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ABORIGINAL POST-SECONDARY EDUCATION POLICY DEVELOPMENT IN BRITISH COLUMBIA, 1986-2011 by Madeleine Karen MacIvor B.Ed., The University of British Columbia, 1987 M.A., The University of British Columbia, 1993 D.Litt. (honoris causa), University of the Fraser Valley, 2011 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF Doctor of Education in The Faculty of Graduate Studies (Educational Leadership and Policy) THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA (Vancouver) August 2012 © Madeleine Karen MacIvor 2012 Abstract This dissertation is a critical policy study of the development of Aboriginal post- secondary education in British Columbia between 1986 and 2011. It explores the question “How have changing political, economic and social circumstances in British Columbia influenced the development and implementation of Aboriginal post-secondary policy?” through an embedded case study. During this time, British Columbia was governed by three different political parties: the Social Credit (1986-1991), the New Democratic Party (1991-2001), and the Liberals (2001 – 2011). The province was also undergoing significant changes in its relationships with Aboriginal people, in trying to bring certainty to issues of Aboriginal rights and title that were undermining resource development. At the beginning of this period BC did not recognize Aboriginal rights and title; by the end of this period a number of treaties and non-treaty agreements had been signed. Stories shared through policy texts, other documentary sources, as well as interviews with nineteen policy actors reveal a number of significant themes in the Aboriginal post-secondary policy process. These include: sector intersection between the Ministries responsible for post- secondary education and Aboriginal affairs; privileging of First Nations; relationships between policy actors and policy structures, the importance of leadership and ownership; the selective implementation of recommendations and policy; and different understandings of accountability. ii Preface An earlier version of Chapter 1, Section 1.2, Historical Context was incorporated into sections 2.1, 4.3, 4.3.1, and 5.5. of Fisher, D., Rubenson, K., Bernatchez, J. ,Clift, R., Jones, G., Lee, J., MacIvor, M., Meredith, J., Shanahan, T., Trottier, C.(2006). Canadian federal policy and post-secondary education. Vancouver: The Centre for Policy Studies in Higher Education and Training, University of British Columbia. Ethical Approval for interviews was received from The University of British Columbia, Office of Research Services and Administration, Behavioural Research Ethics Board, Certificate Number B06-0364. iii Table of Contents Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... ii Preface ........................................................................................................................................... iii Table of Contents ......................................................................................................................... iv List of Tables ................................................................................................................................ xi List of Figures .............................................................................................................................. xii Definitions ................................................................................................................................... xiii Acronyms and Abbreviations .....................................................................................................xv Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................... xvii Chapter 1: Introduction ................................................................................................................1 1.1 Research Question .....................................................................................................................2 1.2 Historical Context ......................................................................................................................3 1.2.1 Nationhood and Assimilation ..............................................................................................5 1.2.2 Assimilation under the Guise of Integration .....................................................................11 1.2.3 Towards Control and Recognition ....................................................................................16 1.2.4 Aboriginal Post-Secondary Education in the 21st Century ...............................................23 1.3 Outline of the Dissertation .......................................................................................................30 Chapter 2: The Literature ...........................................................................................................32 2.1 Educational Achievement ........................................................................................................33 2.2 Barriers.....................................................................................................................................33 2.3 Aboriginal-Controlled Institutions ...........................................................................................36 2.4 Public Post-Secondary Institutions ..........................................................................................40 iv 2.5 Student Experiences .................................................................................................................46 2.6 Policy. ......................................................................................................................................48 2.7 Summary ..................................................................................................................................58 Chapter 3: Conceptual Methodological Framework ................................................................60 3.1 Policy and Critical Policy Analysis .........................................................................................60 3.2 Research Strategy ....................................................................................................................65 3.2.1 Research Design ................................................................................................................65 3.2.2 Data Collection ..................................................................................................................66 3.2.3 Analysis .............................................................................................................................70 Chapter 4: The Report of the Provincial Advisory Committee on Post-Secondary Education for Native Learners ...................................................................................................73 4.1 The Context..............................................................................................................................73 4.1.1 The Province’s Relationship with Aboriginal People .......................................................73 4.1.2 The Economy ....................................................................................................................76 4.1.3 Post-Secondary Education .................................................................................................79 4.2 The Policy Process ...................................................................................................................84 4.2.1 Consultation ......................................................................................................................86 4.2.2 The Text ............................................................................................................................88 4.2.2.1 Governance Challenges ......................................................................................90 4.2.2.2 Jurisdiction .........................................................................................................92 4.2.2.3 Culture ................................................................................................................92 4.2.2.4 Program Challenges ...........................................................................................93 4.2.2.5 Financial .............................................................................................................93 4.2.2.6 Geographical Challenges ....................................................................................93 4.2.2.7 Prioritized Recommendations and Implementation Plan ...................................94 v 4.2.3 Implementation ..................................................................................................................94 4.3 Discussion and Findings ........................................................................................................100 4.3.1 The Influence of the Ministry of Native Affairs .............................................................101 4.3.2 Privileging First Nations .................................................................................................102 4.3.3 Relationships ...................................................................................................................103 4.3.4 Leadership and Ownership ..............................................................................................104