing and Supporting Participation for Aboriginal

Students in Ontario (Toronto:Higher Education Quality Council of Ontario, 2010).43

Hango, Darcy, Length of Time between High School Graduation and Enrolling in Postsecondary Education: WhoDelays and Who Does Not? (Ottawa: Statistics Canada, 2011).
https://www.msumcmaster.ca/governance/bylaws-policies/general-policieshttps://www.msumcmaster.ca/governance/bylaws-policies/general-policieshttps://www.msumcmaster.ca/governance/bylaws-policies/general-policieshttps://www.msumcmaster.ca/governance/bylaws-policies/general-policies


15/16

increased likelihood of attending college prior to transferring to university, and thenearly one in three Aboriginal students who report caring for a dependent child. As anintersection students with dependents are already under-represented in highereducation and are more likely to be mature. For example, individuals who have achild before age 26 are less than half as likely to attend university as those with nochildren. The presence of a dependent disproportionately impacts women: a woman

under 25 with a dependent child is only 20 per cent as likely to attend university asher peers. Individuals with children are more likely to be mature students becausethey often take longer to complete a credential or come back to school after anabsence. The median number of months between high school graduation andentering postsecondary education is 16 months for those caring for children. Studentswith children also tend to have significant unmet need, as the OSAP funds providedfor child care dramatically underestimate real costs. This need has been found to beparticularly acute for those with children under the age of 12. When individuals withdependents are unable to access higher education, this also has broader economicand social repercussions for the Province. Both of these relatively small high needgroups are largely excluded from the tuition grant since it is distributed only to

dependent students. Moreover, these mature students have now lost the $150Textbook and Technology Grant. We propose that independent students that indicatethat they are Aboriginal or have a child under the age of 12 on their applicationreceive the Ontario tuition grant regardless of how long they have been out of highschool. Based on rough calculations, we anticipate the approximate cost of such anextension would be $4 million for Aboriginal students and $2-5 million for studentswith children. These concerns could also be addressed in other ways, such as re-designing the Aboriginal Bursary and Childcare Bursary, or changes to the needassessment and assistance maximums

Recommendation 12: The Government should investigate expanding thegrant to include more low income students

Cost to the Government: Approximately $70 Million

The Current Tuition Grant is cumulative in nature for certain low income students.Any student eligible for an Ontario Access Grant of over $1600 is completely ineligiblefor the 30% Off Tuition Grant; similarly if the OAG covers between 25% to 30% ofa students tuition, the 30% off Grant caps up the allocation to a maximum total of$1600 per year. The MSU believes that a strong argument can be made for thisgrant to be awarded to all low income students regardless of their existing allocationfor the Ontario Access Grant to make this program truly successful and beneficial forstudents in need. This expansion would allow Aboriginal Students and other

underrepresented to further access the PSE system.


16/16

msu aboriginal students policy paper

Documents