Bell, Nicole

ABSTRACTASSEMBLING THE BRAID: ALDERVILLE FIRST NATION, LEARNING FROM THEIR WALK IN THE EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM Catherine Davis Alderville First Nation is a small, dynamic Anishinaabe First Nation community in central Ontario with the distinction of having one of the first federal residential schools in Canada, established in 1838. Access to education, both on and off reserve, has been primarily through the provincial model. This study applies a weaving imagery of the Anishinaabe braided sweetgrass, and threads together three strands: (i) experiences in the education system, (ii) perspectives about learning, (iii) an exploration of future educational possibilities for Anishinaabe youth. Open-ended in-depth interviews were conducted with 25 members of varying ages, life experiences, geographical locations, spiritual beliefs, and backgrounds. Members shared experiences of racism and disengagement with the system. At times, classroom spaces were inhospitable spaces and relationships with teachers and peers proved difficult. As a member of Alderville First Nation, I draw on more than 20 years of experience as a community educator, and I am driven to understand why fundamental change has not happened. Though there have been surface changes, more profound transformation remains elusive. Consequently, the reconciliation project is a problematic endeavour for First Nations like Alderville. Our community, a microcosm of other First Nations and education systems, shares tensions between simultaneous, overlapping movements of reconciliation and resurgence. Nevertheless, it is our legacy to find a way forward for our youth.

Author Keywords: Alderville, Anishinaabe, Indigenous Education, Racism, Reconciliation, Resurgence

This is a story within a story that spans over a hundred years and four generations. It takes the reader from war-torn Russia during a famine to the urban streets of Toronto and then to the Canadian North. The story is a memoirette, or a 'not quite long enough, but almost a memoir' of a mother's journey navigating life after her son discloses his addiction to Fentanyl. The mother finds little if any support from family, friends or conventional support programs and instead turns to her oma's harrowing stories of survival as a source of knowledge, strength and medicine. The analysis explores storytelling as a legitimate method of learning, pedagogy and research. It explores the concept of story as medicine through Etuaptmumk. A Two-Eyed Seeing framework created by Mi'kmaq elders in 2004 (Sylliboy, Latimer, Marshall & McLeod, 2009). The power of the narrative is discussed through 'Western' and 'Indigenous' lenses.

Author Keywords: addiction, Etuaptmumk, Fentanyl, story as medicine, story as pedagogy, Two-Eyed Seeing

In our communities, we are continually challenged to reflect on effective responses to the people and events that put us at risk. This study is an examination of two distinctly different world-view responses: the colonial, dominant culture and the Indigenous world-view. The retributive understanding of the dominant culture applies assumptions about the nature of the world that are vested in colonial, paternal, and punitive processes aimed to extract compliance as a means of deterrence. Conversely, the consensual precepts of Indigenous world-view are rooted in community-based practices that require a process of collaboration and cooperation to create integrated relationships that glean responsibility.

This study brings light to bear on the ongoing relational dissonance that exists between the following: the disproportionate representation of men and women of Aboriginal descent held under federal warrant in Canada; the legislated mandate contained within the Canadian Corrections and Conditional Release Act that places successful community reintegration as a primary objective for the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC); and the role, place, and function of Elders who work in CSC reception centres, healing programs, and Pathways Initiatives.

This study explores the variables, assumptions, and differing world-views that contribute to the disproportionate representation of incarcerated adults of Aboriginal descent and the challenges that impede successful community reintegration. In order to effectively examine and make sense of the relational dissonance that exists between correctional theory and institutional practice, the research is driven by a central question: What is the role, place, and function of Elders in the delivery of Indigenous healing programs within Canadian federal prisons?

The outcome of this work reveals practices of decolonizing justice and healing that can move assumptions and challenge paternal understanding. It is an approach that has the capacity to peel away relational dissonance, thus allowing space for public policy that sustains consensual understandings of community.

Key Words: Indigenous, settler colonial, dominant culture, retributive justice, restorative justice, indigenous justice, Elder, healing, healing program, disproportionate representation, successful community reintegration, relational dissonance.

Author Keywords: Elder, healing program, indigenous justice, relational dissonance, retributive justice, successful community reintegration