"In From the Margins": Government of Saskatchewan Policies to Support Metis Learning, 1969-1979

Abstract

In 1969, the Government of Saskatchewan had a three-part plan to bring Metischildren and youth in from the margins of formal educational attainment.Administrators solicited evidence-based opinions from teachers and scholars oneffective pedagogy and curriculum for Metis learners. Administrators and membersof the Legislative Assembly hoped to adapt the existing school systems to supportMetis learners all over Saskatchewan, especially in the province's north. Theeducational experts besought the Government of Saskatchewan to consider theirMetis learners not as "culturally deficient,"1 but as culturally different children whorequired diverse supports. Teachers agreed and responded with a number of courseproposals that they hoped would attract and retain Metis learners. Scholars andteachers recognized that learners' communication styles varied and that studentsspoke variations of English, and there was a need for relevant pedagogy andcurriculum to accompany these observations Although changes to schoolinfrastructure and curriculum resulted, school administrators were less successful atfinding out how Metis children and youth learned. Furthermore, despiterecommendations from government committees for Metis family involvement inschool and curriculum planning, no such structures were ever achieved inSaskatchewan's schools during the period under consideration. Consequently, theGovernment of Saskatchewan, school administrators, and teachers never understoodthe role of Metis families in their children's learning. Finally, the changes tocurricula were never evaluated; families had no formal mechanisms to articulate theirresponses to the changes in the schools.