NORTHERN COLLEGE IN PARTNERSHIP WITH NORTHERN POLICY INSTITUTE

EXAMINING OURSELVES BECOMING THE COLLEGE OF CHOICE FOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

FEBRUARY 2017

AUTHOR

DR. AUDREY J. PENNER VICE PRESIDENT, ACADEMIC AND STUDENT SUCCESS Contents

Acknowledgements ...... 3 Author ...... 3 Research Interns ...... 3 Indigenous support ...... 3 Executive Summary ...... 4 Background ...... 4 Methodology ...... 4 Educational Authorities...... 5 Findings ...... 6 Access ...... 6 Finance ...... 6 Geography ...... 6 Housing ...... 7 Culture ...... 7 Family ...... 7 Community ...... 7 Postsecondary Needs ...... 7 Programs ...... 8 College alternatives ...... 8 Student support services ...... 8 Racism ...... 9 Integration of themes ...... 9 Recommendations ...... 10 Access ...... 10 Culture...... 10 Postsecondary Needs ...... 10 Racism ...... 10 Introduction ...... 11 Background ...... 13 Methodology ...... 16 Educational Authorities...... 17

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Findings ...... 20 Access ...... 20 Finance ...... 20 Geography ...... 21 Housing ...... 22 Culture ...... 22 Family ...... 23 Community ...... 24 Postsecondary Needs ...... 24 Programs ...... 24 College alternatives ...... 28 Student support services ...... 29 Racism ...... 30 Integration of themes ...... 30 Barriers ...... 32 Opportunities ...... 33 Conclusions ...... 34 Recommendations ...... 35 Access ...... 35 Culture...... 35 Postsecondary Needs ...... 35 Racism ...... 35 Bibliography...... 36 Appendix A: Interview Introduction ...... 37

Table 1 Comparison of similar programs with Indigenous Learners at Canadore ...... 26 Table 2 Comparison of similar programs with Indigenous Learners at Cambrian ...... 27

Figure 1 Northern Catchment Area: Indigenous choices ...... 14 Figure 2 Enrollment Trends of Indigenous learners as a percentage student population ...... 15 Figure 3 Program Enrollment Trends ...... 28 Figure 4 Qualitative theme integration ...... 31

2 | Page Acknowledgements Northern College would like to acknowledge the support of Northern Policy Institute in the research to make this report possible. By supporting two interns for the project, this study became a reality. Northern College gratefully thanks Leah Cartan and Rachel Beals, these interns made this project possible, and enjoyable. Their diligence and professionalism were evident throughout the entire project. The support of Dorothy Larkman, Chair of Northern Colleges Indigenous Council was invaluable to assure we worked using Indigenous ways of knowing, and setting aside Western methodology inappropriate to the nature of this study.

Author Dr. Audrey J. Penner, Vice President Academic and Student Success Research Interns Leah Cartan, King's University College - Western University Rachel Beals, Indigenous support Dorothy Larkman, Chair, Northern College Indigenous Council on Education

David Faries, Elder, Northern College, Campus

Joe Nakogee, Indigenous Student Advisor, Northern College, Timmins Campus

Kathy Gagain, Executive Assistant responsible to the Northern College Indigenous Council on Education

3 | Page Executive Summary Northern College sits in the Northeastern region of , a catchment area the size of France that includes many Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities. The College’s stated vision of “Success for all through learning and partnerships”, reflects the inclusive nature of the region (Northern College, 2016). This vast region is home to proud Northerners who cherish their quality of life. Northern College demonstrates the cherished quality of life through its mission statement “to ensure quality, accessible education through innovative programs, services and partnerships for the benefit of our Northern communities”. The College’s motto “Your College, Your community” is yet another affirmation of the integration of the college within the fabric of the various communities in its catchment area. Background Covering a catchment area the size of France, Northern College services numerous communities, non- Indigenous, Indigenous and mixtures of each. These communities have varying percentages of Indigenous population. In communities such as Moosonee, the Indigenous population is close to 100%, while in cities such as Timmins, the Indigenous population is closer to 40% (Statistics , 2011). The Indigenous population as a percentage of learners at Northern College has remained consistently at 12%-14% (Northern College, 2009). Movement of Indigenous learners across the region has been evidenced through migration within and to, various communities within the Northern College catchment area (Statistics Canada , 2011). Programming options at Northern have also increased (Northern College, 2009) in response to economic demands within the region, yet this has not resulted in an increased percentage of Indigenous learners at Northern College.

Ontario Colleges Application Services (OCAS) provides data on application and enrollment across the college system. Utilizing data from the past five years, there is evidence of Indigenous learners from the Northern College catchment area attending colleges that border this area. With an increase in programs and population movement within the region, but no increase in Indigenous learners as a percentage of learners at Northern College, the question arises: why are Indigenous learners choosing colleges farther away from their communities than Northern College? Methodology In recognition of the Truth and Reconciliation Report (2015), it needs to be acknowledged, research is not enough (Mueller, 2013). Actions need to be taken. Research is, however, a starting point to identify what Northern College needs to do to become the Indigenous College of Choice. It is in this spirit, this report was written and future action will be taken. The concept for the study was to define challenges and opportunities for Northern College in becoming the college of choice for Indigenous peoples. The team titled this study “Examining ourselves: Becoming the college of choice for Indigenous peoples.” The research questions were: 1. How does Northern College become the college of choice for Indigenous people in Northeastern Ontario? a. What are the challenges? b. What are the distinct advantages? c. What do we need to change/improve/remove from our institutional mosaic to achieve this goal?

4 | Page The methodology included key informant interviews within a targeted population from the Indigenous Education Authorities in the Northern catchment area, a review of secondary data (OCAS and publically available documents) and youth focus groups. A snowball sampling design1 was used to assure any interested Indigenous people involved with postsecondary Indigenous initiatives could be involved if they chose to be. The interviews with Educational Authorities, as such, were not intended to represent personal opinions rather considered to be statements on education authority needs and observations. We hoped to complete 20 interviews during the summer, but were unable to connect with everyone who expressed an interest. In total, 12 interviews were completed. These 12 provided rich background and thought provoking information making the process interesting and rewarding for all involved.

The youth focus groups were conducted with the help of David Faries, Timmins Campus Elder, Joe Nakogee, Northern College Indigenous Student Advisor, and Kathy Gagain, Executive Assistant to the Northern College Indigenous Council on Education. Northern College hosted Lightning Trail, an Indigenous youth experience camp for one week in August. Over 40 participants, aged 14-21 were housed at the Timmins Campus for the week. During Lightning Trail, participants experience Indigenous cultural events and career exploration, coupled with reflection on career goals. With the support of the Lightning Trail organization team, the interns had opportunities to talk to two subgroups of Lightning Trail participants, 10 students in all. These particular participants may have had a predisposition to college as an option, however, given the research questions were focused upon college-college choice, this did not pose a problem for the methodology. Educational Authorities This group was the target population for the key informant interviews. It is important to have a general understanding of what the various educational authorities are trying to achieve. To this end, the interns compiled a target group profile of the educational authorities using the online information available. Background on each authority was also part of the intern’s preparation process for the interview. Understanding the group profile sets the stage for the key informant interviews and findings. The locations and purpose were summarized for each, with additional information included where it was readily available from the authorities’ website.

The Educational Authorities included Attawapiskat First Nation Education Authority located in Attawapiskat in the Kenora District. Beaverhouse First Nation east of , is located on the banks of the Misema River North. Constance Lake Education Authority located near Calstock, is in the Hearst region. Hishkoonikun Education Authority based in Kashechewan, is 10 km inland from James Bay, 460 km North of Timmins. First Nation band office is located in the , south of Timmins. situated on ancient native land, is near . Moose Education Authority located in Moose Factory, works with the Mushkegowuk Tribal Council. Mundo Peetabeck Education Authority s located in Fort Albany, is part of the Mushkegowuk Tribal Council. Education is an active, contributing and supporting participant in the aspirations and development of community’s quest for self-determination and self-government.

1 Snowball sampling design is an open ended approach to identifying key informants, as the study progresses, one key informant may identify an additional person who has information to share, so the sample ‘snowballs’.

5 | Page Findings Four key themes were identified in response to the research questions. These themes are: Access, Culture, Postsecondary Needs, and Racism. Some themes had sub-categories occurring within the theme. These sub-categories are presented along with discussion of how the category and theme fit. Access Accessibility is an underlying element for any learner, if they cannot access the education, they cannot benefit from it. Access can include abilities of the learner, and special supports they may require. However, access, within the context of this study, appeared more pragmatic. Both the key informant interviews and youth brought forward access issues which fell into one of three sub-categories: Finance, Geography, and Housing. Each sub-category within this theme is discussed separately, with a summary outlined in the next section of the report. Finance Several key informants discussed the high cost of postsecondary education. Housing, travel, and tuition costs, were examples of financial disincentives to postsecondary education. The cost of housing is clustered under the financial theme, it is a concern to acquire housing in the Timmins area. The residences on campus were considered inaccessible to most Indigenous learners. As multiple key informants stated, residence on campus requires upfront payment, yet Indigenous students receive monthly funding. Thus, they are not able to provide the required payment at the beginning of the semester. This has resulted in a systemic barrier for Indigenous learners. One suggestion was to create a system that allows students to pay on a monthly basis if sponsored or have a specific residence for students, with a different financial structure. “I think the economics, as much as anything else, I think we can all appreciate the expense for students living in the cities…very low income (referring to students). Sharing an apartment or living with a relative …one of those types of set ups is a big advantage for some students “ Key informant interviewee Geography Geography as a college of choice factor was mentioned throughout key informant interviews and in the youth discussions. However, there were mixed observations from respondents as to whether distance is a deterrent to attending a certain post-secondary institution. In some interviews, distance was an accepted fact of life for a learner who wished to attend postsecondary education institutions. As a deterrent, educational authorities saw geography as a significant choice factor in a student’s decision on where to go for postsecondary education. The authorities stated recognized proximity as positive. It means students are able to stay closer to families and their community support network. However, for remote communities, even Northern College’s Moosonee and Moose Factory campuses are not close enough for a daily commute to school. Therefore, this distance lends itself to additional financial and cultural considerations when a student wants to physically be on a campus or when the program is only taught in a main Northern Campus, for example Veterinary technology at the Haileybury campus.

6 | Page Housing Key informants flagged accessibility to affordable housing as a main concern. General comments about housing in Timmins centered upon how unaffordable it is, both on and off campus. As mentioned previously, Indigenous students are given monthly allowances but no bulk start-up money, for paying rent upfront. The housing issue was prevalent in all the key informant interviews as well as, the youth discussions. Indeed, students in the Lightning Trail focus groups mentioned the high cost of housing. One student indicated she will live with her Aunt to save on costs. These responses demonstrate the integration of housing with finance sub categories. Culture Culture is by definition, a representation of values that are common to a community or organization (Mueller, 2013). Although Mueller’s work is focused upon organizational values, it is particularly relevant in this study, as the organizational culture of Northern College is a key factor to becoming the college of choice for Indigenous learners. The cultural cornerstones of family and community are the two subcategories in this theme, as emphasized in both key informant interviews and youth information. Family While only a few interviews discussed family as a college of choice factor in decision making for a student’s postsecondary choices, it was recurrent, and tightly woven in the integration of themes. As one key informant put it, a common denominator as to why students choose certain schools, is the sense of family that creates a community.

“It’s so hard to uproot families. It’s not only the students. It’s the whole family that has to watch out. It’s a challenge for our older learners. “ Key Informant Interviewee

Community The concept of community is deeply rooted in Indigenous learnings and ways of knowing. The key informants described how communities are tightly knit. As already stated in the Family category, the key informants outlined how community members are often considered family, because of the close knit nature of the community. Communities have a mix of traditional and Christian spiritual beliefs. One key informant stated, culture in a community does not always mean traditional practices, communities evolve and change. Therefore a community may be defined by language or linkages to the land. This definition is important to note, and again the need for Northern College to look beyond traditional Western approaches to curriculum, is reinforced. Postsecondary Needs From the data gathered, three areas of postsecondary needs were identified: programs, college alternatives, and student support services. Each is discussed separately, with the themes integrated later in the report.

7 | Page Programs Programs and programming are college of choice factors in a student’s decision about which postsecondary institution to attend. There were rich responses and insights from key informants on this theme, with five notable observations. 1. How college programs are delivered (mode of delivery) is important. 2. Cancellation of programs creates anxiety among learners, who are nervous to apply in case the program may be cancelled. 3. Types of programs offered or not offered, are part of the choice as to which college to attend 4. General introductory courses while helpful to some students, can bring others down and they result in students failing out of college. 5. Indigenous content and perspectives in the course curriculum is important. “…mode of delivery… in the recent years for Northern College, the mode of delivery is different. A lot of online, video conferencing, correspondence…combination of that…Having an instructor for some of the courses is good because they have that teacher face to face context, however I think that’s why some choose not to (referring to choosing NC because of the online stuff)…They prefer to have an instructor right there “- Key Informant Interviewee

Youth interviewed in focus groups had mixed views about programs and delivery. From the youth, three notable observations emerged: 1. Familiarity with the school itself 2. Direct entry and first-generation learners need more direction and guidance about career choices and programming needs. 3. Academic upgrading programs are a great opportunity for those struggling with high school College alternatives This category refers to post-secondary opportunities beyond college. It also refers to students who do not want to pursue post-secondary education at all. While university as a college alternative was not referenced broadly by interviewees, it is notable that Northern College is the only college in the Ontario system without a university located in its catchment area. Specific programs from universities such as Algoma and Laurentian are offered at Northern College, but there is no physical presence of an Anglophone university, in the area. “College alternatives” were identified more clearly when talking to Lightning Trail youth. Some students mentioned they did not want to go to college while two students specifically stated they wanted to go to university. One of the youth, thought college could be an option after completing Lightning Trail activities. One youth wanted to put off post-secondary in order to learn more about their culture. Student support services Student support services are a necessity at any postsecondary institution. For Indigenous students, the interviewees described these as a lifeline. When key informants spoke about student support services, they not only referred to the need for an Indigenous Education Council, but also for basic Indigenous services like a student lounge, Elder support, special education services, cultural resources, support with applying to post-secondary, and so on. These types of resources are helpful for all sorts of students with diverse needs including single mothers, special education students, first-generation learners, older learners, recent high school graduates, etc.

8 | Page The researchers saw a recurrent topic in the data where Canadore College, , and were given as examples of successful student services. Resources currently available at Northern College, did not appear to be well known, awareness of what is available and what can be accessed, were not well understood by the key informants, we spoke to. Racism Feeling welcome in a community is a key factor when deciding which college to attend. This sentiment was clearly apparent as a rationale for why students chose to go to North Bay and Sudbury. Several interviewees mentioned a personal, racially conflicted experience when shopping at Timmins grocery stores or when using status cards. Targeted comments made them feel unwelcome. Racism not only deters students from the Timmins community, it affects a student’s confidence and encourages them to return to their home community. The examples of racism were solely about Timmins, not other cities in the Northern College catchment area. Nor was it an issue identified as being within the culture of Northern College. However, the community itself may be a deterrent and may explain why students are drawn to other cities in the North. When students believe a community is racist, they will not feel as supported as they would at home. Feeling targeted in a community does not lead to a conducive learning environment for students. “For individual success it is important to focus on who you are as an Indigenous person a lot of students do not enter school with that confidence. There is a lot of racism in Timmins could happen at [name removed for privacy reasons], getting groceries, etc. This can make people drop out. They need to be confident in who they are and learn how to handle the racism. They often want to run back to the reserve where it is a safe place...... it is the reality.” -Key Informant Interviewee Integration of themes In the discussions about racism, the need for and acknowledgement of culture was routinely mentioned. Culture itself, permeates every aspect of life inside and outside the College. From classroom content to cultural awareness in the local community, it is an important consideration for students as they determine which college to attend. Therefore, culture has to be considered when thinking about student services and programming needs. The concept of community and family co-exist and as an extension of each other. A community member can be family, and family creates community. Access is tightly interwoven with culture, and the financial aspect of access ties back to the need for support in terms of housing, proximity and community. Student support services need to understand the culture, awareness, and family needs of Indigenous learners, to effectively advise students and help mitigate social anxiety. Access integrates with other categories programs, geography, and finances. Access to programs can be as simple as the application process, or as complex as the admission requirements. Geographical access can make the difference between coming and not coming, while lack of finances means programs and housing may be inaccessible In refining recommendations and action plans for this study, viewing the themes as an integrated schema is necessary to truly define actions going forth for Northern College. When viewed through an integrated lens, culture becomes the ‘nest’ for all the other themes and categories within those themes.

9 | Page Recommendations The following recommendations are made on the basis of the themes presented in this report. The recommendations have been reviewed by the Northern College Indigenous Council on Education, and their input has been incorporated. The recommendations are a starting point and require action plans to complete. Some examples of actions are included here, but this is not an all-inclusive list. Based upon the findings, there are six recommendations: Access 1. Expand the concept of Indigenous community within Northern College campuses. Culture 2. Create a centre for Indigenous culture within the College that strives for excellence in promoting and fulfilling Indigenous student’s needs. 3. Build Indigenous culture into the fabric of Northern College programs, through curriculum design, development and delivery. 4. Encourage mental health awareness as part of onsite activity and outreach programs to all Indigenous communities Northern serves. Postsecondary Needs 5. Work with the Northern College Indigenous Council on Education and in conjunction with the various Educational Authorities, to identify and define Indigenous specific programming needs. Racism 6. Become a catalyst for cultural safety and sensitivity within the communities Northern College serves.

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Introduction Northern College sits in the Northeastern region of Ontario, a catchment area the size of France that includes many Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities. The College’s stated vision of “Success for all through learning and partnerships”, reflects the inclusive nature of the region (Northern College, 2016). This vast region is home to proud Northerners who cherish their quality of life. Northern College demonstrates the cherished quality of life through its mission statement “to ensure quality, accessible education through innovative programs, services and partnerships for the benefit of our Northern communities”. The College’s motto “Your College, Your community” is yet another affirmation of the integration of the college within the fabric of the various communities in its catchment area.

Within the Northern College Strategic Plan (2016), four strategic directions are defined. These are: Accessible Education; Signature Programs; the Northern Experience and Indigenous Perspectives. These directions have been in place since the previous strategic plan, and reaffirmed in 2016 as cornerstone of Northern College’s strategy. As a key strategic direction, Indigenous Perspectives takes on a high profile within the institution’s mandate and operations. It is in response to this strategic direction, this study was defined. At Northern College, the term Indigenous is used in an inclusive sense, referring to all First Nations Metis and Inuit peoples. The Terms of Reference for the Northern College Indigenous Council on Education specifically defines this inclusive approach.

The College’s strategic plan outlines guiding principles for operations as: • Learning for success • Career opportunities through innovative education and transferable skills • Practical, hands-on experiences • Value for your investment • Support for lifelong learning • A healthy, adaptive and progressive organizational culture

The Truth and Reconciliation Report (TRC) calls for development of a joint strategy to eliminate educational and employment gaps between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Canadians. The TRC advocates for elimination of funding gaps for First Nations children educated on reserves and calls for new Aboriginal education legislation to assure the full participation and informed consent of Aboriginal peoples. The new legislation would include a commitment to sufficient funding for Aboriginal education and ultimately greater prosperity for Indigenous peoples. This call to action is a painful reminder of the inequity in educational opportunities. Northern College is determined to act responsibly and with the best interests of Indigenous learners to respond to the calls within the TRC (Truth and Reconciliation Commission , 2015). Key principles stated within the TRC (2015) are: • Providing sufficient funding to close identified educational achievement gaps within one generation. • Improving education attainment levels and success rates. • Developing culturally appropriate curricula. • Protecting the right to Aboriginal languages, including the teaching of Aboriginal languages as credit courses. • Enabling parental and community responsibility, control, and accountability, similar to what parents enjoy in public school systems.

11 | Page • Enabling parents to fully participate in the education of their children. • Respecting and honoring Treaty relationships. Comparing the guiding principles of Northern College’s Strategic Plan (2016) with the principles of the TRC (2015), similarities are apparent. The need for access whether a funding or student success issue, is a common theme. The method of learning with practical hands on experience, and support for lifelong learning align with the TRC principles to improve education attainment and success rates. Value for investment and a healthy, adaptive and progressive organizational culture is important to support the principles of developing culturally appropriate curricula, protecting the rights to Indigenous languages, and enabling parents to fully participate in the education of their children. With this comparison in mind, Examining Ourselves began as a journey to identify how Northern College could better serve the Indigenous community in Northeastern Ontario. The alignment of Northern College’s principles and those principles espoused within the TRC, provide additional rationale for launching this study and report. The Northern College Strategic Plan (2016) outlines commitments by Northern College to their communities. It is important to state those commitments here in order to reiterate the foundation for this study. • Is open, consultative and accountable. • Acts with personal responsibility and integrity. • Pursues collaborative partnerships and entrepreneurial opportunities to better serve all of our communities. • Fosters and encourages a safe, caring and respectful organizational culture. • Supports, nurtures and celebrates the contributions and accomplishments of learners and employees. • Responds to the choices and directions of Indigenous peoples. • Establishes an organizational culture that reflects the diversity of our communities. • Engages in applied research in the pursuit of northern development and continuous improvement. • Connects our learners and communities through the innovative application of technology.

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Background Northern College celebrates its 50th birthday in 2017. In the time since the College was established, demographics have changed, economies have shifted, and the ability to deliver courses via distance education has expanded. What has remained relatively constant, is the number of Indigenous learners at Northern College, ranging from 27 to 58 learners, annually. The Ontario College Application System (OCAS) provides data on enrollment identifying Indigenous student choices within the 705 area code (the area code of the Northern College catchment area). According to Statistics Canada (2011), the Indigenous population is increasing and is currently, the area of growth for the Canadian population. Choices for Indigenous learners are also increasing, for postsecondary education options. The Truth and Reconciliation Report (2015) stipulates as a call to action the need for increased funding for post- secondary institutions to assure teachings within Indigenous knowledge and ways of knowing. The population record and educational levels of Indigenous peoples has demonstrated an upswing in postsecondary education levels. (Statistics Canada , 2011) Covering a catchment area the size of France, Northern College services numerous communities, non- Indigenous, Indigenous and mixtures of each. These communities have varying percentages of Indigenous population. In communities such as Moosonee, the Indigenous population is close to 100%, while in cities such as Timmins, the Indigenous population is closer to 40% (Statistics Canada , 2011). The Indigenous population as a percentage of learners at Northern College has remained consistently at 12-14% (Northern College, 2009). Movement of Indigenous learners across the region has been evidenced through migration within and to, various communities within the Northern College catchment area (Statistics Canada , 2011). Programming options at Northern have also increased (Northern College, 2009) in response to economic demands within the region, yet this has not resulted in an increased percentage of Indigenous learners at Northern College. Ontario Colleges Application Services provides data on application and enrollment across the college system. Utilizing a data from the past five years, there is evidence of Indigenous learners from the Northern College catchment area attending colleges that border this catchment area. With an increase in programs and population movement within the region, but no increase in Indigenous learners as a percentage of learners at Northern College, the question arises: why are Indigenous learners choosing colleges farther away from their communities than Northern College? Using data from 2011-2015, Figure 1 shows college enrollment choices for all self-identified Indigenous learners from the Northern College catchment area, by college of choice (OCAS, 2016). Note: two schools are not in the Northern College catchment area, yet have attracted applicants in this five year time frame.

13 | Page Figure 1 Northern Catchment Area: Indigenous choices

70

60

50

40

30

20 Number of Indigenous Students Indigenous of Number

10

0 Algonquin Cambrian Canadore Northern College St. Clair St. Lawrence Colleges in

2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

In Figure 1, the six colleges presented drew Indigenous applications from the Northern College catchment area. An atypical uptake is seen at St. Clair, with movement from 0 to 19 enrolments in the space of a year. Likewise, St. Lawrence experienced an increase in 2015. Both institutions had typically lower rates of uptake prior to 2015, however, something has changed. Northern College numbers have fluctuated, uptake did drop in 2015. Cambrian, Canadore, and Northern are situated as the closest colleges to each other regionally in Northeastern Ontario. Other northern colleges such as Confederation and did not draw self-identified Indigenous applications from this catchment area. A comparison of Indigenous enrollment as a percentage of the student body, helps to understand enrollment patterns. As of 2015, Northern had the largest percentage of Indigenous students in its student population, while Cambrian and Canadore were close. Figure 2 provides a five year comparison of the three regional colleges, by percentage of Indigenous learners within the total student population (OCAS, 2016).

14 | Page Figure 2 Enrollment Trends of Indigenous learners as a percentage student population

50%

45%

40%

35%

30%

25%

20%

15%

Percentage of Indigenous Students Enrolled Enrolled Students of Indigenous Percentage 10%

5%

0% 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Year

Northern College Canadore Cambrian

All three colleges presented in Figure 2, have experienced student fluctuation over the past five years, with a downward trend in Indigenous learners from the Northern College catchment area for all three in 2015. Canadore had a decline by 2%, with Northern and Cambrian having a decline in Indigenous enrollment by 7% and 9% respectively (OCAS, 2016). Colleges need to be well aware of the rationale for the choices Indigenous learners are making, to ensure interest in and applications to their college are increasing. When reviewing the principles and commitments of Northern College’s Strategic Plan, the question of Indigenous choice becomes even more important, further supporting the need for this study. OCAS data does not provide information on choices to universities as it is exclusively a Colleges Ontario entity. The choice to go to University is another option Indigenous learners are pursuing, however, the focus for this study was on college-college choice, not university-college choice. It is also important to note, that the OCAS data utilized for this study, does not represent all Indigenous learners at Cambrian and Canadore. It represents only those learners, from the 705 area code.

15 | Page Methodology In recognition of the Truth and Reconciliation Report (2015), it needs to be acknowledged that research is not enough (Mueller, 2013). Actions need to be taken. Research is, however, a starting point to identify what Northern College needs to do to become the Indigenous College of choice. It is in this spirit that this report was written and future action will be taken. The concept for the study was to define challenges and opportunities for Northern College in becoming the college of choice for Indigenous peoples. The team titled this study “Examining ourselves: Becoming the college of choice for Indigenous peoples.” The research questions were: 1. How does Northern College become the college of choice for Indigenous people in Northeastern Ontario? a. What are the challenges? b. What are the distinct advantages? c. What do we need to change/improve/remove from our institutional mosaic to achieve this goal? The methodology included key informant interviews with a targeted population, a review of secondary data (OCAS and publically available documents) and youth focus groups. The targeted population for key informants were selected from the Indigenous Education Authorities in the Northern catchment area, and the Northern College Indigenous Council on Education. A snowball sampling design2 was used to assure any interested Indigenous people involved with postsecondary Indigenous initiatives could be involved if they chose to be. The interviews with Educational Authorities, as such, were not intended to represent personal opinions rather considered to be statements on education authority needs and observations. We hoped to complete 20 interviews during the summer, but were unable to connect with everyone who expressed an interest. In total, 12 interviews were completed. These 12 provided rich background and thought provoking information making the process interesting and rewarding for all involved.

The interview question and style was developed in consultation with Dorothy Larkman, Chair of the Northern College Indigenous Council on Education, to assure cultural sensitivity was embraced. Dorothy’s background in Indigenous ways of knowing coupled with her own doctoral research, made her advice invaluable in assuring the methodology we used was culturally acceptable. Based upon Chairman Larkman’s feedback, the key informant interviews were framed as open discussions, rather than a series of formal questions. The use of a Western methodology in key informant interviews was determined to be ineffective for this study. Prior to the interviews, a training/calibration session designed to build non-threatening and persuasive interview skills, was held for the interns. This training allowed the interns to develop skills conducting telephone interviews while drawing out information from people with diverse backgrounds and community beliefs (UCLA, 2005). An introductory statement for the interviews was designed with the assistance of Dorothy Larkman (see Appendix A). The youth focus groups were coordinated with the help of David Faries, Timmins Campus Elder, Joe Nakogee, Northern College Indigenous Student Advisor, and Kathy Gagain, Executive Assistant to the Northern College Indigenous Council on Education. It was challenging to create focus groups in the local community, and travelling to other communities was not an option. However, Northern College hosted

2 Snowball sampling design is an open ended approach to identifying key informants, as the study progresses, one key informant may identify an additional person who has information to share, so the sample ‘snowballs’.

16 | Page Lightning Trail, an Indigenous youth experience camp for one week in August. Over 40 participants, aged 14-21 were housed at the Timmins Campus for the week. During Lightning Trail, participants experience Indigenous cultural events and career exploration, coupled with reflection on career goals. With the support of the Lightning Trail organization team, the interns had opportunities to talk to two subgroups of Lightning Trail participants, for a total of 10 participants in all. These students have chosen Lightning Trail for the experience it offers culturally and within a college environment. As part of the methodology of this research, the principal investigator was interested opinions of youth in a position of choice to help define choice issues and factors. These particular participants may have had a predisposition to college as an option, however, given the research questions were focused upon college-college choice, this did not pose a problem for the methodology. Northern College’s responsibility in the research was to design and develop data gathering methods, analyze collected data and write the report. Northern College took responsibility for storing data, and has provided a copy to Northern Policy Institute. The interns’ responsibility in the research was to conduct and record the key informant interviews, which included contacting, scheduling, recording, summarizing, and formatting the data after collection. The interns were also responsible for coordinating and scheduling the focus groups and identifying participants for the discussions. While not responsible for data analysis, the interns participated in the early stages and provided keen insights into the material. The time frame for the research was to create the design for the interviews and focus groups in April, with the schedule of interviews beginning in May. May to August were allocated for the interviews and focus groups. Overall, the timeline was adhered to, however, scheduling and conducting of key informant interviews was more time consuming than originally planned and by mid-August, it was determined the interviews were as complete as they could be. Data gathering was considered complete by late August. The number of key informants and age of the youth participants creates limitations for the study. The study cannot be used as a basis for policy development, rather it does serve as a foundation for further inquiry and definition of activities needed for Northern College to become a college of choice. The information provided, allows some action plans, pilot projects and general direction of activities which can improve Northern College services to Indigenous learners. This study opens a door for Northern College. Educational Authorities This group was the target population for the key informant interviews. It is important to have a general understanding of what the various educational authorities are trying to achieve. To this end, the interns compiled a target group profile of the educational authorities using the online information available. Background on each authority was also part of the intern’s preparation process for the interview. Understanding the group profile sets the stage for the key informant interviews and findings. The locations and purpose were summarized for each, with additional information included where it was readily available from the authorities’ website. Attawapiskat First Nation Education Authority located in Attawapiskat is in the Kenora District. Its closest urban center is Timmins (600km south). The Mission Statement of Attawapiskat First Nation Education Authority is “have its students graduate with pride in themselves, and in their First Nation culture and heritage, and with those spiritual, emotional, physical and mental skills, that will enable them to seek out and access relevant information, to enable them to become decision makers, problem solvers, lifelong learners and caring and contributing members of their communities. We will achieve excellence in teaching and learning through the use of research and inquiry, innovative technologies, and local resources.” (Attawapiskat First Nations, 2016)

17 | Page Beaverhouse First Nation east of Kirkland Lake, is located on the banks of the Misema River North. The community does not have direct road access and is only accessible by boat in the summer and snowmobile in the winter. Beaverhouse First Nation was not included as a community in the Treaty #9 document of 1906, with adhesions in 1929 and 1930. The community is currently seeking Reserve and Band Status from the federal government. Languages spoken within this community are English, French, Cree and Ojibway (Bearskin Lake First Nations, ND).

Constance Lake Education Authority located near Calstock, is in the Hearst region. The Mission Statement is: “The education of our children is our most cherished responsibility; we want to renew and revitalize the dignity of and harmony among our people. We feel this will provide guidance in strengthening the relationships between elders and our youth. It is through education that we as First Nations people will rise once again to self-sufficiency, both individually and collectively. It is also through education that our children will be provided with a strong sense of positive identity as First Nations people.” (Constance Lake First Nations, 2010). Constance Lake has access to fiber optic internet with a goal to provide high speed internet service to the community. They also hope to provide video conferencing capabilities for business and medical purposes. Constance Lake Telecom is in the process of adding cable TV service (Constance Lake First Nations, 2010) Hishkoonikun Education Authority based in Kashechewan, is 10 km inland from James Bay, 460 km North of Timmins. The Tribal Council is the Mushkegowuck Council. Eligibility, within this educational authority for the post-secondary student support program is based on how much funding is given from the Indian and Northern Affairs Canada. Accessibility for this Authority is a critical element in future postsecondary planning (, 2000-2017). located in the Timiskaming District, has a band office south of Timmins and has strong relationships with the mining sector. A dedicated Education Officer oversees postsecondary programs for First Nation college and university learners (Matachewan First Nations, 2016). Mattagami First Nation situated on ancient native land, is near Gogama. It has long been home to the Ojibway and OjiCree people from the and Mattagami Lake areas and as far as the Moose River head waters on the James Bay Coast. They are located on the northwest side of the Mattagami Lake, Mattagami means “meeting of the waters”. This First Nation community has rebuilt after a flood from when a power company dammed the river. The objective of the Mattagami First Nation (MFN) Post- Secondary Program is to ensure a maximum numbers of MFN members are able to achieve their academic goals through the funds available from the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs for this program. Students can apply for funding and must fill out a statement of intent to the education department of why they want to attend post-secondary (Matagami First Nations, n.d.) Education Authority located in Moose Factory, works with the Mushkegowuk Tribal Council. The primary tribal organization with this authority is Nishnawbe-Aski Nation (NAN). The authority provides bursaries and scholarships for eligible band members, as well as counselling and guidance in choosing post-secondary field of studies. They house a resource centre with current calendars and information about post-secondary institutions (Moose Cree First Nations, n.d.). Mundo Peetabeck Education Authority located in Fort Albany, is also part of the Mushkegowuk Tribal Council. The primary Tribal Organization with this Authority is Nishnawbe-Aski Nation (NAN). “The Mission is to help young minds grow and learn in a harmonious environment resulting in the all-round development of the child.” (Mundo Peetabeck , n.d.)

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Mushkegowuk Council Education an active, contributing and supporting participant in the aspirations and is in development of the community’s quest for self-determination and self-government. The Council embraces and fosters the concept of “sharing the responsibility” with local parents, teachers, administrators, community members and leadership. The objective of the post school program is to sponsor and support Bill C-31 First Nation students of Fort Albany and Kashechewan who have been accepted into a program of study at a College or University. Financial assistance is subject to those who meet the criteria defined in the Post School Policy Student Handbook and the availability of funds through Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada are eligible for education assistance from Mushkegowuk Council (Mushkegowuk Council, n.d.). Not all Indigenous Educational Authorities in Northeastern Ontario participated in this study. We did not compile data on non-participation. In general, non-participation was related to the inability to establish initial contact with individuals or confirm interview dates and times. The Educational Authorities remain the strongest point of contact with the Indigenous community in terms of advancing postsecondary education and building awareness of Northern College as a college of choice for Indigenous people.

19 | Page Findings With key informant interviews and youth focus groups, different priorities and motivations were discovered between the two demographic groups. Where a demographic difference is apparent, these differences are noted within the various themes. The similarities in information between the two groups is greater than the differences, which helps validate information. Four key themes were identified in response to the research questions: How does Northern College become the college of choice for Indigenous people in Northeastern Ontario? and: What do we need to change/improve/remove from our institutional mosaic to achieve this goal? These themes are: Access, Culture, Postsecondary Needs, and Racism. Some themes had sub-categories occurring within the theme. These sub-categories are presented along with discussion of how the subcategory and theme fit, and how the subcategories and other themes are integrated in terms of understanding the dynamics of choice for Indigenous learners. Access Accessibility is an underlying element for any learner, if they cannot access education, they cannot benefit from it. Access can include abilities of the learner, and special supports they may require. However, access, within the context of this study, appeared more pragmatic. Both the key informant interviews and youth brought forward access issues which fell into one of three sub-categories: Finance, Geography and Housing. Each sub-category within this theme is discussed separately, with integration outlined in the next section of the report. Finance Several key informants discussed the high cost of postsecondary education. Housing, travel, and tuition costs, were examples of financial disincentives to postsecondary education. These are not exclusive issues to Northern College. Out of these three categories, the cost of travel appeared to be the biggest deterrent to learners. The cost of travel to a Northern College campus depends directly upon where the student’s community is located and what program they may wish to take. If the program is available only in Timmins, then travel to the campus is required. For example, living in Attawapiskat requires relocation to Moosonee or the Timmins Campus depending upon the program the student chooses. Airfare from Timmins to Moosonee and on to Attawapiskat (approximately $8003), is almost as expensive as a round trip ticket to London, in the United Kingdom ($800-$10004) from Timmins. During the winter ice roads are available but this is dependent upon temperature and winter conditions. Ice road travel is time consuming and usually done in small groups of vehicles. Train travel is available but costly, and the train does not stop in Timmins, rather in Cochrane, an hour’s drive away, increasing travel for the learner. Travel to and from a campus, when leaving a Northern community is expensive and costly for the learner. This cost would be significantly more if they were travelling to southern campuses, however. The cost of housing is clustered under the financial theme, and it is a concern to acquire housing in the Timmins area, for Indigenous peoples. The residences on campus were considered inaccessible to most Indigenous learners. As multiple key informants stated, residence on campus requires upfront payment, yet Indigenous students receive monthly funding. Thus, they are not able to provide the required payment at the beginning of the semester. This has resulted in a systemic barrier for Indigenous learners. One suggestion was to create a system that allows students to pay on a monthly basis if sponsored or have a specific residence for First Nations students, with a different financial structure. “I think the economics, as much as anything else, I think we can all appreciate the expense for students living in the cities…very low income (referring to students).

3 Prices vary, online quote from AirCreebec, January, 2017 4 Prices vary, online quote from Air Canada, January, 2017

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Sharing an apartment or living with a relative …one of those types of set ups is a big advantage for some students “Key informant interviewee

Beyond costs, as it relates to financial accessibility, how the system operates for Indigenous learners is another challenge brought forward in the key informant interviews. For example, one key informant mentioned some College offices are unaware of how Indigenous student funding works. Streamlining the process for students and College staff would make things easier. Links between Indigenous funding agencies and Northern College could be a starting point to assure system processes do not disadvantage the learner, was a suggestion of a few of the interviewees. The youth from Lightning Trail also spoke about finance issues. One of the Lightning Trail participants interviewed chose Northern College because it was more affordable than , and living in the Greater Toronto area. Another, stated she chose Northern College because she could live with her Aunt, reducing costs considerably. The youth responses in general around finances were comparable to those noted in key informant interviews. Reducing costs for accommodations, for example by sharing an apartment or living with family, was mentioned frequently. The researchers identified financial considerations as more than the simple cost of tuition, when factors were assessed for their impact on college choice. Travel and housing are considerations when weighing costs the student has to bear. The finance category integrates with the other themes in a variety of ways and is discussed again within the Integration of Themes Section. Geography Geography as a college of choice factor was mentioned throughout key informant interviews and in the youth discussions. However, there were mixed observations from respondents as to whether distance is a deterrent to attending a certain post-secondary institution. In some interviews, distance was an accepted fact of life, when a learner wished to attend postsecondary education institutions. Educational authorities identified that they often sent students around and outside of the province to obtain postsecondary education. Further comments by key informants applied to learners wishing to experience something new, hence moving away from the home community was necessary. Interesting, none of the youth stated directly that they would go to Northern College because of its location and the fact it was closer to ‘home’. As a deterrent, educational authorities saw geography as a significant choice factor in a student’s decision on where to go for postsecondary education. The authorities stated recognized proximity as positive. It means students are able to stay closer to families and their community support network. However, for remote communities, even Northern College’s Moosonee and Moose Factory campuses are not close enough for a daily commute to school. Therefore, this distance lends itself to additional financial and cultural considerations when a student wants to physically be on a campus or when the program is only taught in a main Northern Campus, for example Veterinary technology at the Haileybury campus.

21 | Page Housing Key informants flagged a concern as accessibility to housing. General comments about housing in Timmins centered upon how unaffordable it is, both on and off campus. As mentioned previously, Indigenous students are given monthly allowances but no start-up money, for paying rent upfront. The housing issue was prevalent in all the key informant interviews as well as, the youth discussions. Indeed, students in the Lightning Trail focus groups mentioned the high cost of housing. One student indicated she will live with her Aunt to save on costs. These responses demonstrate the integration of housing with the finance subcategory. However, key informants identified cost was not the only barrier to find housing. Key informants talked about availability of suitable housing, citing local mining companies and other businesses as competition for housing. These local companies often utilize temporary housing for transient workers making it harder for students to find housing solely for the academic year, September to April. One key informant suggested a mitigation of housing issues, could be the construction of housing dedicated to Indigenous students. This type of space will help Indigenous students to feel welcome. Additionally, the creation of a payment plan that can accommodate the Indigenous student funding barriers would mitigate some accessibility issues according to some key informants. In discussing the housing theme with both educational authorities and youth, there was a sense of feeling ‘cornered’. If learners feel they cannot afford housing or that there is a lack of housing, it may not be worth going to school in Timmins. This could be a negative outcome prior to even seriously exploring potential programming at the Timmins campus. However, having a family member or friend in town with whom they can live makes all the difference and can influence their decision. Guaranteed housing could help assuage student concerns when looking for a college far away from their home community. While dedicated housing is one answer, it could also promote segregation rather than creating a community where Indigenous culture is shared and welcome. Providing more tailored payment plan options, and creating a hold on residential housing for Indigenous learners, could increase interest in attending Northern College. However, when reviewing the data, the comments about housing access were exclusively made about the Timmins campus, and not the Kirkland Lake or Haileybury campuses. It is unclear if there are no housing issues with the other two campuses, or if the Educational Authorities were simply more focused upon the main campus. Providing information about various housing options in the area before or after students apply may also encourage enrollment at Northern College. Finally, Northern College can also work with the community to identify options for lower cost student housing. Culture Culture is by definition, a representation of values that are common to a community or organization (Mueller, 2013). Although Mueller’s work is focused upon organizational values, it is particularly relevant in this study, as the organizational culture of Northern College is a key factor to becoming the college of choice for Indigenous learners. The cultural cornerstones of family and community are the two subcategories in this theme, as emphasized in both key informant interviews and youth information. Adding Indigenous content, perspectives, and culture to curriculums and even entire programs like Early Childhood Education, promotes cultural awareness and understanding. One individual pointed out how Indigenous content and courses can help students feel connected to their home communities. Additionally, several key informants mentioned Indigenous faculty would help to ensure Indigenous perspectives are taught appropriately, correctly, and consistently. Implementing a mandatory course on Indigenous culture and issues for all students would be useful. According to our key informants, this type of course has been implemented successfully in a school in Thunder Bay.

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The Culture theme includes a discussion of culture shock, for Indigenous students coming from remote and sometimes not so remote communities. Indigenous events that include Indigenous and non- Indigenous students provide greater, cultural awareness and sensitivity for faculty, staff and the local community, while reducing the culture shock for new learners. Helping learners transition through this culture shock and into the new community was an idea shared by many key informants. In addition to comments made by key informants one of the students mentioned culture. He said he was going to put off post-secondary in order to learn more about his culture and traditional practices in his home community. Culture as a predominant theme integrates with racism, as well as the other subcategories, such as programs and family. Culture, based upon the data provided, represents the relationship between succession planning and continuation of Indigenous events, content, resources, establishing relationships and greater openness, student services, etc. This relationship succession is important to ongoing college of choice approaches. When analyzing this category, it is not simply Indigenous content that should be added to courses. In fact many key informants specifically stated that Cree content should be considered. Some postsecondary schools have a curriculum focused upon Ojibwa, however, Northern College is located near Cree communities. Northern College could attract potential students by adding more Cree content, in fact it currently has a math course developed in Cree using Cree syllabics. How culture is incorporated into learning at a postsecondary level can be broadened or redefined as community culture is identified. This is a cornerstone for Northern College to incorporate into curriculum. Culture does have two subcategories in this data, family and community. Family While only a few interviews discussed family as a choice factor in decision making for a student’s postsecondary choices, it was recurrent, and tightly woven in terms of integration of themes. As one key informant put it, a common denominator as to why students choose certain schools, is the sense of family that creates a community.

Family relates to the idea of support, especially in the context of Indigenous culture, which emphasizes concepts such as community or togetherness. Key informants stressed, students want and need a support system to provide them with resources and strength. Since family is so important in their home communities, it was expressed, students often struggle when away from that environment. Key informants did not provide details on perceptions they had of student life at Northern College, so it was challenging to determine if these were perceptions or the Educational Authorities were aware of this reality.

“It’s so hard to uproot families. It’s not only the students. It’s the whole family that has to watch out. It’s a challenge for our older learners. “ Key Informant Interviewee

The researchers realized, family took on a broader meaning in Indigenous terms as compared to the traditional western understanding. Family could be a distant cousin, or simply another member of their community, and is not restricted to immediate siblings, parents and cousins. However, it was noted by many key informants that where families locate or move to is beyond the control of Northern College, for example, if a student’s family moves south to Toronto or west to Thunder Bay, students may be enticed to that region. Therefore, in terms of being the college of choice, Northern College’s ability to attract Indigenous learners may mean a broader approach then just talking with the learner. Northern College has a unique opportunity to work directly with local industry in its catchment area to build joint family

23 | Page recruitment to the area. For example, if the mining companies are recruiting workers in various mines around Timmins, Northern could complement this with recruitment for family members to attend school at the same time and vice versa. Creating a comprehensive system of recruitment and support for Indigenous students with industry makes good sense for Northern College. This would help families to feel welcome and provide resources similar to those in their home communities (for example, elders and recognition of Indigenous traditional values). This family category integrates with postsecondary needs, programs, geography, student support, finance and housing. Community The concept of community is deeply rooted in Indigenous learnings and ways of knowing. The key informants described how communities are tightly knit. As already stated in the Family category, the key informants outlined how community members are often considered family, because of the close knit nature of the community. Communities have a mix of traditional and Christian spiritual beliefs. One key informant stated, culture in a community does not always mean traditional practices, communities evolve and change. Therefore a community may be defined by language or linkages to the land. This definition is important to note, and again the need for Northern College to look beyond traditional Western approaches to curriculum is reinforced. Postsecondary Needs From the data gathered, three areas of postsecondary needs were identified: programs, college alternatives and student support services. Each is discussed in separate categories, with how the themes integrate discussed later in the report. Programs Programs and programming are choice factors in a student’s decision about which postsecondary institution to attend. There were rich responses and insights from key informants on this theme, with five notable observations. 1. How college programs are delivered (mode of delivery) is important. It was noted that distance education is not the preferred learning style as Indigenous learners are visual and benefit face to face instruction. This creates a dichotomy as learners who want to remain closer to family are more likely to require a distance education course/program. A suggestion to have one instructor/teaching aid on site in remote communities, which may help to bridge the need for more personal contact. 2. Cancellation of programs creates anxiety among learners, who are nervous to apply in case the program may be cancelled. 3. Types of programs offered or not offered, are part of the choice as to which college to attend (see Table 1 for Comparison of Programs). 4. General introductory courses while helpful to some students, can bring others down and they result in students failing out of college. By general introductory courses, the interviewees were referring to non-career specific programming. 5. Indigenous content and perspectives in the course curriculum is important. “…mode of delivery… in the recent years for Northern College, the mode of delivery is different. A lot of online, video conferencing, correspondence…combination of that…Having an instructor for some of the courses is good because they have that teacher face to face context, however I think that’s why some choose not to (referring

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to choosing Northern College because of the online stuff)…They prefer to have an instructor right there “ Key Informant Interviewee

Youth interviewed in focus groups had mixed views about programs and delivery. While some knew what they wanted to do (Northern offers some but not all the programs mentioned), others had not yet settled on a career path. Some youth wanted to be near their families, which meant they would choose a college close to home and pick a program from that point. From the youth, three notable observations emerged: 1. Familiarity with the school. School tours and awareness in the community can help introduce students to Northern College and what it has to offer. 2. Direct entry and first-generation learners need more direction and guidance about career choices and programming needs. 3. The Northern College academic upgrading programs is a great opportunity for those struggling with high school, who are unlikely to achieve a diploma. Overall, the data demonstrates that influence on a student’s decision occurs in multiple ways: mode of delivery; Indigenous content; Indigenous course drivers; career specific needs; and the type of program that the student is seeking. Programs are directly linked with the culture of an institution, to student services, and dictates geography. In turn the geographic location determines the family which may or may not be in that region. So choice factors become multivariable and interconnected in complex ways. Where similar programs exist at various colleges, what happens in terms of choice with Indigenous learners? The interns looked at programs available both at Northern College and Canadore College but where Indigenous learners were from the Northern College catchment area. If the programs are the same, then reasons for choice may rest with mode of delivery, Indigenous content, or Indigenous course drivers, factors mentioned in the previous paragraph. The data obtained through OCAS identifies Indigenous learners from the Northern catchment area who chose Canadore College but took a program available through Northern College. All programs listed in Table 1 are available through Northern College, and many have distance options. See Table 1 for more details.

25 | Page Table 1 Comparison of Indigenous Enrollment by program Canadore and Northern

Indigenous Learners Enrolled from Northern Catchment area Programs available at Northern 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Can Nor Can Nor Can Nor Can Nor Can Nor Business 7 0 2 2 1 0 0 0 1 0 Business - Accounting 0 0 1 1 2 1 0 0 1 0 Business Administration 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Business Administration - Accounting 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Early Childhood Education 4 8 3 0 1 2 2 0 2 7 General Arts and Science - 1 Year 7 0 4 0 4 2 7 5 4 1 Mechanical Techniques 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 Motive Power Technician 0 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 2 0 Office Administration 1 0 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 Personal Support Worker 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 2 1 Police Foundations 4 3 2 3 2 1 2 3 1 3 Practical Nursing 1 14 2 1 0 6 1 1 0 3 Prepatory Health Sciences 4 3 4 9 4 2 5 13 2 16 Resources/Environmental Technician 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 Social Service Worker 0 1 0 4 3 8 2 5 3 4 Total 30 29 19 20 21 23 22 28 18 35

Based upon the OCAS data, 2011, Canadore College hosted more Indigenous learners from the Northern College catchment area, then Northern College did. However, the situation was the reverse in the subsequent 4 years. In 2015, Canadore College had 33% of the Indigenous student population of the 53 students at both colleges that OCAS recorded from the Northern College catchment area. Canadore College had more than 20 Indigenous learners from the Northern College catchment area, over the past three years, in three programs of study; Early Childhood Education, General Arts and Sciences, and Social Service Worker. These same programs at Northern College, are considered to be well established and popular but may not have the Indigenous perspective reflecting culture and community. Reviewing the information on the current web page for Canadore College programs, there does not appear to be any unique references to Indigenous programming or curriculum (Canadore College, 2016). Health preparatory sciences also attracts Indigenous learners at Canadore College, however, this program has recently seen provincial standards change, which may affect the standard method of program delivery. Developing stronger Indigenous programming in these four program areas at Northern could make a substantive difference in Indigenous choices. Cambrian College also offers similar programs to Northern College. Within common program areas, the OCAS data was again used to identify Indigenous patterns of enrollment. Table 2 provides detailed information on Indigenous students from the Northern College catchment and their choices at Cambrian College, when compared to programs that could be taken at Northern College.

26 | Page Table 2 Comparison of Indigenous Enrollment by program, Cambrian and Northern

Indigenous Learners enrolled from Northern Catchment area Programs available at Northern 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 Can Nor Can Nor Can Nor Can Nor Can Nor BSC Nursing 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 1 Business 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 Business - Accounting 0 0 0 1 0 1 0 0 1 0 Business Administration 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Business Administration - Accounting 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 Business Fundamentals 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 3 2 Civil Engineering Technician 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 Early Childhood Education 0 8 0 0 0 2 1 0 0 7 Electrical Techniques 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 General Arts and Science 1 4 6 4 4 3 5 1 1 0 General Arts and Science - 1 Year 2 0 2 0 0 2 1 5 1 1 Mining Engineering Technician 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 Motive Power Techniques - Heavy Equipment 0 1 0 0 2 0 3 0 0 0 Paramedic 0 2 0 0 0 6 1 2 1 6 Personal Support Worker 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 Police Foundations 2 3 1 3 1 1 3 3 5 4 Practical Nursing 0 14 0 1 0 6 1 1 0 3 Preparatory Health Sciences 4 1 5 0 10 0 6 3 1 1 Pre-Technology 0 1 2 0 1 0 2 3 2 1 Social Service Worker 1 1 1 4 0 8 0 5 0 4 Welding Engineering Technician 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Total 11 35 19 15 21 30 27 24 21 32

In 2012 and 2104, Cambrian College attracted more Indigenous learners from the Northern College catchment area then Northern College did. In most cases, the number of learners is small, less than five. However, Preparatory Health Sciences at both Cambrian College and Canadore College consistently attract Indigenous learners, from the Northern College area code catchment area. General Arts and Sciences coupled with Health Preparatory Sciences show more than 20 Indigenous learners enrolled over the past three years. In 2015, Cambrian College had 39% of the Indigenous learners in similar programs, at the two colleges, from the Northern catchment area. Based upon the OCAS data, the trends in enrollment from the Northern College catchment area were examined for these three colleges. Figure 3 provides the trends on total enrollment drawn from data in Tables 1 and 2 compared across the five years, in programs where Indigenous learners from the Northern College catchment area are heading to another college that has the same program.

27 | Page Figure 3 Program Enrollment Trends

40

35

30

25

20

15

10

Number of Indigenous learners Indigenous of Number 5

0 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Northern Canadore Cambrian Linear (Northern) Linear (Canadore) Linear (Cambrian )

While Cambrian College has a decline in the 2015 data, the overall trend is upward in terms of college of choice for Indigenous learners. Northern College’s trend is almost a straight line, with a very slight inclination, while overall Canadore College shows a downward trend, for Indigenous learners coming from the Northern College catchment area. It is important to note, this graph depicts only Indigenous learner enrollment patterns from the Northern College catchment area, and may not be the overall trend for Indigenous learners attending Cambrian or Canadore. College alternatives This category refers to post-secondary opportunities beyond college. It also refers to students who do not want to pursue post-secondary education at all. While college alternatives were not referenced broadly by interviewees, it is notable that Northern College is the only college in the Ontario system which does not have a university located in its catchment area. Specific programs from universities such as Algoma and Laurentian are offered at Northern College, but there is no physical presence of an Anglophone university. One key informant was very clear; their community needs more university degrees than college diplomas. This community and its Educational Authority will be encouraging students to go to university rather than college, which could mean students bypassing Timmins and going south (usually interpreted as the Greater Toronto Area) or to Northwestern Ontario. For this key informant, Northern College’s diploma to degree pathways become very important to demonstrate a continuous ladder of learning through to wherever the student wants to go. “College alternatives” were identified more clearly when talking to Lightning Trail youth. Some students mentioned they did not want to go to college while two students specifically stated they wanted to go to university. One of the youth, thought college could be an option after completing Lightning Trail activities. Finally, one youth wanted to put off post-secondary in order to learn more about his/her culture.

28 | Page Based upon this information, opportunities for Northern College include starting outreach in Indigenous communities earlier, for example in junior high, to place postsecondary education and specifically Northern as an option after high school. Promotion of pathways, such as diploma to degree program could be part of this initiative. In addition, Northern College can be highlighted as a good transition experience for learners who want to continue on to university. The intent of the study, was not to be a college of postsecondary choice, rather to be the college of choice. Therefore, the expressed desire to go to university can be an opportunity for Northern to develop more links and partnerships with universities to provide greater access for Indigenous learners. Student support services Student support services are a necessity at any postsecondary institution. For Indigenous students, the interviewees described these as a lifeline. When key informants spoke about student support services, they not only referred to the need for an Aboriginal Education Council, but also for basic Indigenous services like a student lounge, Elder support, special education services, cultural resources, support with applying to post-secondary, and so on. These types of resources are helpful for all sorts of students with diverse needs including single mothers, special education students, first-generation learners, older learners, recent high school graduates, etc. Student support services exist to guide and support learners through various academic, cultural, social, and financial situations. Capacity for student services was noted, for example, one interviewee pointed to the First Peoples House and the Office of Aboriginal Initiatives, located on the Nipissing University and Canadore College campuses respectively. These have a student lounge, offices, meeting spaces, and are centrally located and accessible. Student services and their importance are a key purpose of Indigenous education councils, as these councils can advise on the needs of Indigenous students. Indigenous councils cannot exist in name only. Allowing the students to have a greater voice when it comes to education councils and/or student support services was raised in this discussion, as well. The Education Authorities promoted greater direct involvement of the Indigenous Councils, in driving the agenda for Indigenous student supports. Informants saw this participation as direct links to assure appropriate resources to what students need and not just what the council thinks they need. Student support services can help assure Indigenous students are accommodated, but with appropriate support, this can also contribute to the sense of community and culture that has been identified as so important. The researchers saw recurrent comments in the data about Canadore College, Nipissing University and Cambrian College successful student services. The resources currently available at Northern College did not appear to be well known, awareness of what is available and what can be accessed, appeared to be lacking in the key informant interviews. A review of best practices as offered in the three institutions named would be a follow up to this study. However, adaptation of best practices needs to tempered with knowledge of improving awareness of Northern College Indigenous student services already in place. Further exploration of awareness issues within the educational authorities is required. In fact, Northern College is already providing many of the best practices identified, but the Education Authorities were not aware of them. This is discussed more in the section on barriers.

29 | Page Racism Feeling welcome in a community is a key factor when deciding which college to attend. This sentiment was clearly apparent as a rationale for why students chose to go to North Bay and Sudbury. Several interviewees mentioned a personal, racially conflicted experience when shopping at Timmins grocery stores and businesses or when using status cards. Targeted comments made them feel unwelcome. Racism not only deters students from the Timmins community, it affects a student’s confidence and encourages them to return to their home community. Key informants told us that some Indigenous peoples view Timmins in a negative light, as a city. It is important to note that multiple people within the Educational Authorities were concerned about racism, and had in fact experienced it themselves. This experience colours their own view when advising on postsecondary needs and believe it directly affects their work with students. The key informants were unclear as to whether theirs perception directly or indirectly influenced students’ final choices. The examples of racism discussed were solely about Timmins, not other cities in the Northern catchment area. Nor was it an issue identified as being within the culture of Northern College. However, the community itself may be a deterrent and may explain why students are drawn to other cities in the North. When students believe a community is racist, they will not feel supported as they would at home. Students feeling targeted in a community does not lead to a conducive learning environment “For individual success it is important to focus on who you are as an Indigenous person a lot of students do not enter school with that confidence. There is a lot of racism in Timmins could happen at [name removed for privacy reasons], getting groceries, etc. This can make people drop out. They need to be confident in who they are and learn how to handle the racism. They often want to run back to the reserve where it is a safe place...... it is the reality. “ Key Informant Interviewee Given deterring factors and negative perspectives, there is an opportunity for Northern College to tackle misinformation both on and off campus. Helping people become aware of Indigenous history and culture bridges groups, deepens understanding and encourages openness within the community. A suggestion from the interviews was to incorporate more information on Indigenous culture into curriculum and encourage non-Indigenous students to attend Indigenous events. By encouraging the community to participate and attend cultural events, everyone will develop a better understanding and appreciation of Indigenous ways of knowing. An additional suggestion from the interviews, was the need for employees at the City of Timmins to implement cultural awareness training and activities. Overall, based upon comments received, racism appears as a strong influence on college of choice factors as to why students choose to go to a different college than Northern. Integration of themes Discussing themes individually does not give the complete picture of how interwoven these themes are, it does, however, set the background for examining theme integration. For example, youth discussions raised distance from home (geography) as an issue in relation to family ties and community, so both themes can be interpreted as a decision factor about where to go to school. Access is tightly interwoven with culture, and the financial aspect of access ties back to the need for support in terms of housing, proximity and community. Student support services need to understand the culture, awareness, and family needs of Indigenous learners, to effectively advise students and help mitigate social anxiety. Access integrates with other subcategories programs, geography, and finances. Access to programs can be as simple as the application process, or as complex as the admission

30 | Page requirements. Geographical access can make the difference between coming and not coming, while lack of finances means programs and housing are inaccessible In the discussions about racism, the need for and acknowledgement of culture was routinely mentioned. Culture itself, permeates every aspect of life inside and outside the College. From classroom content to cultural awareness in the local community, it is an important consideration for students as they determine which college to attend. Therefore, culture has to be considered when thinking about student services and programming needs. The concept of community and family co-exist, as an extension of each other. A community member can be family, and family creates community. In refining recommendations and action plans for this study, viewing the themes as an integrated schema helps to truly define actions going forth for Northern College. When viewed through an integrated lens, culture becomes the ‘nest’ for all the other themes and subcategories within those themes. Figure 4 presents a visual of theme integration to help frame recommendations.

Figure 4 Qualitative theme integration

Culture Family and Community Access

Finance, Housing, Geography

Postsecondary Racism Needs Programming, student support services

Based upon the data from this study, the researchers see culture as the backdrop to everything we were told in this study. Culture sets the stage for family and community, and is the environment in which our values are created. In turn, this leads to our choices which are based upon access. Access provides the opportunity for choices in relation to programs, however, throughout all of this, the influence of racism permeates access, culture and ultimately choice.

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Barriers When the research study was first conceived the question of “What are the challenges?” was included. The concept of challenges reflects a Western methodological approach which does not respect these findings in as open and transparent a way as the researchers want. Therefore, this section has been entitled ‘Barriers’ to better reflect a statement of what needs to be addressed, compared to what is already happening. Four distinct barriers were identified in helping Northern College become the college of choice, from this study: general awareness of Northern College, culture shock, support for families, and racism. General awareness of Northern College had some surprising components. The overall lack of awareness about Northern College and what it has to offer, was an interesting, albeit unanticipated, finding within this study. Even in terms of geography, some of the Education Authorities interviewed were not aware of exactly how “near” Timmins was to Northern College, and in some cases to their community. Key informants felt Northern College did not have much of a presence within Indigenous schools on reserves. The key informants had varying levels of knowledge about Northern College’s Indigenous student support services or what was available. The fact there are Elders on each campus was not commonly known. When the interns were validating this information, they searched the Northern College website to see what Indigenous services were available to students, and little information was available, although we are aware internally of these services. Increased online resources and information for both students and Educational Authorities would generate a better understanding of what Northern College offers to support Indigenous learners. Furthermore, when compared with other college websites, Indigenous information appeared easier to navigate and more visually appealing in terms of researching services at the school. Another comment from interviewees was a lack of quality information through College outreach. The outreach information distributed does not highlight Indigenous resources. For those informants who had heard about the Northern Colleges Indigenous services, they reported difficulty contacting them. Clearly, there is a need for Northern College to assess how they communicate and market Indigenous services information. Creating more accessible information for potential students and the public is a first step in our action plans to become a college of choice. Culture shock when arriving at a new community and a new school is very real for most new learners. When you include factors such as coming from a small, remote community to a larger urban center the culture shock is compounded. Think of living in a small town where you know everyone, there are no traffic lights, no public transportation, and everything you need is a short walk from your home. The reality is the learner is moving to a city with multiple suburbs, spread over a large geographic area, traffic lights, lots of noise, a public transit system to navigate because you cannot walk everywhere, and very different food and culture. When you think of all the changes a new learner faces, it is really quite miraculous that they stay. For those adventurous types, this may be an exciting experience, however, for the quiet, introverted type, it can be overwhelming. Timmins is not as large as North Bay or Sudbury, and looking at their successes with Indigenous learners, tells us there are ways to assure a successful transition into a new culture. Building those transitions is a role for our student support services to address these challenges. Support for families beyond the learner is something that would require more time and resources to put in place. The details in this study do not provide enough information as to the specific needs these supports might look like. In addition, the needs will change with individual learners. Some may need childcare, while others may be looking for support for a family member who travels with them and is searching for employment. Overall, this may be an insight into a greater need that many of our non-

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Indigenous learners may have. Creating a family friendly institution is a goal Northern College can work towards. Racism is not a pleasant term nor is it something any community wishes to acknowledge. The presence of racism in a community is everyone’s barrier. Northern College has no direct authority for dealing directly with issues of racism within the City of Timmins. Northern College does have a solid relationship with both the City Council and the Chamber of Commerce, which provide avenues of communication to start the conversations on this issue. Northern College can actively promote and facilitate cultural awareness activities for community groups to promote understanding and sharing. Northern College can be a champion for Indigenous cultural awareness. Working directly with the City of Timmins, Northern College can support cultural initiatives and provide education and awareness training such as Aboriginal Cultural Awareness, offered through our eLearning solutions. Within the college environment, addressing cultural sensitivity and awareness will continue with increased vigor. Opportunities In the research questions, we asked: What are the distinct advantages that Northern College has to offer? Many advantages were found that offer opportunities for the College to become the Indigenous College of Choice. The quality of instructional staff was commented on routinely throughout interviews where the Educational Authorities were familiar with Northern. Knowing the expertise, and the level of passion faculty have for their subject matter, is impressive for people considering Northern College and the programming it offers. Building on this, incorporating more Indigenous culture and awareness, as well as Indigenous ways of knowing, improve Northern College‘s position as a college of choice. In the 2016-2017 academic year, the broadly delivered courses of Communications, Law and Ethics were targeted to reflect Indigenous content, discussion and focus into the delivery. Approximately, 80% of students at Northern take one or both of these courses during their program. However, this is not the end of Indigenous cultural approaches to curriculum. Many programs offer Indigenous perspectives within specific courses, and the College invested resources in developing Indigenous materials for programming. One example is the Bachelor of Science Nursing program’s yearly externship to Moosonee, where nursing students work within the hospital and community to better understand health and wellness within an Indigenous culture. In 2015, the College signed the declaration and support of Indigenous principles developed through Colleges and Institutes Canada’s (CICan). One purpose of this action was Northern College’s intention to assure sustainability for Indigenous integration into curriculum. Northern College has a well-developed contract training division with many short term programs, suited to part time learning, offered in an eLearning environment. The key informants acknowledged these short term programs are important to many of the Indigenous communities, as they can be tailored to specific community needs. Building short term programming that leads ultimately to a certificate or diploma provides a flexible design and delivery and responds to the needs of communities and learners. This also responds to provincial priorities of assuring credit for learning already accomplished and transferring that credit to new learnings. By mapping these short programs to postsecondary programs, credit can be given for prior learning and this flexibility is something Northern College can provide for all learners. The ability to ‘stack’ the learning is an opportunity for Northern College to develop. The need to build upon existing knowledge and the use of prior learning recognition with Indigenous populations is a practical approach to issues already stated. The recognition of prior learning should include those short term programs that can be taken, and ‘stacking’ them with recognized knowledge to ladder to a diploma pathway. It also means finding a way to credit ‘skills’ learners may have informally acquired, thus creating a personalized learning plan and pathway to whatever postsecondary programs the learner wishes to

33 | Page complete. By personalizing the learning in this manner, Northern comes closer to mirroring the cultural values of Indigenous communities and learners. This also facilitates time on task for diploma achievement, and the ability to stay in the learner’s home community, thus addressing accessibility issues raised in this study. Northern College is presented with an opportunity to reorganize program delivery, both in substance and format. The inclusion of more Indigenous cultural aspects would support Northern College in becoming the college of choice for all learners. Conclusions The questions we asked: How does Northern College become the college of choice for Indigenous people in Northeastern Ontario? What are the challenges? What are the distinct advantages? What do we need to change/improve/remove from our institutional mosaic to achieve this goal?, have challenging and exciting answers. Becoming the college of choice means changes have to be made within the institution and as influencers on the surrounding community. These changes include how we offer programming and build personalized pathways for learners. The challenges or barriers have been identified and actions can be taken within each challenge to better position Northern College as a college of choice. One of the first challenges for Northern College is a lack of general awareness of what we have and are doing in terms of support for Indigenous learners. There are many advantages and opportunities that Northern College can build upon. The strength of our programming and faculty mean we are well positioned to build better programming that suits Indigenous needs. Changing our institutional mosaic is an ongoing process and one Northern College is committed to complete. Much of what we learned from this study, was not new information. The need to reflect Indigenous culture is clearly outlined in the Truth and Reconciliation report (Truth and Reconciliation Commission , 2015), and is understood as a driving force in postsecondary education today. Northern College has begun addressing aspects of Indigenous cultural awareness for the past several years. The tipi presence at each campus, the addition of a totem pole at the Timmins campus, and hosting the Great Moon Gathering for the second year in 2017, all contribute to the presence of Indigenous culture within the College community. However, these examples are not enough. A deep and meaningful acknowledgement of culture is needed to assure growth of Northern as an institution of choice. Being an Indigenous college of choice has been a driver for this study, but what cannot be forgotten is the obligation of a postsecondary institution to develop citizenry as part of its mandate to develop human capacity and meet labor force needs. With Indigenous perspectives as a strategic direction for the college, a deeper acknowledgement brings opportunities to Northern, and enriches the cultural mosaic for Northern College. At the heart of all the information gathered in this study, the concepts of awareness, openness, and support are common threads. These are the threads that weave culture together and culture is the foundation of any community or organization. When we weave these threads, we form stronger relationships and better understanding among all people.

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Recommendations The following recommendations are made on the basis of the themes presented in this report. The recommendations have been reviewed by the Northern College Indigenous Council on Education, and their input has been incorporated. The recommendations are a starting point and require action plans to complete. Some examples of actions are included here, but this is not an all-inclusive list. Based upon the findings there are six recommendations: Access 1. Expand the concept of Indigenous community within Northern College campuses a. Incorporate Indigenous needs and sense of community into residence planning. b. Expand social spaces within campuses for Indigenous learners to congregate. c. Build transition services for Indigenous learners. d. Review housing needs and propose potential adjustments to financial systems to accommodate Indigenous learner’s needs. e. Provide targeted marketing to the Indigenous population, with the understanding mature learners and direct entry students may have different aspirations and expectations. f. Marketing should be specifically targeted to Education Authorities to raise awareness of how Northern currently supports Indigenous culture and Indigenous students. g. Build a best practices portfolio based on the system wide responses to the Truth and Reconciliation report. Culture 2. Create a centre for Indigenous culture within the College that strives for excellence in promoting and fulfilling Indigenous student’s needs. 3. Build Indigenous culture into the fabric of Northern College programs, through curriculum design, development and delivery. a. Assure land based ways of knowing are built into programs across curriculum. 4. Encourage mental health awareness as part of onsite activity and outreach programs to all Indigenous communities Northern serves. Postsecondary Needs 5. Work with the Northern College Indigenous Council on Education and in conjunction with the various Educational Authorities, to identify and define Indigenous specific programming needs. a. Establish delivery models to assure access and sustainability. b. Identify and expand Indigenous student supports to address student success needs. c. Realign programming to assure ‘stacking’ and laddering occur between the postsecondary programming and contract training to increase learner options. Racism 6. Become a catalyst for cultural safety and sensitivity within the communities Northern College serves. a. Expand active participation in cultural safety and cultural sensitivity experiences for the college as a whole. b. Work with the City of Timmins to expand cultural awareness and cultural safety in the community.

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36 | Page Appendix A: Interview Introduction

Key Informant Interview Introductory Message

Hello, ______. I want to thank you for giving us your time today for this interview. My name is Rachel Beals/Leah Cartan and I am a policy intern at the Northern Policy Institute, which is working with the applied research department at Northern College in Timmins.

Before we begin, I want to give you a bit of background about the project and the people involved. Northern College is a post-secondary institution with four locations across Northeastern Ontario, each campus focusing on a variety of academic areas. As well, Northern Policy Institute is an independent think tank. This summer, Northern College and the Northern Policy Institute are partnering on a project that looks at Indigenous enrolment. This project is under the direction of the Vice President Academic and Student Success at Northern College, Audrey Penner.

For this interview today, we want to learn about your knowledge and awareness of, as well as experiences with Northern College, specifically in relation to your role with (name of group here) ______We are interested in your views on Northern programs and Northern College’s relationship with Indigenous communities and culture. The interview will last no more than an hour and a half. You may ask to stop and end the interview at any time. As well, your comments and name will be kept confidential. If there is a specific quote from you that we would like to use, we will ask your permission before inserting it in the report. Northern College and the Northern Policy Institute will compile a report on this project which will be available from Northern College’s website once it is completed.

At the end of the interview, if you have any remaining questions or comments, we would be happy to help, please let just let us know. Now, with that, we can begin.

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