Discovering Diversity Project

Discovering Diversity Project – Enoch Cree First Nations #440

Isabel de Jong
University of Calgary
EDUC 450 – Sonia Aujla-Bhullar
March 16, 2018

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For my Discovering Diversity Project, I participated in a full day at the Kitaskinaw

school on the Enoch Cree Nation #440, located just west of the city of Edmonton. My reason for
choosing this experience heavily centered around my own positionality - my family and friends,
my education, my upbringing, my Whiteness, my “perspective based on [my] place in society”
(Sensoy, p. 15). Much of my life’s experience has lead me to develop many racist perspectives
on Indigenous Peoples, from the abuse of drugs and alcohol to the abuse of the systems in place
to “help”. What I saw at this First Nation community has rocked me to my core and made me
think about the impact racism, historical and continuous white dominance and oppression, had
and continue to have on this group of people. This experience has completely altered my
perspective on the complexity through which this group of people must navigate their world.

Leroy Little Bear, in his short essay Jagged World Views Colliding, says “If we are to
understand why Aboriginal and Eurocentric worldviews clash, we need to understand how the
philosophy, values, and customs of Aboriginal cultures differ from those of Eurocentric cultures”
(p.108). With this in mind, I set out to plan my trip to the Kitaskinaw school.

My journey started by connecting with the Chief Operating Officer of the Enoch Cree,
Mr. Ron Minks. My connection to Ron came through my husband as he and Ron recently
completed the UofC’s MBA program together. Out of a class of 60 Executive MBA students,
Ron was the sole Indigenous student of the cohort. After sharing the EDUC 450 project
description with him, he enthusiastically accepted to organize my visit and put me in contact
with the man who would be my primary facilitator, Dr. Sean Lessard.

Hailing from the Montreal Lake Cree Nation in Saskatchewan, Dr. Lessard holds a
doctorate in the area of Aboriginal/Indigenous Youth and the Education system and is the winner
of the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Education Outstanding Doctoral Dissertation in Teacher
Education Award. Upon learning about Dr. Lessard’s pedigree something very interesting
happened - my perspective of him immediately changed. Here is an individual who has
“ascended” to accomplish the highest level of a western education and how quickly my mind
moved from thinking about him as my Indigenous “babysitter” to a man I was intimidated to
meet by virtue of his educational accomplishment. This is evidence of how intrinsic to my way

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of thinking various “isms” can be. (Sensoy, 2011) In this specific case I engaged in classism,
based on his level of “White dominant” education. It was somewhat uncomfortable to
acknowledge my role in oppression by perpetuating ideological power imbalance based simply
on the type of education someone holds.

After working out scheduling logistics I booked a flight and arrived on a Wednesday
morning. Dr. Lessard generously picked me up and drove me to the reserve. The car trip took
approximately 45 minutes and, in that time, we discussed the economic disparity between the
federally funded Enoch Cree Nation school and the provincially funded schools found across
Alberta. Dr. Lessard indicated that under their federal funding model, the Enoch Cree receive
40% less funding than their provincial counterparts. Not only that, but the Enoch Cree must also
apply for grants to receive funding for resource services. These grants have rules attached, such
as time limits within which all grant money must be spent. A consequence of this particular
constraint means that it is impossible to make long term plans for the school and its children.

Dr. Lessard also conveyed the existence of pay and contract disparity between teachers of
the Kitaskinaw school and those under provincial jurisdiction. While paycheck take-home may
look comparable between the two systems, Kitaskinaw teachers are not members of the Alberta
Teachers Association and consequently do not enjoy benefits conferred by the collective
bargaining agreement. For example, no contributions are made to a pension plan, nor are there
any drug or dental benefits without the teachers creating one on their own. Teachers are
constrained further by one-year contracts, perpetually living under the fear that inadequate
funding may result in termination the following year. This is a great example of how historical
institutional constructs, put in place by European Colonists, have created a system that is still
perpetuating oppression through inequality.

As we whizzed down the highway in Dr. Lessard’s brand new Audi, he also stressed the
complex relationship between Canada’s ideology and the changing identity of the First Nations.
He explained that imposed White culture has affected tribal dynamics, specifically by creating
two classes of Indigenous: the “Indian Elite” and the “Others”. “Indian Elite” are those who
obtain Western education outside of the reserve such as a high school diploma, trade

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accreditation, or college/university degree. “Others” are those who are unable or unwilling to
acquire education outside of the reserve and are considered by reserve members as belonging to
a lower class. This adds another dimension to the problems faced on the reserve and creates
further power imbalances for the children of the Kitaskinaw school. While Dr. Lessard
acknowledged his “Indian Elite” status, he also conceded his desire to make more money for him
and his family and that this could only be accomplished working outside the reserve. Not only
that but Lessard also commented on the lightness of his skin colour as being a factor in how
successful he has been outside the reserve, drawing me back to our book’s discussion on internal
and attitudinal dimensions of privilege. (Sensoy 2017)

With my mind still reeling from Dr. Lessard suggesting his success was, in some part,
due to his ability to “blend in” to the dominant white society, we pulled into the reserve which
borders the west end of the City of Edmonton. On one side of the road is Costco’s sprawling
parking lot, on the other the Enoch Cree’s Casino with two newer apartment buildings close by.
I was shocked to learn the Casino and the apartments (built at the time of the Casino
construction) are the only structures on the reserve serviced with potable water. Ground water on
the Enoch reserve is contaminated and considered unsafe for human consumption. Drinking
water must be trucked in from the City of Edmonton even for the Kitaskinaw school. Having
heard about the water situation on reserves as a current issue on the CBC, I always assumed it
would be on some distant and isolated reserve.

Entering the school, the first thing that immediately stood out was the Elder in the foyer
with his smudging pot. Smoke was drifting from the pot, permeating the air of the entire school.
This was in stark contrast to the architecture (and as I would later learn the syllabus) of the
school which was entirely familiar as that of the dominant Western culture. As we toured the
classrooms, it was very interesting to note the number of teachers and aids in each class. There
were two to three adults in every class we observed. This supported information I received from
one of the school councillors who has a background in trauma therapy. She gave an example of
an image of a triangle for the distribution of students with behavioural and emotional needs. The
Triangle for most White schools is bottom heavy, with the majority of the students being
“average”, the second level needing a bit more attention, and a small 1-7% needing the most (see

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appendix A). Within the Enoch school the councillor said the triangle was turned upside down,
percentages reversed, with the majority of students requiring significant extra support.

When I asked about why this would be the councillor talked about the historical and
present-day trauma the students live with. It was very clear that these students have many
challenges to overcome. The effects of intergenerational trauma permeate everything the children
do, as the poverty rate on the reserve is high: there are high child pregnancy rates, high drug and
alcohol rates, and high instances of abuse and assault. The councillor spoke about broken homes
and the effects all these things have on the reserve’s children. The school experiences high
truancy rates, fighting, mischief, and drug and alcohol use among its students. The school also
had a suicide of one of its students last month. Because of all these heartbreaking issues, the
RCMP are a regular fixture within the school and were in fact present on the day of my visit -
three white male RCMP officers in full gear in the office at 9:30 in the morning. It made me
think of the oppressive nature their positions of dominance exerted over this group of people.
Even I felt nervous around them. I could only imagine how these children felt; a continual
reminder of their place in White dominant society.

Not only are there systems in place that perpetuate oppression, but the school’s children
exhibit signs of internalized oppression as well. Evidence of this could be seen especially in the
high school students, by how they behaved about themselves and toward the white RCMP.
Talking with them, many displayed low expectations of themselves, implying that they would
not be graduating because they didn’t see any incentive for why they should and whether they
even could.

The remainder of the day was spent at the talent show. I have two daughters and have
experienced talent shows that their schools have put on. The contrast between the talent shows of
my daughters’ school and the talent show of at the Kitaskinaw school was stark and quite a
culture shock. In the Kitaskinaw school there were no rows that the children sat in to observe the
presentations. The crowd was loud and unruly. The few parents that were there were young
mothers with babies or old grandparents. The presentations were predominantly lip-sinking or
singing along to current popular songs. Conversation was everywhere. Even the principal came

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over during the show and initiated a conversation with me, oblivious to the efforts of the
presenters. It struck me that this talent show was a microcosm that clearly illustrated a clash of
culture. A community following a rule book that isn’t theirs but still managing to make it their
own.

Please listen to the accompanying audio file I recorded at the talent show and have
uploaded with my paper. The audio is a part of a performance by four Grade 5 students
presenting a traditional drum song. Two features of this performance stuck out to me above all
others – the first was the total lack of attention by the audience, including parents and teachers –
and the second was that despite this, the grade 5 boys sang and drummed their little hearts out.

As I settled into my seat for the flight home, my mind was conflicted trying to process the
many events of the day. I wrote something as I tried to make sense of it all… I feel it is important
to take lessons away from this experience. 1) That I must remember that my lens is not that of
others and that different cultures value and do things differently from my own. 2) That the Enoch
Cree have incredible challenges to work through, many of them being the historical and current
pressure placed on them by a dominant society that is still oppressing and holding them back as a
people and 3) That the solutions required to create flourishing Indigenous schools are more
complicated than I could have ever imagined.

A proud but oppressed,

A culture hungry but western values driven,
A smart but class segregated,
A rich but poverty stricken
People.

Thank you for your class Sonia, I learned a lot that will keep me thinking for a lifetime.

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Appendix A

(Man-Wai Chu, (Feb. 27, 2018). Handling different behaviors in the classroom. Retrieved
from D2L EDUC 456, lecture 12.)

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References

Little Bear, L. (2000). Jagged worldviews colliding. In M. Battiste (Ed.), Reclaiming indigenous
voices and vision (pp. 108 - 116). Vancouver, BC: UBC: Press. Retrieved from
http://deslibris.ca.eproxy.lib.ucalgary/ID/404356

Man-Wai Chu, (Feb. 27, 2018). Handling different behaviors in the classroom. Retrieved
from D2L EDUC 456, lecture 12.

Sensoy, O. & DiAngelo, R., (2017). Is everyone really equal? An introduction to key concepts in
social justice education (2nd Ed.). New York: Teachers College Press.

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EDUC 450
Part 1
Discovering Diversity Project Plan

1.My proposed plan is to participate in a full day at the Kitaskinaw school on the Enoch Cree
Nation #440, just west of the city of Edmonton.

2. The facilitators of this event are:

 Ron Minks, Chief Operations Officer and Executive Director of Education for the Enoch
Cree Nation #440
Office: 780-470-6909
Cell: 587-896-5835
Fax: 780-470-3327
Email: ron.minks@enochnation.ca

 Dr. Sean Lessard, Associate Professor of Education at the University of Alberta

Office: 780-492-3665
Email: slessard@ualberta.ca

 Nicole Maas and Cheryl Makokis, Assistant Principals of Kitaskinaw School on Enoch
Cree Nation #440
Office: 780-470-5657
Email: nicole.maas@kitaskinaw.com
Email: cheryl.makokis@kitaskinaw.com

3. I have chosen this particular experience because I realize I hold misconceptions and prejudices
about Indigenous people, and more specifically the education they seek and receive. I want to
explore what the people of the Enoch Cree feel about the education their children are receiving,
both on and off reserve. I want to see what school looks like for the children of the Cree Nation
and explore their perspective on whether the dominant institutions of Canadian government are
helping or hindering progress with school curriculum/ their own reconnecting with familial
cultural education.

4. One assumption I have about why the Enoch Cree have created their own school is that they
wish to isolate themselves from Canadian society because of their fear of racist behaviour against
them. I also assume they wish to take responsibility for what is broken about their society.

Another assumption I hold about Indigenous people in general is that westernized education is
sometime used with nepotistic intent by members of their community to oppress non-family
members of their own people. Additionally, I assume Indigenous people feel anger and spite
towards the dominant Canadian society, and because of these emotions, work to take advantage
of the Canadian government and by proxy Canadian citizens in general. I also hold prejudices
surrounding who’s responsible for the educational failings of indigenous youth as well as share
in the stereotype that drugs and alcohol are rampant among this group.

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But honestly, my understandings about their motives are naïve and ignorant. I feel like society in
general holds many prejudices against Indigenous people and the more I sit and reflect, the more
I’m embarrassed to realize I share many of these prejudices without having actually stopped to
think critically about them.

5. With respect to steering the direction of their education system, how is the internal social
dialogue of the Enoch Cree affected by the dominant group of Canadian society? What are their
perspectives on government subsidies and educational reforms taking place within western
education right now? How is racism and prejudice present among school children within the
reserve and outside? Has the action by the government toward reparations like education
initiatives been positive for the Cree reserve?

Is there nepotism within the government structure of the Enoch Cree? (I can’t think of a good
way to explore this without offending my hosts and will more than likely not ask the question.)

What educational challenges are faced by the Aboriginal youth in the Enoch Kitaskinaw school?

How does school (school policies, opinion of school by youth/families) on the Enoch reserve
look to the people going to school there? (their personal positionality)

What are the big problems faced by aboriginal people in delivering/receiving an “effective
contemporary” education? What does “effective” mean for indigenous people and how does this
differ from a classical western education? What is their difference/parallels between our
curricula and education systems? How has colonialism affected school aged children’s lives?
How does addiction and addiction counter measures look in the reserve school? Is this even an
issue?

6.
Little Bear, L. (2000). Jagged worldviews colliding. In M. Battiste (Ed.), Reclaiming indigenous
voice and vision (pp. 77–85). Vancouver, BC: UBC Press. Retrieved from
http://deslibris.ca.ezproxy.lib.ucalgary.ca/ID/404356
Lessard, Sean Michael. (2013). Red worn runners: A narrative inquiry into the stories of
aboriginal youth and families in urban settings open access. (Doctoral Dissertation).
Retrieved from University of Alberta Libraries. Request #: PAT-10218123
(doi: 10.7939/R33R0Q12G)
Sensoy, O., & DiAngelo, R. (2017). Is everyone really equal? An introduction to key concepts in
social justice education (2nd Ed.). New York: Teachers College Press.

7. I shared the general objective of this assignment with the Chief Operating Officer of the
Enoch Cree. He has discussed the project with senior school administration as well as Dr.
Lessard (a contemporary academic expert on Indigenous education) and there is strong support
in their community to have me visit their school for a day. Dr. Lessard has graciously agreed to
be my guide and I am now working with him to sort out the logistics of my visit. I expect to
travel there within the next three weeks.

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8. Much of the support I will need must come from the community at large. I feel that the
support is already in place for a successful interaction and I am both excited and apprehensive
for the trip.

9. I know very little about the protocols required for my visit. I plan to discuss this in detail with
Dr. Lessard prior to my visit.

10. My plan was to bring some homemade soap as a gift of thanks to the members of the
community who graciously gave me their time for my visit. I also want to express my gratitude
of my experience by stepping into it gracefully and respectfully, with an open mind and look for
ways that I can share what I see and learn with others.

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