Mokasige: Redeploying a Colonial Institution to Reaffirm and Revitalize Algonquin Culture

Abstract

Historically, Canada's educational policy for Indigenous populations has focused onassimilation, which has had a negative effect on Indigenous cultures and peoples.Today, high school graduation rates for Aboriginals are less than half of the Canadianaverage (Assembly of First Nations, 2011). Through an examination of existing liter­ature and an ethnography ofKitigan Zibi Kikinamadinan, a modern Native school, Iexamine the possibilities for the future of Native education. The Indian Control of In­dian Education (ICIE) document, released 40 years ago, argued that culturally sensi­tive education that connects Native students to their heritage can help build feelingsof positive self-esteem and identity, giving them the confidence to succeed in life, bothwithin and outside their communities. In turn, this helps combat issues of poverty andculture loss among Natives. This process is exemplified at Kitigan Zibi Kikinamadinan,which has graduation rates on par with Canadian averages. The process is a role modelfor other Native communities who wish to implement the education system set out byICIE and redeploy this once-colonial institution to better serve their peoples.