Cash Ahenakew

Indigenizing the academy, while complicated, fluid, and diverse in its pursuits, is underway in most if not all post-secondary institutes in Canada. This has forced many people working in these institutions to Indigenize. But what has remained unclear is how one sets about to Indigenize themselves and their practice. Using Indigenous Storywork (Archibald, 2008) this project examines written stories by 11 non-Indigenous post-secondary educators in Stó:lō Téméxw (territory) told from their positions as non-teaching staff, professors, and administrators. Their stories tell how they shifted their practice to include Indigenous content and pedagogies, and honour Indigenous ways of knowing and being. They also share insights about becoming an Indigenizer.The Stó:lō researcher uses Indigenous Storywork as theory with an emphasis on Stó:lō teachings. The principles of Indigenous Storywork guide the methods for the research and the meaning making process. Referred to as Storywork Listening, the written stories are visited again and again with each revolution making meaning and understanding differently within an Indigenous paradigm. The stories elucidate six themes on the path to Indigenizing: We Were Children; Historical Amnesia; Decolonization; Coming to Know; Ceremony as Teacher; and Learning from Indigenous Peoples. These themes are brought together into a metaphorical river contributing to Indigenizing the Academy.The complexities of Storywork Listening educate one’s heart, mind, body and spirit wherein the power of story is experienced as a new story unfolds with a promise for the future. A future of Indigenizing will be built with a deep knowledge of the historic past and its effect on today; on good Indigenous/non-Indigenous relationships; respect for ways of knowing other than our own; and, with changes in how we view and act in the world we share. It will be hard work, and it will take the efforts of many, but it will be accomplished one heart at a time.

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This study is a self-reflexive autoethnographic analysis of my physical attendance to approximately half of the over 200 First Nations (FN) communities across British Columbia (BC). This analytical autoethnography represents my reflections on conversations and experiences during my six-year journey (2007–2012 inclusive) sharing technical software and hardware knowledge with school administrators, teachers, and band council members in some of the most isolated FN communities in BC. I also reflect upon more recent experience undertaken with Coast Salish Development Corporation (Cowichan Nation Alliance) on Vancouver Island from 2021 to 2022. As a technical advisor sanctioned by the First Nations Education Steering Committee and First Nations Technology Council, access was granted by all communities that I attended.As a visitor, I noted inadequacies such as a lack of high-tech infrastructure, limited access to educational resources, restricted opportunities to communicate via the Internet, and insufficient access to computer technologies – in comparison to urban centres predominantly populated by Caucasian communities. More specifically, I analyze the effects of technology upon culture, language, traditions, ceremonies, customs, and values using reflections, as well as peer-reviewed research. I visualize the impact of digital technologies through a ‘two-eyed seeing’ conceptual lens, through autoethnographic Reflections that represent my lived experiences on reserve territories, which guide my methodology. Attending Indigenous communities also became a learning experience for me, since it evoked memories of my own upbringing in ‘two-eyed seeing’ as a Punjabi person forced to adapt to Canada’s Eurocentric ideologies, especially in education. The purpose of my autoethnography is to share and amplify my understanding of FN communities’ experiences without intending to represent nor speak on behalf of any individual, community, or territory. I write as an ally settler immersed in FN communities seeking advancement in technology leading to community-based approaches to decolonization, self-determination, and reconciliation. I conclude with proposed policies and broader social changes related to Canada’s education system so technology can serve as a method for aiding in liberation, and enhancing empowerment for FN Indigenous communities. My research (technology training modules) allowed for relationships to flourish in my quest to enhance relations, and mutually share in reflection.

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The full abstract for this thesis is available in the body of the thesis, and will be available when the embargo expires.

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The purpose of this dissertation was to explore the values and traditions embedded in the Indigenous practice of gift giving to understand how this tradition can inform the work of Indigenization in post-secondary education. Seven Gitxsan Chiefs and seven Elders from Vancouver Island University were contributors to this study, sharing their perspectives in relation to how this practice connects to Indigenous epistemology and ontology. The Gitxsan feast system and crest pole framed the theoretical inquiry and methodology for this study. In addition, I drew on Kirkness and Barnhardt’s (1991) 4 R’s of respect, relevance, reciprocity and responsibility as an ethical framework for quality Indigenous education and provided a reinterpretation of the 4 R’s, identifying the 4 A’s of accommodation, acquiescence, affiliation and acceptance, as part of my personal analysis informing this study. I also utilized Kuokkanen’s (2007) concept of gift logic. Numerous findings were identified in this study. Primary among them was the understanding that Indigenous research, grounded in protocol and traditional practices, can be a catalyst for cultural reaffirmation leading to a deeper understanding of Indigenous philosophy. Second, the articulation of a Gitxsan Gift Giving Model identifying the values and principles consistent with Gitxsan philosophy. Third, an Indigenous research paradigm that is uniquely Gitxsan and indicative of a decolonizing approach to doing research. Fourth, the development of a Discursive Tool rooted in Indigenous philosophy as a method of inquiry to explore the distinctions and tensions related to the Indigenization process. Fifth, Goodness Theory: An Ethical Approach to Indigenization that centers Indigenous knowledge and emphasizes balancing a good heart and mind. The approach identifies specific Indigenous characteristics and principles that surround a way of knowing that can be a portal for dialogue in post-secondary education, a site of engagement for speaking our truths informed by our values.

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