Policy Analysis and Crafting to Empower Authentic Indigenous Learning Experiences in the Pacific Higher Education Landscape

This chapter examines the context of higher education in the Pacific. A brief explanation of the role of colonialism in the formation of institutions of higher education in the region is followed by discussions of policies and practices that empower local dissemination and production of knowledge by and amongst faculty, students, and the communities which they serve. The author concludes that a balance between advancing knowledge in a way that is respectful to academic traditions and cultural traditions in the Pacific can be achieved by harnessing the best values and qualities in common between those traditions.

Indigenous Learning Environments

A learning environment incorporates the physical location, context, and cultures in which students learn. The term implicitly acknowledges that learning takes place in a multitude of ways and locations. The implication is that certain learning environments are better suited for certain individuals, cultures, subjects, or content. Indigneous students are often underserved in higher education. Few educational institutions, outside of tribally controlled institutions, have a critical mass of Indigenous students, resulting in a lack of Indigenous courses, content, programs, dialogue, and space. An additional consequence is that research solely dedicated to Indigenous postsecondary education is limited. To account for this gap, it is necessary to pull from secondary, and sometimes primary, academic research. Cultural differences between dominant higher education models and traditional ways of learning work to widen the education gap and reduce Indigenous students’ future opportunities. In 2016, approximately, 20 percent of American Indians/Alaska Native and Pacific Islander students enrolled in higher education, yet their graduation rate was 39 percent and 51 percent, respectively, compared to 64 percent for white students. Creating an Indigenous learning environment can serve to improve Indigneous student knowledge acquisition, increase recruitment and retention, and facilitate increased on-campus intercultural dialogue. Curating a space where Indigneous students can thrive and where non-Indigenous students are able to learn about the unique sociohistorical relationship betwen Indigneous people and the United States facilitates the bridging of a cultural gap in larger society. After providing a General Overview, the literature is divided into five sub-themes: Curriculum, Indigenous Knowledge, Indigenous Pedagogy, Indigenous-Focused Assessment, and Culturally Appropriate Safe Space.

USE OF AN INDIGENOUS LEARNING BUNDLE IN AN ENGINEERING PROJECT COURSE

In response to the Calls to Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada a range of Collaborative Indigenous Learning Bundles have been introduced at a Canadian university to provide ways for Indigenous knowledge to be incorporated into courses across the university. One of the first courses in the engineering faculty to use the Indigenous Environment Relations Bundle was a third year project course for the BEng Electrical Engineering program. The use of the bundle, through the learning management system, was part of the lecture series and was used in a class discussion with an optional reflection. The objective was to provide complementary Indigenous knowledge to the discussion of the environmental impact of engineering. A first year introductory engineering course used the First Peoples: A Brief Overview. The response of the students in both courses was respectful and produced thoughtful discussions. Those that undertook the optional reflection produced insightful and often personal thoughts on a particular place. The use of the bundles shows that Indigenous matters and information from knowledge keepers can be integrated into engineering courses.

The importance and promise of integrating Indigenous knowledges in nursing education

This paper explores the relevance of Indigenous perspectives within the nursing profession, and the importance of weaving these perspectives into nursing education. We suggest that Indigenous perspectives can support nursing’s core ethical values of relationality and holism and may hold representational and transformational possibilities for students and educators alike. Guided by principles of Indigenous learning, we provide several exemplars from Canadian schools of nursing that have already begun the process of decolonizing their programs. We conclude by describing some of the challenges and considerations that may arise when Indigenous perspectives and approaches are considered for inclusion into nursing education programs.