Brighter futures for Aboriginal students

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Ten to fifteen years ago Aboriginal students faced a discouraging uphill battle to succeed in post-secondary studies, said Dr. Donald J. Unruh, Director of Accessibility and Transition programs at the University of Manitoba.

Non-Aboriginal students came to post-secondary learning with a high level of preparedness and expectation, Unruh said. These students drew strength from a wealth of sources including role models, peers, teachers, and family.

Within the Aboriginal community however, there has been an entirely different reality. Until recently, an Aboriginal youth often had to look outside of his circle of family and friends to find a role model from which he might be inspired to achieve in a non-traditional career, said Unruh.

Today, Aboriginal students have achieved many successes as a result of post-secondary education. Aboriginal students can now look to their own to find the necessary role models.

Increasing levels of professionalism amongst Aboriginal people has been beneficial in satisfying the human resources needs of Aboriginal communities.

Aboriginal communities have seen increasing needs for talented and experienced professionals from administrators and doctors to journeymen and engineers.

"It's wide open for Aboriginals right now. Aboriginals are needed in all industries including retail, business and banking," said Unruh. One particular area is the service industry.

"Medicine, pharmacy, dental there's need for all of these," he said. "There is need for nurses who are Aboriginal."

Unruh cited the value of having Aboriginal representation in all areas of service. He referred to both the value of representation as a marketing advantage and the spiritual value of having Aboriginal people caring for the needs of Aboriginal people with understanding that would not otherwise be possible.

Smart Choices

Today's Colleges and Universities aggressively seek to serve the growing Aboriginal student population by providing needed support services. Many institutions provide room for Elders to meet with students for counseling and spiritual support. Institutions offer special tutoring and course management services specifically for Aboriginal students.

Dr. Unruh advises well prepared Aboriginal students to simply seek out institutions that enroll a lot of Aboriginal students. Further to that he adds that the students look for a facility with First Nations student services that staffs special course advisors, counselors, Elders and a good Aboriginal student association.

Unruh goes on to say that students who are not well prepared for university life and who are looking at perhaps moving away from home and family, perhaps even from a remote community, for the first time, need to weigh their options much more carefully.

The intense pressure of a post-secondary school curriculum can be overwhelming for most students. Students need to seek out schools in the areas of programming and special services. These are the pioneers of their families and of their communities. These are the future role models of the younger generations of students.

Unruh advises that students look for the availability of access programs and tutoring. Spiritual support from other Aboriginal students and Elders is also crucial.

UNBC's Jim MacDonald cites the successes of counseling services offered by Elders to Aboriginal students. Services include talking circles that take place in environments that offer students a taste of their own culture, of home and traditions and of wisdom and understanding. These are the services that empower students and give them the strength and resolve to succeed.

"High school students that are non-Aboriginal do seem to have less trouble succeeding beyond through post-secondary studies," said Gerald Perkin, English instructor at Crocus Plains Regional Secondary School in Brandon, Man.

"I would definitely suggest that programs and environment play a large role."