UBC Graduate Research

Remember our ancestor’s teachings : a personal journey in education Kirk, David

Abstract

How does cultural identity influence an Aboriginal learners’ education? I am particularly interested in how cultural identities is recognized and nourished including the programmatic aspect of such culturally focused education (i.e. formal or informal, provincially initiated or from the Aboriginal communities). This topic is of great interest to me as I grew up being removed from my culture and have been on a path in my adulthood to rediscover my cultural identity as a Two-Spirited Sto:lo Man. In order to understand my cultural identity it is important to examine what it is to be Two-Spirited and the history that goes along with that identity. In my field of work as a First Nation’s advisor for post secondary students I have observed first hand the influence of cultural identity and how that can be nurtured in an institutional setting. The one common thread throughout the literature is that of transformation and how that is key to cultural identity amongst Aboriginal learners.

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Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International