Honoring What They Say: Postsecondary Experiences of First Nations Graduates
First Nations graduates thrive in institutions that are specifically for them, with faculty and students from within their communities. These institutions and the graduates need on-going financial support.
Archibald, J. A., & Urion, C. (1995). Honoring What They Say: Postsecondary Experiences of First Nations Graduates. Canadian Journal of Native Education, 21(1), 1-247.
Survey, questionnaires, focus groups, interviews
This is an impact assessment report of the graduates of the First Nations programs at two Canadian post-secondary institutions, University of British Columbia and the Native Education Centre (NEC). The key research question was “Are post-secondary programs for First Nations people effective? What is the evidence for this? The evidence is the experiences and the ideas of the graduates of such programs, before, during and after attendance/completion of the program.” (p.13). The key findings were: First Nations staff, programs and services were critical to student success; most of the graduates work with First Nations communities, and in the field that they studied (mostly teaching); key barriers for graduates were on-going racism and barely adequate funding; First Nations graduates felt more welcomed, supported and accepted from the very beginning at NEC, these feelings were the opposite in the first few months at UBC.
The study was an impact assessment using a process model, that was dynamic and centered on First Nations principles such as spirituality, community, and giving back. Every step of the research process was collaborative with the First Nations community whether as elders or as students.
Investing in First Nations graduate education is a win-win situation for both the First Nations and the Canadian government. First Nations graduates thrive in institutions that are specifically for them, with faculty and students from within their communities. These institutions and the graduates need on-going financial support.
Survey, questionnaires, focus groups, interviews
The research is accessible to a broad audience as it uses plain language. The report is also a primer on how to conduct focus groups, and how to do collaborative research.
"As people concerned with First Nations education and research, we are seeking respectful ways to bring First Nations contexts and research together – to create an appropriate meeting place perhaps. To get to this meeting place we must examine our motives and assumptions, and question our methods, approaches and practices. We must consider whether our motives and our methods honour and respect First Nations ways." (p. 12)
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