DOCSLIB.ORG

Learning from the Experiences of Indigenous Children in Care Who Have Multiple School Changes As a Result of Placement Disruption

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Learning from the Experiences of Indigenous Children in Care Who Have Multiple School Changes As a Result of Placement Disruption LEARNING FROM THE EXPERIENCES OF INDIGENOUS CHILDREN IN CARE WHO HAVE MULTIPLE SCHOOL CHANGES AS A RESULT OF PLACEMENT DISRUPTION LANDY ANDERSON A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF EDUCATION GRADUATE PROGRAM IN EDUCATION YORK UNIVERSITY TORONTO, ONTARIO MARCH 2019 © LANDY ANDERSON, 2019 ii ABSTRACT Crown Wards in Ontario change placements 2.6 to 8.6 times (on average) with the provincial average being four times (Contenta, Monsebraaten, Rankin, Bailey & Ng, 2015, p. 20). This means children in care often change schools. The aim of this study is to learn, directly from Indigenous children in care, their experiences of multiple school changes through exploring the rewards and challenges of starting a new school; ways children prepare for a new school; strategies they use to adjust to a new school; and ways the child welfare and education systems can alleviate the impact of multiple school changes. The methods used for this study include focus groups and participant journals. Four overarching themes were identified within the data: Vulnerability, Relationships, Adaptation, and Excitement. This study adds important new knowledge about Indigenous children in care, specifically about their experiences of disruptive school placements. iii DEDICATION This thesis is dedicated to the 15 Indigenous youth in care who had the courage to share their private stories of the rewards and challenges of going to a new school. Their commitment to attend the focus groups (for some, travelling up to three hours) to participate in this study is a testament to their strength and dedication to improve the child welfare system in an effort to help other Indigenous children in care who may face similar struggles. For this, I say Chi Meegwetch! (the biggest/greatest thanks in the Ojibway language). iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to acknowledge the Elders who supported this research project. Wanda Whitebird participated in the research focus groups. Wanda’s presence, relationships with the youth, spiritual knowledge and prayers kept the youth and the project safe. Alita Sauvé, the Native Child and Family Services of Toronto’s Kookum (grandmother in the Cree language), instructed me on the traditional protocols such as: handling of sacred medicines, offering of tobacco, making tobacco ties, and participating in and facilitating talking circles. I am grateful for my husband, John (aka my counsellor, confidant and soulmate!), for encouraging me to face my fears and, most importantly, for supporting me through the worst time of my life, which coincidently, happened to be the same time that I was a student in graduate studies and writing my thesis. His love, faith and belief in me carried me throughout. I would like to thank Dr. Susan Dion for the opportunity to be her student, which provided me with the greatest learning of my life. This took place in the York University Graduate Program of Education – Language, Culture and Teaching (Master of Education, Focusing on Urban Aboriginal Education) with an Indigenous cohort. I will always remember the first day of class (September 8, 2014) when Dr. Dion shared that “Disruption is the starting place of learning”. That is a lesson that I will carry forever. I could not have completed this paper without the sage advice from my thesis Supervisors, Dr. Sue Winton and Dr. Celia Haig-Brown. They are two women who inspired, provoked and guided me throughout! Their patience, passion and subject matter expertise shaped my research and ultimately my thesis. A final product that I am immensely proud of and eager to share with the community. v Thank you to Kenn Richard (Executive Director) and David van Overdijk (Director of Child and Family Well Being) at Native Child and Family Services of Toronto for their confidence and support in conducting the first research project for children in care at this agency. Further, thank you to the children’s services workers, frontline child protection staff, youth workers, administration staff, and management (Jim Langstaff and Marlon Clarke) for their support in co-creating this study. I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the staff who helped during the focus groups; Kelly Hashemi, Greg Flynn, Allan Kennedy, Elsie Petequan, and Mike Auksi. I would like to extend a special note of thanks to Lindsay Seifried for her administrative support during the initial phase of the study. I acknowledge and appreciate Dr. Jason Brown and Dr. Sally Palmer’s support for my return to school in my 50’s… no small feat! I acknowledge my dear friend who holds a special place in my heart, Dr. Sarah Serbinski, for her kind spirit and encouragement that was gently offered while writing my thesis. I acknowledge my oldest friend Kim, who offered her help and expertise in my time of need – the sign of a true friend. I acknowledge a special group of ladies (Lisa, Wynne, Irene, Erin, Alex and Marilyn) who consoled me while I was grieving, and lifted my spirit with their love for me and admiration for my pursuit of higher education. Lastly, I acknowledge my classmates Malia, Maria, Janet, Natasha and Sarah who accepted and supported me (in quiet and loud ways) throughout my graduate journey! vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... ii Dedication ..................................................................................................................................... iii Acknowledgments ......................................................................................................................... iv Table of Contents .......................................................................................................................... vi List of Figures ............................................................................................................................... ix Chapter One: Introduction ..............................................................................................................1 a. Introduction to the Research .........................................................................................1 b. Introduction to the Researcher ......................................................................................3 i. Self-Location .....................................................................................................3 ii. About Landy .....................................................................................................4 iii. Personal and Professional Experiences & Knowledge .....................................7 iv. Relationship to Education Systems ...................................................................9 v. Impetus to the Research ..................................................................................10 c. The Research Problem ................................................................................................13 i. Statement of the Problem ................................................................................13 ii. Research Questions .........................................................................................14 d. Significance of the Research .......................................................................................15 e. Native Child and Family Services of Toronto: The Community Research Partner ...17 f. Children in Care in Ontario: A Short Introduction ......................................................20 g. Voices of Youth in and From Care .............................................................................22 h. Theoretical Framework ................................................................................................25 Chapter Two: Review of the Literature ........................................................................................27 a. Educational Experiences of Indigenous Children in Care: A Gap ..............................27 b. Research Related to Children in Care ..........................................................................28 i. Educational Outcomes of Children in Care ....................................................28 ii. The Impact of Placement Disruption for Children in Care ..............................30 iii. Special Needs & Enhanced Academic Supports for Children in Care ............33 iv. Foster Parent Support for Children in Care .....................................................35 v. The Importance of Friendships for Children in Care ......................................37 vi. The Value of Extra-Curricular Activities for Children in Care .......................39 c. Research Related to Indigenous Children and Youth ..................................................43 i. Experiences of Indigenous Children and Youth .............................................43 ii. Educational Outcomes for Indigenous Students ..............................................44 iii. Increased Risk of Bullying for Indigenous Students .......................................45 iv. Culture: A Protective Factor for Indigenous Youth ........................................47 d. Research Related to a Sense of Belonging at School ..................................................49 Chapter Three: Methodology ........................................................................................................50 vii a. Methodological Approach ..........................................................................................50
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Toronto Has No History!’
    ‘TORONTO HAS NO HISTORY!’ INDIGENEITY, SETTLER COLONIALISM AND HISTORICAL MEMORY IN CANADA’S LARGEST CITY By Victoria Jane Freeman A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of History University of Toronto ©Copyright by Victoria Jane Freeman 2010 ABSTRACT ‘TORONTO HAS NO HISTORY!’ ABSTRACT ‘TORONTO HAS NO HISTORY!’ INDIGENEITY, SETTLER COLONIALISM AND HISTORICAL MEMORY IN CANADA’S LARGEST CITY Doctor of Philosophy 2010 Victoria Jane Freeman Graduate Department of History University of Toronto The Indigenous past is largely absent from settler representations of the history of the city of Toronto, Canada. Nineteenth and twentieth century historical chroniclers often downplayed the historic presence of the Mississaugas and their Indigenous predecessors by drawing on doctrines of terra nullius , ignoring the significance of the Toronto Purchase, and changing the city’s foundational story from the establishment of York in 1793 to the incorporation of the City of Toronto in 1834. These chroniclers usually assumed that “real Indians” and urban life were inimical. Often their representations implied that local Indigenous peoples had no significant history and thus the region had little or no history before the arrival of Europeans. Alternatively, narratives of ethical settler indigenization positioned the Indigenous past as the uncivilized starting point in a monological European theory of historical development. i i iii In many civic discourses, the city stood in for the nation as a symbol of its future, and national history stood in for the region’s local history. The national replaced ‘the Indigenous’ in an ideological process that peaked between the 1880s and the 1930s.
    [Show full text]
  • Promising Practices in Mental Health: Emerging Paradigms for Aboriginal Social Work Practices
    Promising Practices in Mental Health: Emerging Paradigms for Aboriginal Social Work Practices Volume 7, November 2010 V olume 7, Novemb er 20 1 0 NATIVE SOCIAL WORK JOURNAL Promising Practices in Mental Health: Emerging Paradigms for Aboriginal Social Work Practices The Native Social Work Journal is registered with the Canadian Association of Learned Journals Volume 7, November 2010 © 2010 Native Social Work Journal Published by the Native Social Work Journal Laurentian University Sudbury, Ontario Printed by the Laurentian University Press Sudbury, Ontario Cover Artwork by Leland Bell ISSN 1206-5323 All rights reserved NISHNAABE KINOOMAADWIN NAADMAADWIN PRAYER Boozhoo; Aanii; Wachiya; Sago; Tansi; Kia Ora; Kwekwe; Bonjour; Greetings. Baybaamoosay-kwe n’dishnikaaz (My Spirit Name is Woman Who Leaves Healing Tracks), Migizi n’dodem (I belong to the Eagle Clan), winiizhoo Midewiwin (I am Second Degree Midewiwin), Wasauksing miinwaa Sudbury n’doonjibaa (I am from Wasauksing First Nation and I work in Sudbury). Waynaboozhoo G’chi-Manido / Greetings Great Spirit G’chi Miigwech / Thank you very much for another beautiful day on Shkagamik-kwe / Mother Earth and for those four directions. G’chi Miigwech / Thank you very much for our relatives; the four-leggeds, those who fly, those who crawl and those who swim, without whom we could not live. G’chi Miigwech / Thank you very much for all our plant relatives, without whom we could not live. G’chi Miigwech / Thank you very much for the water, the life-blood of Shkagamik-kwe / Mother Earth, without which we could not live. G’chi Miigwech / Thank you very much for the air we breathe, without which we could not live.
    [Show full text]
  • Chapters in Canadian Popular Music
    UNIVERZITA PALACKÉHO V OLOMOUCI FILOZOFICKÁ FAKULTA Katedra anglistiky a amerikanistiky Ilona Šoukalová Chapters in Canadian Popular Music Diplomová práce Vedoucí práce: Mgr. Jiří Flajšar, Ph.D. Olomouc 2015 Filozofická fakulta Univerzity Palackého Katedra anglistiky a amerikanistiky Chapters in Canadian Popular Music (Diplomová práce) Autor: Ilona Šoukalová Studijní obor: Anglická filologie Vedoucí práce: Mgr. Jiří Flajšar, Ph.D. Počet stran: 72 Počet znaků: 138 919 Olomouc 2015 Prohlašuji, že jsem diplomovou práci na téma "Chapters in Canadian Popular Music" vypracovala samostatně pod odborným dohledem vedoucího práce a uvedla jsem všechny použité podklady a literaturu. V Olomouci dne 3.5.2015 Ilona Šoukalová Děkuji vedoucímu mé diplomové práce panu Mgr. Jiřímu Flajšarovi, Ph.D. za odborné vedení práce, poskytování rad a materiálových podkladů k práci. Poděkování patří také pracovníkům Ústřední knihovny Univerzity Palackého v Olomouci za pomoc při obstarávání pramenů a literatury nezbytné k vypracování diplomové práce. Děkuji také své rodině a kamarádům za veškerou podporu v době mého studia. Abstract The diploma thesis deals with the emergence of Canadian popular music and the development of music genres that enjoyed the greatest popularity in Canada. A significant part of the thesis is devoted to an investigation of conditions connected to the relation of Canadian music and Canadian sense of identity and uniqueness. Further, an account of Canadian radio broadcasting and induction of regulating acts which influenced music production in Canada in the second half of the twentieth century are given. Moreover, the effectiveness and contributions of these regulating acts are summarized and evaluated. Last but not least, the main characteristics of the music style of a female singer songwriter Joni Mitchell are examined.
    [Show full text]
  • The Failure of the Canadian Human Rights Regime to Provide Remedies for Indigenous Peoples: Enough Time Has Passed
    Osgoode Hall Law School of York University Osgoode Digital Commons LLM Theses Theses and Dissertations 12-7-2015 The aiF lure of the Canadian Human Rights Regime to Provide Remedies for Indigenous Peoples: Enough Time Has Passed Jeffery Gordon Hewitt Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.osgoode.yorku.ca/llm Part of the Human Rights Law Commons, and the Indian and Aboriginal Law Commons Recommended Citation Hewitt, Jeffery Gordon, "The aiF lure of the Canadian Human Rights Regime to Provide Remedies for Indigenous Peoples: Enough Time Has Passed" (2015). LLM Theses. 22. http://digitalcommons.osgoode.yorku.ca/llm/22 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses and Dissertations at Osgoode Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LLM Theses by an authorized administrator of Osgoode Digital Commons. THE FAILURE OF THE CANADIAN HUMAN RIGHTS REGIME TO PROVIDE REMEDIES FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLES: ENOUGH TIME HAS PASSED JEFFERY GORDON HEWITT A THESIS SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTES FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTERS OF LAW GRADUATE PROGRAM IN LAW OSGOODE HALL LAW SCHOOL YORK UNIVERSITY TORONTO, ONTARIO December, 2015 © Jeffery Gordon Hewitt, 2015 ABSTRACT: In 2008, Canada amended the Canadian Human Rights Act to remove s.67, which in essence precluded Indigenous Peoples from bringing complaints as against Canada and Band governments. Since the amendment took effect in 2010, a multi-fold increase has occurred in the number of complaints filed with the Human Rights Commission of Canada from dozens to hundreds. The first such significant complaint to be heard by the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal was filed by the First Nation Child and Family Caring Society along with the Assembly of First Nations (the Complaint).
    [Show full text]
  • First Nations Popular Music in Canada: Identity, Politics
    FIRST NATIONS POPULAR MUSIC IN CANADA: IDENTITY, POLITICS AND MUSICAL MEANING by CHRISTOPHER ALTON SCALES B.A., University of Guelph, 1990 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS in THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES School of Music We accept this thesis as conforming to the required standard THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA April 1996 * © Christopher Alton Scales In presenting this thesis in partial fulfilment of the requirements for an advanced degree at the University of British Columbia, I agree that the Library shall make it freely available for reference and study. I further agree that permission for extensive copying of this thesis for scholarly purposes may be granted by the head of my department or by his or her representatives. It is understood that copying or publication of this thesis for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. Department of M0S \ C The University of British Columbia Vancouver, Canada Date flffoL 3.6 Rqfe DE-6 (2/88) ABSTRACT In this thesis, First Nations popular music is examined as a polysemic sign (or symbolic form) whose meaning is mediated both socially and politically. Native popular music is a locus for the action of different social forces which interact in negotiating the nature and the meaning of the music. Music is socially meaningful in that it provides a means by which people construct and recognize social and cultural identities. As such, First Nations popular music functions as an emblem of symbolic differentiation between Canadian natives and non-natives. Native pop music plays host to a number of political meanings embedded in this syncretic musical form.
    [Show full text]
  • Resources Pertaining to First Nations, Inuit, and Metis. Fifth Edition. INSTITUTION Manitoba Dept
    DOCUMENT RESUME ED 400 143 RC 020 735 AUTHOR Bagworth, Ruth, Comp. TITLE Native Peoples: Resources Pertaining to First Nations, Inuit, and Metis. Fifth Edition. INSTITUTION Manitoba Dept. of Education and Training, Winnipeg. REPORT NO ISBN-0-7711-1305-6 PUB DATE 95 NOTE 261p.; Supersedes fourth edition, ED 350 116. PUB TYPE Reference Materials Bibliographies (131) EDRS PRICE MFO1 /PC11 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS American Indian Culture; American Indian Education; American Indian History; American Indian Languages; American Indian Literature; American Indian Studies; Annotated Bibliographies; Audiovisual Aids; *Canada Natives; Elementary Secondary Education; *Eskimos; Foreign Countries; Instructional Material Evaluation; *Instructional Materials; *Library Collections; *Metis (People); *Resource Materials; Tribes IDENTIFIERS *Canada; Native Americans ABSTRACT This bibliography lists materials on Native peoples available through the library at the Manitoba Department of Education and Training (Canada). All materials are loanable except the periodicals collection, which is available for in-house use only. Materials are categorized under the headings of First Nations, Inuit, and Metis and include both print and audiovisual resources. Print materials include books, research studies, essays, theses, bibliographies, and journals; audiovisual materials include kits, pictures, jackdaws, phonodiscs, phonotapes, compact discs, videorecordings, and films. The approximately 2,000 listings include author, title, publisher, a brief description, library
    [Show full text]
  • Backgroundfile-83687.Pdf
    Attachment TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction and Grants Impact Analysis ........................................................................................... 1 Overview Strategic Funding .................................................................................................................. 3 Arts Discipline Funding ......................................................................................................... 3 Assessment and Allocations Process ................................................................................... 4 Loan Fund ............................................................................................................................. 4 Operations ............................................................................................................................. 4 Preliminary Results of Increased Grants Funding ............................................................................. 6 2014 Allocations Summary ................................................................................................................ 7 Income Statement & Program Balances for the quarter ended December 31, 2014 ........................ 8 Strategic Funding 2014 Partnership Programs .......................................................................................................... 9 Strategic Partnerships ........................................................................................................... 10 Strategic Allocations .............................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Condolence Motion
    CONDOLENCE MOTION Moved by: Councillor Mike Layton Seconded by: Councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam The Mayor and Members of Toronto City Council are saddened to learn of the passing of Vernon (Vern) Harper, 85 on May 13, 2018. Born in Toronto on June 17, 1932, Vern Harper is 5th Generation Grandson of Mistawasis or Mistahi-maskwa, and 6th Generation Grandson of Big Bear, a “Peace Chief” who negotiated Treaty 6 with the Government of Canada. A survivor of residential schools and foster homes, Mr. Harper was a First Nations Cree Elder, medicine man, Aboriginal rights activist and Keeper of the Lodge. His life story includes being a stage actor, a professional fighter, author of “Follow the Red Path”, cancer survivor, and a highly decorated Korean War veteran. In the 1970's, Mr. Harper was the Vice-President of the Ontario Metis and Non-Status Indian Association, organized the Native People’s Caravan, a cross-Canada trek to raise awareness of broken treaties and grievances against the Canadian government, and, along with his wife, founded the Wandering Spirit Survival School of Toronto. Known as the “Urban Elder” of Toronto, Mr. Harper dedicated his life to helping people as the Resident Elder for the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health where he promoted the role of First Nations spirituality in the treatment of mental health and addiction. Mr. Harper was the first Native to receive Federal Recognition through Corrections Canada granting him Chaplain’s Status, as a Native Spiritual Elder where he provided spiritual services, sweat lodge ceremonies and traditional counselling to Indigenous prison inmates.
    [Show full text]
  • Understanding Aboriginal Arts in Canada Today ______
    Understanding Aboriginal Arts in Canada Today ___________________________________________________________________________________________________ A Knowledge and Literature Review Prepared for the Research and Evaluaon Sec@on Canada Council for the Arts _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ FRANCE TRÉPANIER & CHRIS CREIGHTON-KELLY December 2011 _____________________________________________________________________________________________________________ For more information, please contact: Research and Evaluation Section Strategic Initiatives 350 Albert Street. P.O. Box 1047 Ottawa ON Canada K1P 5V8 (613) 566‐4414 / (800) 263‐5588 ext. 4261 [email protected] Fax (613) 566‐4430 www.canadacouncil.ca Or download a copy at: http://www.canadacouncil.ca/publications_e Cette publication est aussi offerte en français Cover image: Hanna Claus, Skystrip(detail), 2006. Photographer: David Barbour Understanding Aboriginal Arts in Canada Today: A Knowledge and Literature Review ISBN 978‐0‐88837‐201‐7 TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS! 3 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY! 4 Why a Literature Review?! 4 Steps Taken! 8 Two Comments on Terminology! 9 Parlez-vous français?! 10 The Limits of this Document! 11 INTRODUCTION! 13 Describing Aboriginal Arts! 15 Aboriginal Art Practices are Unique in Canada! 16 Aboriginal Arts Process! 17 Aboriginal Art Making As a Survival Strategy! 18 Experiencing Aboriginal Arts! 19 ABORIGINAL WORLDVIEW! 20 What is Aboriginal Worldview?! 20 The Land! 22 Connectedness!
    [Show full text]
  • Virtual Program Is Brought to You by the Streaming Services of Entertainment Engineering Collective
    a A LIVE VIRTUAL PERFORMANCE WITH Q&A APRIL 13, 2021 · 7 P.M. Supporting the Arts at Oswego Made possible by the Student Arts Fee, administered by ARTSwego SUNY Oswego — Livestream interactive Zoom concert! Featured on the New York Times hits list and the Billboard World Music Charts! Sultans of String band members Chris McKhool, Kevin Laliberté and Drew Birston perform the Best of the Sultans, beamed right into your living room! Special guests include Ojibway Elder Duke Redbird, flamenco dancer and singer Tamar Ilana, JUNO Award-winning Hungarian pianist Robi Botos, Madagascar’s Donné Roberts and Yukiko Tsutsui from Japan! This is over Zoom, which is awesome because it is interactive, and we will be able to see and hear you, and you can see and hear us, and you can all see each other as well! It is a real show! So pour yourself a quarantini, and get ready to enjoy the music! The link becomes live at 6:40 p.m. to get settled and chat with our friends. And make sure you have speakers plugged in if you have them! The show will last about an hour, and then will feature a talkback portion, so bring your burning questions, as we will be opening up the floor for anyone who has always wanted to ask any of the artists about their inspiration, or music, or whatever strikes your fancy. Special guest performance by the SUNY Oswego’s Small Group Jazz The Girl from Ipanema Antônio Carlos Jobim (1927-1994) Ryan Zampella, Tenor Saxophone Brandon Schmitt, Guitar Benjamin Coddington, Piano Zachary Robison, Bass Robert Ackerman, Drum Set The State University of New York at Oswego would like to recognize with respect the Onondaga Nation, the “people of the hills,” or central firekeepers of the Haudenosaunee Confederacy, the Indigenous peoples on whose ancestral lands SUNY Oswego now stands.
    [Show full text]
  • ISSN –2395-1885 Impact Factor: 4.164 Refereed Journal ISSN -2395-1877
    IJMDRR Research Paper E- ISSN –2395-1885 Impact Factor: 4.164 Refereed Journal ISSN -2395-1877 A STUDY OF SYMBOLS AND IMAGERY IN DUKE REDBIRD’S POEM I AM THE REDMAN WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO NORTHROP FRYE’S ANATOMY OF CRITICISM Rajalahshmi T Assistant Professor of English, PG & Research Department of English, Vellalar College for Women, Thindal. Abstract The study of the vast and rich body of the literature of the native people of Canada has been too long neglected and ignored. Very few literary scholars are familiar with the oral literature that transcends the European concepts of genre, or the written literature that spans a wide range of genres-speeches, letters, sermons, reports, petitions, diary entries, essays, history, journals, autobiography, poetry, short stories, and novels. Native poetry of Canada lagged behind prose in the 1970s. Among the poets who managed to get published their poems were Sarain Stump, Duke Redbird, George Kenny, Rita Joe, Ben Abel, Chief Dan George, and Daniel David Moses. Sarain Stump in his poem There is My People Sleeping laments at the loss of the traditional way of life while Duke Redbird in his poem, ‘I Am the Redman’ lashes out against an insensitive white society which reflects the political turmoil of the period when he was a militant social activist. Penne Petrone in her work Native Literature in Canada from the Oral Tradition to the Present has criticized, “In ‘I Am the Redman’ Redbird’s ironic tone and symbolism, derived from an urban and industrialized society, bristle with contempt and pride” (130). The paper aims to compare the symbols occur in ‘I Am the Redman’ with the archetypal symbols found in mythology and literature with special reference to the Canadian critic Northrop Frye’s, Anatomy of Criticism.
    [Show full text]
  • Balancing the Medicine Wheel Through Physical Activity
    Balancing the Medicine Wheel through Physical Activity Lynn Lavallée, PhD, Assistant Professor, School of Social Work, Ryerson University ABSTRACT This article highlights the fndings of a research project based on the medicine wheel teachings of balance between the physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional aspects of oneself. Specifcally, this traditional approach to understanding health was used to explore the impacts of physical activity on emotional, spiritual and mental well-being. Four female participants in a martial arts program at an urban Friendship Centre told their stories at two sharing circles. Afterwards, they were given six weeks to develop symbols that represented the meaning of the martial arts pro- gram to them and how it had impacted their lives. The participants named this second method “Anishnaabe Symbol-Based Refection.” This article provides a brief overview of these Indigenous methods and explains how they were applied to this research project. The article then focuses on two key themes that emerged from the Aboriginal women’s stories: issues related to identity and to a sense of not deserving good things in life. The women described how they were able to work through some of their identity issues and their low sense of self-worth through their participa- tion in the martial arts program. KEYWORDS Urban Aboriginal women, health, medicine wheel, identity, self-esteem, physical activity, martial arts INTRODUCTION he research project profled in this article set out teaching, as it relates to an individual’s health, is based on to explore the impacts of physical activity on the maintaining balance between four realms: mental, spiritual, well-being of Aboriginal women.
    [Show full text]