Breaking down barriers ‘shoulder-to-shoulder’
New centre will have aboriginal adviser and First Nations elders to offer cultural, spiritual support
When Dawn Boston enrolled in Sheridan College in January, it was a leap into the unknown. The 54year-old Metis woman had not seen the inside of a classroom since she dropped out of school in Grade 9.
“The first thing I looked for was an aboriginal centre, to help with the transition,” she says.
There wasn’t one. But that is about to change.
In a groundbreaking cultural collaboration, Sheridan is working with neighbouring Mohawk College to create an Aboriginal Education Centre at its Oakville Trafalgar Campus, geared to meeting the unique needs of First Nations students.
If the project, set to start in the fall, is successful, it will be expanded to Sheridan’s other campuses.
Ian Marley, Sheridan’s vice-president of student affairs, explains that aboriginal issues haven’t received much attention in the past because – unlike Mohawk College – the Sheridan campuses do not border any native reserves, a fact reflected in its student demographics. However, he says, “Research is showing there are a lot of urban aboriginals who do need help.”
Sheridan’s aboriginal population has grown significantly over the last five years. In 2011-2012, 110 students self-identified as aboriginal upon enrollment. But this figure does not give the complete picture; it’s estimated that two to three times that number have chosen not to selfidentify.
This may be a tiny percentage of Sheridan’s overall student population (17,000), but as Marley points out, aboriginal education has become a priority for the provincial government. “Aboriginals are the fastest-growing group in the province, but are under-represented at universities and colleges,” he says. “The idea is to assist these students, to give them their own place to feel comfortable in the environment.” The province will be funding the new centre to the tune of $180,000 annually for (at least) the next three to five years.
Boston is acutely aware of the need for a place aboriginal students can call their own. Transitioning into a post-secondary institution, she says, is “a huge shock; the culture is so completely different. Very few First Nations people have gone to college or university, so their families don’t even know how to support them.”
She is the first member of her own family to pursue a college education, under a provincial government retraining program. “My 18year-old son and I are competing for marks,” she laughs.
An ardent member of Sheridan’s Aboriginal Awareness Committee, she sees the project as a means of breaking down these barriers to success.
“Studies have shown that urban First Nations people have lost so much of their culture, it’s like losing part of their identity,” she says. “When they reconnect with their culture, they feel better about themselves, about who they are; and develop more resilience against the stresses of college life.”
The new centre will have an aboriginal adviser to assist students, and it is expected that First Nations elders will also be available to offer cultural and spiritual support. Students will have access to peer counselling and mentoring. The Aboriginal Awareness Committee will organize events – exhibits, lectures, traditional feasts and powwows – designed to engage the wider student population, and spread awareness of First Nations history and culture. As Marley points out, “New immigrants to Canada are not very knowledgeable about aboriginal culture, so it’s an opportunity to educate our wider student body.”
While most universities and col- leges in the province offer similar centres or services to their students, Sheridan has taken a unique approach in partnering with Mohawk College. “Mohawk already has a very well-developed centre,” says Marley. “Why reinvent the wheel?” Mohawk College’s energetic manager of aboriginal initiatives is Ron McLester. He runs the vibrant Aboriginal Initiatives Office and is described as “a force of nature.” The agreement will see him providing guidance and day-to-day strategic support to Sheridan’s new centre, while continuing to oversee the Mohawk office. McLester points out that since Mohawk and Sheridan were already engaged in a wider partnership to facilitate delivery of some academic programs – “co-operating instead of competing” – it seemed a good idea to leverage the partnership for aboriginal issues. Mohawk’s long-standing connection to two nearby First Nations reserves has made it possible to help Sheridan’s program “get up and running very quickly.” McLester believes it is important to raise the visibility of aboriginal culture within the post-secondary context. “Aboriginal students do not lack ability,” he says. “What we do lack, sometimes, is self-esteem and self-confidence.”
McLester contends the centre, with its emphasis on tradition, community building and experiential learning, will prime aboriginal students for success in the wider world. “Really,” McLester says, “This is about how do we go forward together, shoulder-to-shoulder, not like father and son, but like brothers.”