Investigating the Concept of Success in the Bachelor of Education in Indigenous Language Revitalization Program in the W̱ SÁNEĆ Community and at the University of Victoria By Hossein Ghanbari B.A. Payam-e-Noor University, Shahr-e-Kord, 2006 M.A. Azad University, Najaf Abad, 2011 A Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction ©Hossein Ghanbari, 2021 University of Victoria All rights reserved. This dissertation may not be reproduced in whole or in part, by photocopy or other means, without the permission of the author. Investigating the Concept of Success in the Bachelor of Education in Indigenous Language Revitalization Program in the W̱ SÁNEĆ Community and at the University of Victoria By Hossein Ghanbari B.A. Payam-e-Noor University, Shahr-e-Kord, 2006 M.A. Azad University, Najaf Abad, 2011 Supervisory Committee Dr. Theodore Riecken, Supervisor, Department of Curriculum and Instruction Dr. Tim Anderson, Committee member, Department of Curriculum and Instruction Dr. Carmen Rodriguez de France, Committee member, Department of Indigenous Education ii Abstract Indigenous languages account for many of the languages worldwide and, importantly, they help to maintain Indigenous knowledge and epistemologies. However, many of these languages will not be handed down to future generations. Given this, language revitalization programs are designed to preserve and revitalize endangered languages as well as equip language revitalizers with the capabilities to teach those languages and explore methods to marry non-Indigenous and Indigenous knowledges. Currently, language revitalization programs are investigated for their success in providing for the linguistic and pedagogical needs of the people involved in the programs. In Canada, approaches to maintain and preserve Indigenous languages are developed via Indigenous language revitalization programs through consultation with Indigenous knowledge keepers about their languages and pedagogies. The Bachelor of Education in Indigenous Language Revitalization (BEDILR) program is offered at the University of Victoria and the W̱ SÁNEĆ community in British Columbia, where it focuses on the W̱ SÁNEĆ epistemology and revitalizes the SENĆOŦEN language. This doctoral research examined the concept of success in the BEDILR program for the W̱ SÁNEĆ people. In doing so, the researcher conducted participatory action research (PAR) as well as semi-structured interviews to collect data from five academic and community participants in the W̱ SÁNEĆ community and the University of Victoria. Next, the researcher followed Owen’s (1984) thematic network to analyze the data for codes and themes. Findings suggest there are four themes of Indigenous person, approach of the BEDILR program, Indigenous pedagogy, and assessment and seven sub-themes of method, approach dynamics, Indigenous pedagogy of language of instruction, content of the program, and objectives of the program, assessor from inside community and external assessor for the W̱ SÁNEĆ community participants. Also, there were four themes of Indigenous person, iii approach, pedagogy, and assessment and six sub-themes of method, approach dynamics, content of the program, objectives of the program, assessor, and what to assess for the academic participant. Specifically, participants in this study believed the BEDILR is a successful language revitalization program because it incorporates Indigenous pedagogy and follows an approach and assessment method based on the W̱ SÁNEĆ worldviews, knowledge, epistemology, and the SENĆOŦEN language. Keywords: Languages loss, Indigenous language revitalization, Success, W̱ SÁNEĆ, SENĆOŦEN, Indigenous pedagogy, Indigenous knowledge, iv Table of Contents Abstract……………………………………………………...……………..……………....….iii Table of Contents……………………………………………………………………………... v List of Tables…………………….…………………………………………..……………........x List of Figures………………………………...………………...……………..……..…..…....xi Acknowledgement……………………...………………..……………..……..…….…...…...xii Dedication……………………………………...…………….………………..…….………xiii Chapter One…………………………………...…..……...……………………..…………….1 1.1.The Rationale of the Study………….……………………………….………..…………….1 1.2. Indigenous Peoples in Canada and the US: Past, Present, and Future………..………….…3 1.3. Challenges Ahead……………………………...………………………………..….….…...6 1.4. My Positionality ………………………………...……………………...……….………....7 1.5. Focus of the Study…………………………………………..…………..…….…...…...…11 1.6. Indigenous Peoples in British Columbia………...…………………………………...……11 1.7. University of Victoria: Location and History ………………………………………..…...12 1.8. History of the W̱ SÁNEĆ People………………………………………………...………..13 1.9. History of The W̱ SÁNEĆ School Board ………………………………………………...15 1.10. Language Revitalization Practices in the W̱ SÁNEĆ Community…..………….………..16 1.10.1. Pre-School Language Nest (K–4 Immersion Program)………………………….….…16 1.10.2. ȽÁU,WELṈEW̱ (Tribal School)……………………………….…………………..….16 1.10.3. W̱ SÁNEĆ Language Department (SȾÁSEN TŦE SENĆOŦEN)………….……….….17 1.11. Research Questions………………………………………………………..……………..18 Chapter Two: Literature Review……………………………………………………….......21 2.1. Language Loss and Language Shift…………………………………….....………..……..21 v 2.1.1. Language Loss………..………………………………………………...………..…..….21 2.1.2. Language Shift…………………………………………………….…………….…...….22 2.1.3. Indigenous Language Loss in the US and Canada……………………………………….23 2.2. Prediction About the Survival of Indigenous Languages…………………..…….…….….25 2.3. Advent of Language Revitalization……………………………......…………….………..26 2.4. Why Does Language Maintenance Matter?.........................................................................27 2.5. Approaches to Language Revitalization……………………...…...……………..…..……29 2.5.1. Success in Language Revitalization …………………………………………………….30 2.6. Indigenous Knowledges………………………...…………………..……..………...……31 2.7. Assessment of Indigenous Language Learning in Language Revitalization…………..…..33 2.8. Incorporating Indigenous Knowledges in Indigenous Research…………..……….…...…36 2.9. Indigenous Language Revitalization Methods……..……………………………..….…....37 2.9.1 Immersion Programs/Language Nest Schools……………………...………………..…..38 2.9.1.1. Home-Based Immersion……………………………………….………..……….....…38 2.9.1.2. School-Based Immersion Program……………………………...………………...…..38 2.9.1.3. Successful Immersion Schools in Canada………………………..……………….…..39 2.9.2. Bilingual Schools ……………………………………………………..……………..….41 2.9.2.1. Rough Rock Demonstration School……………..………………………………….…42 2.9.2.2. Hualapai Bilingual/Bicultural Program………………………………….………..…..42 2.9.2.3. Lower Kuskokwim Bilingual Programs……………...………………………….…....42 2.9.2.4. American Indian Language Development Institute…….…………………..……..…..43 2.9.2.5. Oklahoma Native American Language Development Institute…….………..……..…44 2.9.2.6. Northwest Indian Language Institute………………………………………….………44 2.9.2.7.Canadian Indigenous Language and Literature Development Institute………………..45 2.9.2.8. Indigenous Language Revitalization Programs at the University of Victoria...............46 2.9.2.8.1. Certificate in Indigenous Language Proficiency……..……………………...............46 2.9.2.8.2. Certificate in Indigenous Language Revitalization…..…………………….……….46 2.9.2.8.3. Diploma in Indigenous Language Revitalization……..…………………………….47 2.9.2.8.4. Bachelor of Education in Indigenous Language Revitalization….…….………..….47 2.9.2.8.5. Graduate Programs in Indigenous Language Revitalization………….……………..48 vi 2.9.3. Documentation and Materials Development…………………………..…....….…….....49 2.10. Successful Language Revitalization……………………………...……..…….……...….51 2.10.1. Successful Language Revitalization from a Community Perspective………..……..…51 2.10.1.1. Conducting Language Revitalization in the Community………………..…..…….…51 2.10.2. Successful Language Revitalization from an Academic Perspective…….…….….......53 2.10.2.1. Conducting Language Revitalization Programs in Academia………………..….…..55 Chapter Three: Methodology……………………………………………………………..…59 3.1. Introduction……………………………………………….…………...………..…….......59 3.2. Acknowledging the ‘Other’…………………………………..……………..……..…..….59 3.3. The Importance of Indigenous Research Methodologies in Language Revitalization ……………………………………………………………………..…………………………..61 3.3.1. Epistemology…………………………………………………………………………....62 3.3.1.1. The W̱ SÁNEĆ Knowledge and Epistemology ……………………………………….63 3.3.1.1.1. The W̱ SÁNEĆ Reef Net Fishery or SXOLE ……………………………………….64 3.3.1.1.2. Saanich Seasonal Cycle …………………………………………………………… 65 3.3.2. Ontology……………………………..……………………….…………………………66 3.3.3. Axiology…………………………………………………...……………………...…….68 3.4. Indigenous Methodologies……………………………………..…………………………69 3.5. My Research Methodology in this Study……..…………………………………………...72 3.6. Participatory Worldview………………………..………………………………...…….…73 3.6.1. Action Research and Participatory Action Research…………………………………....73 3.6.2. Participatory Action Research in the Social Sciences……………………………..……75 3.7. Community-Based Research in an Indigenous Context ………………….…………........78 3.8. Theoretical Framework of the Study……………………………………….………….….79 3.9. Grounded Theory……………………………………………………………………........ 81 3.10. Thematic Analysis………………………………………………………………...……..83 3.11. Developing Codes and Themes…………………………………………………………..85 3.12. Analytical Approach of the Research…………………………………………………….88 vii Chapter Four: Data Collection and Analysis……………………...……………………….90 4.1. Participants……………………………………………………………….……….………90 4.1.1 Recruiting Participants…………………………………………………………..………90 4.1.2. Community Participants…………………………………………………………..…….92