The purpose of this thesis is to examine impacts of devolution of post secondary education focusing on First Nations in Canada. I will critically examine the impacts of devolution and education policy in relation to First Nation administration of the post secondary education program. I argue that the issue of post secondary education as a First Nation treaty right is at the center of discord in relation to education policy. The nature and scope of post secondary education as a treaty right continues to be an unresolved issue between First Nations' and the Federal Government of Canada.<p> In the 1960s, the Department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development (DIAND) administered a successful post secondary program resulting in increased numbers of First Nation students overall in college, technical and university populations. The policy of the time was to create conditions for First Nations to increase access to higher education. In time, the direction of the policy would change as in the 1980s the government's fiduciary responsibilities devolved post secondary education to First Nations.<p> Devolution of programs and services provided the rationale for greater self-control for First Nations to train their own labour force. The process of devolution, however, has not benefited most First Nations in terms of the amount of funding available for the delivery and administration of programs and services. Rather, insufficient budget allocations resulted in some First Nation administrations inheriting a deficit budget for programs and services.<p> An examination of the Indian Act provides evidence to the state's larger project of moral regulation within its education policy. The thesis provides a view of how First Nations have internalized limitations contained within social policies of the Indian Act. First Nations are faced with challenges in educating, training and securing employment for their band membership. Due to the nature of the funding, First Nations are forced to make decisions on which band members can access programs and services. Moreover, when examining the impacts of defining who is the right kind of Indian to educate, First Nations education policy demonstrates the internalization of what is the right kind of Indian to educate and train by the nature and scope of their criteria. First Nations are in control of training their own labour force and developing criteria on who is the right kind of Indian to educate.

The Unified Modeling Language (UML) is widely used by software engineers as the basis of analysis and design in software development. However, UML ignores human factors in the course of software development because of its strong emphasis on the internal structure and functionality of the application. This thesis presents a method of mapping human-computer interaction (HCI) requirement specifications generated by usability engineering (UE) methodologies (e.g. Putting Usability First (PUF)) into UML specifications. These two sets of requirement specification are specified, using Extensible Markup Language (XML) so that HCI requirement specifications can be integrated into UML ones. A Mapping Tool was developed to facilitate the creation of mappings between PUF XML tags and XMI tags. The Mapping Tool was used to create mappings between PUF and UML requirement specifications. This mapping process and its outputs were evaluated to demonstrate that the tool worked. The results of the evaluation show that the HCI requirement specification represented by the PUF XML tags can improve the UML specification by adding them into the XMI tags.

The Saskatchewan First Nations leadership development study is essentially a continuation of my previous research on First Nations leadership and spirituality (2002). The purpose of this study was to explore First Nations leadership and leadership development in Saskatchewan within the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations organizational context. To accomplish this, the study involved an extensive literature review on Indigenous and Western leadership and leadership development theories. Further, an examination of four established and prominent North American Indigenous leadership development programs was conducted to gain further understanding of Indigenous leadership. In addition, 10 First Nations leaders from the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations participated in in-depth interviews. <p>Qualitative inquiry was chosen for this study because qualitative research methods were congruent with First Nations methods of sharing and preserving information. In-depth interviews with semi-structured questions were conducted to obtain information on Saskatchewan First Nations leadership and leadership development. All but one participant agreed to the use of an audio taped interview. Once the interviews were complete, Atlas-ti, a computer software program, was used to assist in the coding, categorizing, and thematic emergence process. <p>The four Aboriginal leadership development programs that were examined were University of Arizonas Native Nations Institute for Leadership, Management, and Policy, Pennsylvania States American Indian Leadership Program, Banff Centres Aboriginal Leadership and Management Program, and the Aboriginal Leadership Institute Incorporated, located in Winnipeg. These programs strived to remain current and were involved in research initiatives. Moreover, they all attempted to incorporate First Nations culture, history, and issues alongside Western leadership skills, training, and education. They evolved, adapted, and were sensitive to change and innovation in leadership development. First Nations leadership development programs, like those studied, are valuable because they unite Aboriginal leadership for the purpose of personal and professional growth.<p>The First Nations leaders that participated in this study shared personal and professional leadership and leadership development experiences and philosophy. <p>The leaders indicated that being a First Nations leader was challenging because it continuously contended with two fundamentally different cultures Western and First Nations. In addition, First Nations poverty, lack of funding, residential school effects, addictions, among other things, made leadership difficult. Because First Nations leadership is physically, emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually taxing, many of the Chiefs cited internal rather than material satisfaction. Moreover, these leaders were often motivated by a cause and the desire for collective well-being and positive change. Family, community members, other leaders, Elders, and the Creator were acknowledged as sources of strength and inspiration. <p>The First Nations leaders who participated in the study perceived leadership development as a life-long process of formal and informal learning experiences. Consequently, many of the leaders indicated that leadership development began in childhood with individual and family development. The leaders described a First Nations leadership development program that was flexible (able to work in community, tribal, and provincial settings), cognizant of First Nations culture, needs, and issues, and aware of current and innovative leadership practices. First Nations leadership development should also incorporate Western knowledge, skills, and education. <p>This First Nations leadership investigation has provided invaluable insight into the values, beliefs, worldview, and philosophies that entail and ultimately constitute Indigenous leadership and leadership development. Studies that focus on Indigenous leadership development ultimately have significant implications for theory, research, fundamental, and practical applications for learning organizations.

Recent waterborne disease outbreaks in Canada have brought national awareness to drinking water safety. In particular, the long history of poor water quality plaguing First Nations communities has received substantial public attention. Despite several initiatives from the federal government and considerable financial support, the quality of drinking water on reserves has shown little improvement and continues to pose health risks. As a result, there is a growing interest in the ability of First Nations communities to effectively manage their drinking water resources. The purpose of this study was to assess the capacity of Montreal Lake, SK to provide its residents with safe drinking water, both now and into the future. This research employed a mixed methods approach in the examination of the communitys water system and management practices. Data sources included individual interviews, a public workshop, documents and inspection reports, and water quality data. Water system capacity was considered in terms of financial, human resources, institutional, social/political, and technical dimensions. An analytical framework was developed through a literature review where each dimension of capacity was rated based on a series of indicators. It was determined that there are no serious deficiencies in the management of Montreal Lakes drinking water. However, a number of flaws in each aspect drinking water management were detected. These include weak linkages between the agencies responsible for drinking water provision, and a low level of drinking water safety for community residents served by the truck haul distribution system. This research confirms the multi-dimensional aspects of water system capacity, reveals the necessity for the different levels of authority to work together, and provides an analytical framework which may be applicable to future studies examining First Nations and small-scale drinking water systems.

From my position as ally to an Anishnawbe community in Northern Ontario, I explored the relationships of community members to postsecondary education. Eight current and former students, a teacher at the school and a band councilor, shared with me their experiences and their knowledge about the Community and its school system. The data revealed that in Northern Ontario, the transition from the on-reserve school system to whitestream education at any level is very difficult for Community members, and is exacerbated by family violence and tensions and a perception of lower quality teaching and resources in the community schools. Participants also chose more college programs when first entering postsecondary education, and attended the college in the nearby town most frequently. Suspicion of and isolation from the whitestream school system as a result of the impact of residential schools still exists, and continues to have an effect on community participation in education.

From my position as ally to an Anishnawbe community in Northern Ontario, I explored the relationships of community members to postsecondary education. Eight current and former students, a teacher at the school and a band councilor, shared with me their experiences and their knowledge about the Community and its school system. The data revealed that in Northern Ontario, the transition from the on-reserve school system to whitestream education at any level is very difficult for Community members, and is exacerbated by family violence and tensions and a perception of lower quality teaching and resources in the community schools. Participants also chose more college programs when first entering postsecondary education, and attended the college in the nearby town most frequently. Suspicion of and isolation from the whitestream school system as a result of the impact of residential schools still exists, and continues to have an effect on community participation in education.

In the 1970s, discussions began regarding the settlement of outstanding land claims from First Nations, the settling of Treaty Land Entitlement (TLE). The Office of the Treaty Commissioner (OTC) was developed to facilitate intergovernmental agreements with First Nations bands. This endeavour created discussions that led to the signing of the Treaty Land Entitlement Framework Agreement (TLEFA) in 1992. Lands purchased through TLE can be leased, creating revenues for the First Nations band. Those revenues can then be used to facilitate economic development and wealth creation for the band. It is through this access to capital that First Nations are starting to break their financial dependency on the Crown. It has been almost two decades since the signing of the TLEFA, and one can begin to measure the economic impact TLE has had for First Nations communities. Muskeg Lake Cree Nation (MLCN) is one such band that has been deemed successful, both by themselves and by outsiders, in the area of economic development. Success depends on a community developing an economic model that incorporates Aboriginal cultural values. By doing so, a cultural-oriented confidence is created, and this confidence can help foster economic success. The framework for this study is based around the Harvard Project on Indian Economic Development and its basis for economic success being founded on a community having confidence in their business model as it fits with their worldview. The methods employed in this study include a survey of primary and secondary documents in the area of TLE/TLEFA, and in economic development related to First Nations bands. Interviews were conducted with those involved in the signing and the overseeing of the TLEFA. Archival materials have been made available courtesy of Roy Romanow during his time as Attorney General for Saskatchewan. The research demonstrates that First Nations bands can break their financial dependency with the Crown through economic development strategies that are congruent with the First Nations cultural values.

Patrick Gammie Laurie was a western enthusiast who came west to work as a writer and printer on various newspapers in Manitoba between 1869 and 1878. Eventually he established his own newspaper, the Saskatchewan Herald, which he published from 1878 until 1903. His aspirations for the West were remarkably similar to the national and imperial sentiments expressed by the Canada First Movement. He envisaged an organic, "holistic" society for Western Canada which would be modelled on British customs and institutions.<p>A Conservative politically, Laurie was an ardent supporter of the nation building policies of Sir John A. Macdonald. He was a stern critic of those who disagreed with his visions of an Anglo-Canadian West. Laurie believed that such a society was the only factor to prevent the West from being absorbed into the United States.<p> Laurie was frustrated with the slow progress of settlement. He had difficulty, at times, reconciling his position as a westerner and as a Conservative, and his writings reveal ambiguous and sometimes contradictory arguments on policies that affected Western Canada. Laurie's uncertainties: were due, in part at least, to the difficulties the federal government had ironing out the details of their Land, Railway, Tariff and Inmigration policies to the satisfaction of most westerners.<p>But in spite of the many criticisms Laurie had of government policies, he renamed a loyal Conservative. As an immigrant from Eastern Canada he remained essentially dedicated to the imperial and national ideals as expressed by the Canada First Movement. Laurie saw the West as an integral part of Canada and the Empire and not primarily as a separate region.

The goal of the research project was to assess the effect of a written intervention on the state anxiety of new mathematics teachers. Twenty-eight beginning mathematics teachers in Washington, Oregon, and California were randomly assigned to treatment or control groups. Treatment was a survival guide, Green Broke, carefully designed to meet the needs of beginning mathematics teachers. A Delphi panel determined topics for the guide, beginning with suggestions from the literature. The panel included mathematics teachers in grades 7 to 12 from all three Pacific states, and both urban and rural areas. School administration and college mathematics education were also represented on the panel. A subset of the panel and a writer edited the guide. Trait anxiety of subjects was determined prior to the 1989-90 school year using the trait anxiety portion of Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. The state anxiety inventory was administered at that same time and again three times during the school year. All subjects also completed a teacher report twice during the year regarding their teaching experiences. In addition, the treatment group was asked to complete two questionnaires regarding the effectiveness of Green Broke. Subjects perceived that they were part of two studies, one involving the guide and one involving anxiety inventories. Analysis of covariance for repeated measures was used to assess differences between groups in state anxiety, using trait anxiety as covariate. Level of significance was set at .05. There was no significant main effect, but a significant interaction effect was found. The nearly linear relationship between state and trait anxiety found in the control group disappeared for the group having the guide. Mini case studies, using responses to the teacher reports, were done for seven subjects, including those with very high state anxiety. In addition, a subgroup of the treatment group, for which a linear relationship between state and trait anxiety did exist, was examined for common characteristics. Locus of control was hypothesized to be a variable that would differentiate this group. Other suggestions for further study include use of audio-visual forms of the survival guide, extension to other subject areas, and replication of the study. / Graduation date: 1991

Mentor teachers are currently seen as a solution to education's dilemma of how to orient beginners into the profession and provide educational advancement for its most capable, experienced teachers. One goal of Oregon's mentor program is to have mentors provide their proteges with instructional assistance through an observation process. The purpose of this study was to explore the quantity and types of observations being conducted by mentors and discover what factors most affect their ability to complete observations for instructional assistance. In order to determine the possible need for differentiation in training, comparisons were made between elementary and secondary level mentors for the quantity and types of observations conducted and for needs related to attitude, skills, and context. A literature survey provided an initial list of needs and attitudes previous researchers have found to be critical to mentors' success. This list was refined through the work of a Delphi Panel. The resulting survey gathered observation-related information from a random sample of two hundred and twenty-five Oregon mentors distributed throughout the state. Data was analyzed using Analysis of variance and Chi square tests at the .05 level to determine if there were significant differences between elementary and secondary level mentors and between twenty-four observation-related factors. A significant difference was found between observation-related factors, the most important being trust between the mentor and protege, availability of release time, the mentor's teaching in the same building as his/her protege, and the protege's willingness to be observed. No significant differences were found between elementary and secondary level mentors in either the quantity and types of observations conducted or in the perceived importance of various observation-related factors. / Graduation date: 1991