The universe and my brain in a jar: Canadians, universities, and Indigenous Peoples

• Main Author: Quirt, Lyanne
• Other Authors: Tully, James
• Format: Others
• Language: English; en
• Published: 2008
• Subjects: Indigenous peoples; university; Canada; settler; University of Victoria; education; UVic Subject Index::Humanities and Social Sciences::Political Science
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1828/923

During the last decade, the University of Victoria (UVic) in British Columbia, Canada has developed several policies that aim to recruit and retain Indigenous students. UVic is a leader in a wider Canadian trend of encouraging Indigenous youth to complete high school and pursue post-secondary education, but ensuring that universities are safe spaces for Indigenous peoples and Indigenous knowledge is a significant challenge, particularly given the historical roles that universities have held in colonisation. Universities’influence extends beyond their campuses, as the majority of Canadian business, media, and political leaders train in universities. If universities are to develop a positive relationship with Indigenous peoples, then, one must also consider the kind of education that non-Indigenous students receive. This thesis draws together the work of Indigenous and non-Indigenous scholars, using UVic as a case study, to examine Indigenousuniversity relationships, discussing both positive developments and areas for improvement.