This inquiry answered the questions: What is the most culturally respectful method for a cross-cultural researcher to discover how northern Aboriginal people learn and make decisions about their health? What will be the common patterns of learning among northern Saskatchewan Aboriginal people who have altered their life path? And what strategies will any common patterns suggest for the development of health promotion and community development programs specific to the cultures and people of northern Saskatchewan? Six Aboriginal people, whom I call my teachers, were selected because they had turned their lives around to more closely approximate a Cree idea of health called mithwayawin or the Dene idea of health called hote Zgehenai. A literature search and consultations with my teachers suggested that a respectful form of cross-cultural inquiry was possible in northern Saskatchewan communities. Furthermore, there were common themes suggesting a foundation of wellness and resilience indicating that similar resiliency factors exist in northern cultures as exist in other cultures. As well, common patterns suggested a lateral thinking and learning style or creative problem solving that is different from vertical or linear thinking common to the scientific-industrial cultures. Moreover, other themes suggested that the teachers had a preference for accumulating experience over abstract analysis indicating the desirability of active participation by community members in defining health challenges, arriving at solutions and planning and implementing changes. Furthermore, other themes suggested that the teachers life long learning occurred in a holistic context indicating that health promotion strategies could provide rich social, physical, spiritual and mental contexts within which Northerners can learn. As well, other themes suggested that the teachers used an Aboriginal ecological learning process indicating that health promotion efforts could consider working to revitalize the cultural beliefs, values and practices and could provide a rich environment of spiritual, physical and social activities so that the people would have the opportunity to fully develop their brain, mind, body, memory continuum and thereby achieve balance. The findings further implied that increasing general health knowledge among Northerners and using a community health development process in northern communities are strategies that northern health promotion and community development workers could consider employing in their work. More detailed and specific strategies are suggested.

Registered Nurses (RNs) have a history of policy leadership that has altered the health care system and the profession. The purpose of the qualitative inquiry was to describe the experiences of six select Saskatchewan formal Registered Nurse leaders (RNLs) in policy. Through open-ended interviews and letters, personal experiences were interpreted using content analysis. The researcher identified key ideas from the interview data and requested a reflective letter expanding or clarifying the chosen text, serving to enhance triangulation and member-checking of personal transcripts. Meaningful patterns and/or similarities describing three themes of values, vision, and career paths emerged from the textual data. The coding framework evolved into ten categories describing individual experiences, such as mentoring, change management, and work-life balance. Three RNLs described how they wished more RNs were involved in policy, as they believed that RNs could harness more power in policy processes. Five RNLs told stories about how graduate education influenced their thinking and they gained appreciation for leading action on policy issues.<p> The qualitative data were presented in categories for discussion. One RNL described how organizational structures may a limiting factor to RNs participation in policy. Implications and recommendations of the findings are outlined for education, practice, administration, research, and policy. Findings are relevant for professional, health care, and government organizations, as well as education programs. Relevance may be found by individual practitioners considering a leadership role, to assist in informing potential career paths.

This paper attempts to explain welfare and labor market participation differentials between Saskatchewan and Alberta, with greater emphasis placed on welfare participation. Generous benefit levels encourage welfare participation but discourage labor market participation. We are interested in explaining if generous welfare policy has contributed to an increase in welfare participation and discouraged labor market participation. We employ a probit model to analyze the decision to participate in the welfare or the labor market among lone parents and singles (unattached individuals) in the two provinces. The results are then decomposed into the explained and unexplained parts, and these results are used to illustrate which variables contribute to welfare differentials. We find that benefit levels have a significant positive effect on welfare participation and a significant negative effect on labor market participation. We also find that welfare participation differentials exist between Saskatchewan and Alberta; other factors in addition to benefit levels play a role in explaining that gap. We conclude that welfare differentials between Saskatchewan may be a reflection of program administration differences.

In a society where adolescent technology use is a dominant presence, the potential for adolescent cyberbullying has increased. It has become a phenomenon that warrants research attention. In North America, adolescent cyberbullying research is still in the exploratory stages. Current North American research has focused on younger populations (Beran & Li, 2005; Cochrane, 2008; Li, 2005; 2006; 2007; Patchin & Hinduja, 2006). However, adolescence is a period of dramatic change that encompasses all areas of development (Arnett, 2004; Berk, 2004; Hinduja & Patchin, 2008). These factors form the basis and motivations for this research. This study explored adolescent cyberbullying in Canada with the hope of providing preliminary research attention on a serious issue. Specifically, this study explored the following questions:<p> 1. What was the extent of cyberbullying among grade ten, eleven and twelve students in urban Saskatchewan?<p> 2. What was the relationship between traditional bullying and cyberbullying?<p> 3. What did the experiences of cyberbullying look like (both as a perpetrator and as a victim)? How were the victims impacted?<p> 4. How did individuals respond to cyberbullying (as a bystander)?<p> 5. What were the students opinions on adult responses to cyberbullying?<p> Answering these questions were 476 students from one large Catholic and two large public high schools in urban Saskatchewan. Students from grade 10 and, primarily, grades 11 and 12 anonymously completed a paper-pencil questionnaire. Of these students, 44.0% disclosed they had been a victim of cyberbullying and 31.3% reported they had been a cyberbully. Two-thirds (64.5%) also admitted knowing at least one individual who had been a victim of cyberbullying. Students shared a range of negative emotions and effects that they experienced as a result of being a victim of cyberbullying. The most commonly reported were anger and sadness or hurt. Overall, significant differences in students experiences with cyberbullying were found between gender, grade levels, and among levels of achievement.<p> Two-thirds (66.2%) of students also admitted telling at least one person that they had been a victim of cyberbullying. Students most often told a friend (53.8%) over telling anyone else. This was reflected in students overwhelming perception that adults (e.g., parents or teachers) could not prevent cyberbullying or successfully intervene when it was occurring. Students did offer ideas on possible ways of intervening or preventing cyberbullying that ranged from increased education to effective consequences.

Woodland caribou are listed as a threatened species in Saskatchewan. The need for contemporary data is paramount for conservation of this species. There has been a dramatic increase in the number of threats to woodland caribou: forestry and logging, road development and expansion, mineral exploration and other long term changes to the landscape. Despite previous research effort, the current distribution and critical habitat of woodland caribou in north-central Saskatchewan is still poorly understood. Drawing upon the knowledge of a selected target group, interviews have been conducted to attain local and traditional knowledge on woodland caribou. Local knowledge has been used to identify key information about woodland caribou critical habitat and ecology in the north central region and more remote areas. Through the objectives of this research we have been able to identify current and historical abundance patterns; adult and calf biology; predator prey interactions; human activity on the landscape and potential effect on woodland caribou ecology; and weather/fire patterns and the potential effect on woodland caribou distribution. The significance of this type of research is critical in understanding woodland caribou biology in northern and remote areas. In addition, this project recognizes contributions and involvement of Aboriginal peoples in academic and government research initiatives.

The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions of Aboriginal school-site administrators regarding effective leadership behaviors in First Nations schools. Thirteen Aboriginal educational administrators were interviewed over a period of one month and a half using a semi-structured interview approach. The sample of participants was drawn from a list of Tribal Councils and Independent First Nations in Saskatchewan. The interviews lasted approximately 45 minutes to 70 minutes. Participants were asked to reflect on: (1) what leadership characteristics an effective administrator of a First Nation school must possess; (2) whether ethnicity and gender of the educational administrator were important considerations in First Nations schools; (3) positive characteristics of role models of Aboriginal educational administrators; (4) personal and social problems on First Nations that affected the role of the educational administrator; and (5) what training activities were helpful in the preparation of potential educational leaders. <p>Findings suggested that the main characteristics of effective administrators in First Nations schools included being person-oriented and flexible. All thirteen administrators interviewed considered the ability to speak a First Nation language important, although not essential, if the major language spoken on the First Nation was English. Ethnicity of the administrator may not be a necessary consideration for administrators in First Nations schools. Being able to adapt to the cultural milieu of the First Nation was more important. Findings further suggested that gender of the administrator in a First Nation school was not an important consideration. Female administrators could be effective if given the opportunity. Role models in the lives of the participants played a major part in the overall success of the participants. <p>Findings of this study further suggested that effective administrators had definite plans and programming in place when dealing with social problems which exist on First Nations. Being knowledgeable about the types of support services available at the Band level was important. The main strategy employed by the interviewees involved the utilization of a team approach to problem solving. When dealing with student behavioral problems, most administrators followed policies set by the school board. Last of all, the participants made recommendations which potential Aboriginal educational leaders could use in order to move into administrative positions at the First Nation level.

The thesis begins with a notion to design a school of architecture in Saskatchewan. The context, at first, appears overwhelmingly basic: an agricultural grid superimposed on a horizontal plain, under an endless sky. This formulaic description cannot capture what it is to experience the place. Stemming from this archetypal divide between earth and sky, the character of the prairies develops through a series of pairs. Each four-part section begins by setting up a polarity; on one side, a grid, and on the other, a ghost. The intersection of these two elements is illustrated through an interface and a segment of time. With each added layer, the polarities become increasingly entwined. The school of architecture is located, conceptually, in this space of reciprocity. The physical site is an industrial wasteland near the centre of Saskatoon, bounded on the east and west sides by two sets of train tracks. A timber and masonry warehouse, constructed for the John Deere Plow Company in 1910, is located along the end of the spur line to the east. The school of architecture finds itself within this building. The view down the tracks provides a glimpse of the prairie fields; the nondescript site itself alludes to this Deleuzian smooth space beyond the city limits. Even as it precisely situates and contains itself in this physical urban context, the school of architecture internalizes the dream of the prairie landscape. It is an educational institution and an incubator for the architectural imagination.

This paper attempts to explain welfare and labor market participation differentials between Saskatchewan and Alberta, with greater emphasis placed on welfare participation. Generous benefit levels encourage welfare participation but discourage labor market participation. We are interested in explaining if generous welfare policy has contributed to an increase in welfare participation and discouraged labor market participation. We employ a probit model to analyze the decision to participate in the welfare or the labor market among lone parents and singles (unattached individuals) in the two provinces. The results are then decomposed into the explained and unexplained parts, and these results are used to illustrate which variables contribute to welfare differentials. We find that benefit levels have a significant positive effect on welfare participation and a significant negative effect on labor market participation. We also find that welfare participation differentials exist between Saskatchewan and Alberta; other factors in addition to benefit levels play a role in explaining that gap. We conclude that welfare differentials between Saskatchewan may be a reflection of program administration differences.

Woodland caribou are listed as a threatened species in Saskatchewan. The need for contemporary data is paramount for conservation of this species. There has been a dramatic increase in the number of threats to woodland caribou: forestry and logging, road development and expansion, mineral exploration and other long term changes to the landscape. Despite previous research effort, the current distribution and critical habitat of woodland caribou in north-central Saskatchewan is still poorly understood. Drawing upon the knowledge of a selected target group, interviews have been conducted to attain local and traditional knowledge on woodland caribou. Local knowledge has been used to identify key information about woodland caribou critical habitat and ecology in the north central region and more remote areas. Through the objectives of this research we have been able to identify current and historical abundance patterns; adult and calf biology; predator prey interactions; human activity on the landscape and potential effect on woodland caribou ecology; and weather/fire patterns and the potential effect on woodland caribou distribution. The significance of this type of research is critical in understanding woodland caribou biology in northern and remote areas. In addition, this project recognizes contributions and involvement of Aboriginal peoples in academic and government research initiatives.

The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions of Aboriginal school-site administrators regarding effective leadership behaviors in First Nations schools. Thirteen Aboriginal educational administrators were interviewed over a period of one month and a half using a semi-structured interview approach. The sample of participants was drawn from a list of Tribal Councils and Independent First Nations in Saskatchewan. The interviews lasted approximately 45 minutes to 70 minutes. Participants were asked to reflect on: (1) what leadership characteristics an effective administrator of a First Nation school must possess; (2) whether ethnicity and gender of the educational administrator were important considerations in First Nations schools; (3) positive characteristics of role models of Aboriginal educational administrators; (4) personal and social problems on First Nations that affected the role of the educational administrator; and (5) what training activities were helpful in the preparation of potential educational leaders. <p>Findings suggested that the main characteristics of effective administrators in First Nations schools included being person-oriented and flexible. All thirteen administrators interviewed considered the ability to speak a First Nation language important, although not essential, if the major language spoken on the First Nation was English. Ethnicity of the administrator may not be a necessary consideration for administrators in First Nations schools. Being able to adapt to the cultural milieu of the First Nation was more important. Findings further suggested that gender of the administrator in a First Nation school was not an important consideration. Female administrators could be effective if given the opportunity. Role models in the lives of the participants played a major part in the overall success of the participants. <p>Findings of this study further suggested that effective administrators had definite plans and programming in place when dealing with social problems which exist on First Nations. Being knowledgeable about the types of support services available at the Band level was important. The main strategy employed by the interviewees involved the utilization of a team approach to problem solving. When dealing with student behavioral problems, most administrators followed policies set by the school board. Last of all, the participants made recommendations which potential Aboriginal educational leaders could use in order to move into administrative positions at the First Nation level.