Since the mid-1980s, the Saskatchewan Department of Education has approved the instruction of Native Studies courses in provincial high schools. In hope of enhancing the instruction of these courses, this study focused on the perspectives of Non-Aboriginal teachers who were assigned to teach Native Studies. Through a questionnaire, personal interviews, and a focus group, nine Non-Aboriginal high-school teachers examined the following aspects of the courses: formal and informal training of instructors , goals of the courses, key content and pedagogical methodologies, major challenges, and recommendations for improving the delivery of the classes.<p>The literary context for the research was based upon three major areas: Non-Aboriginal teachers' perspectives on teaching Aboriginal students, preparing teachers to teach Native Studies, and preparing teachers to instruct Native Studies to Aboriginal students. Due to the 'single-group' nature of Native Studies curricula, considerable literature examination was focused on multicultural education models.<p> The research data of the study revealed that the majority of interviewees have minimal formal education experience with Aboriginal content or epistemology. In addition, most of the study participants indicated little, if any, informal cultural contact with Aboriginal peoples. Study participants generally acknowledged the limitations of their scant academic and experiential interaction with Aboriginal cultures, and recommended means of various education stakeholders improving the situation.<p>The study also exposed a variety of teacher perspectives about the goals of the courses. While there was unanimity regarding the efficacy of the courses, most teachers believed the goals of Native Studies varied depending on the cultural composition of the class. In addition, a couple of teachers inferred that a major objective of Native Studies courses is the promotion of an anti-establishment' political message. Some teachers also indicated a quandary regarding whether the course curricula required them to "teach Aboriginal culture, or teach about Aboriginal culture."<p>In terms of course content and teaching methodologies, there were numerous opinions on `what was important'. All the interviewees viewed history as a significant ingredient to a `good' Native Studies class, but some of the teachers expressed a reluctance to delve into such issues as Aboriginal spirituality, racism, and 'white-privilege'. There was also hesitation amongst many of the respondents to incorporate traditional Aboriginal epistemologies into course methodologies because they wanted to personalize instruction, not base it upon cultural generalizations.<p>In addition to the aforementioned issues and corresponding challenges associated with the background training for the courses, the goals of the courses, and the content and methodology of the courses, the study participants highlighted other concerns with the teaching of Native Studies: irrelevant curricula, lack of materials, poor course funding, student absenteeism, student perception that the courses are for 'non-academics', lack of flexible timetabling for experiential learning, and lack of staff knowledge and appreciation of Aboriginal cultures. All administrative levels of the education system were identified by the interviewees as influential in helping to mitigate the difficulties associated with the instruction of Native Studies.

This thesis examines the concept of self-determination, as defined by competent international agencies. Analyzing the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement and the Estatuto de Ia Autonomia de las Regiones de Ia Costa Atlantica de Nicaragua (Autonomy Statute for the Regions of the Atlantic Coast of Nicaragua), this work proposes that these two laws of legislation do provide a starting point for the Inuit and the Miskitu-nani to definitely begin to work towards achieving a degree of self-determination within the nation-states in which these peoples live. <p> After analyzing the historic development of the concept of self-determination and placing the Inuit and the Miskitu-nani in a theoretical framework of internal colonization, this work looks at the history and background of both peoples as well as at the final documents: the Law of Autonomy, the Nunavut Final Agreement and the Nunavut Law. Following a comparison and an analysis of these agreements, it is proposed that they represent an initial political step that, by providing some self- administration, potentially opens a road to self-determination for these Aboriginal nations âself-determination as defined by international agencies and accepted by most member states of the United Nations.

Little research has examined the role traditional health care systems play today among Native populations. The present research examined the role these systems play among the urban Native population of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. The research was conducted at the Westside Community Clinic, located in the downtown core area of Saskatoon. This area of the city has previously been identified as having a high concentration of Native people. The present study represented one component of a much larger project which examined both Native and non-Native utlization patterns of the Western health care system at the Westside clinic. An interview schedule was used to gather data, with a total of 103 Native and 50 non-Native interviews being conducted. Since no sampling frame exists for the Native population of Saskatoon, an availability sampling technique was used. "Native" was defined in this study as status Indian, non-status Indian and Metis.<p> It was discovered that traditional health care systems play an important role in the health care of this population, with the use of these systems being quite extensive. It was determined that the variable of language was a somewhat useful predictor of the utilization of traditional health care systems, although language retention (the ability to speak a Native language) was found to be more important than the frequency with which a Native language was spoken. It was also discovered that use of traditional health care systems was not found only among older respondents, but rather was generalized among the respondents. The economic variables of income and education levels were also found to be related to utilization of traditional health care systems, with those respondents with higher income and education levels reporting greater use of these systems. Use of traditional health care systems was not found to be restricted to respondents with Indian status; rather, use was generalized among status Indian, non-status Indian and Metis respondents.<p>Respondents who utilized traditional health care systems also fully utilized the Western health care system. Further, use of traditional health care systems was not found to be related to difficulty respondents may have encountered in using the Western health care system, such as language or economic problems, or experiences of racism, although such problems were found to exist. Clearly, respondents did not turn to traditional health care systems because of difficulties in utilizing the Western health care system. Rather, traditional health care systems were used to supplement the Western health care system. It was further found that the majority of the respondents in the study desired access to traditional medicines and healers within the city of Saskatoon-and, again, this finding was not confined to any sub-group (I.e. older respondents) of the study but was generalized. The extent to which this access is presently available is questioned, and this could represent an important unmet health need of this population.

This thesis analyzes James Baldwin's essays as a method for understanding racial identity and authenticity. By using Vetta Sanders-Thompson's racial identification parameters, I suggest that Baldwin's struggle with his identity as a black American is crucial to deposing the idea of a monolithic black experience, which opens up new ways of analyzing African American literature.

This case study examines a labour relations issue which initially involves teacher employees of the Sagkeeng Education Authority of the Fort Alexander Band on one hand and the Sagkeeng Education Authority and the Fort Alexander Chief and Council on the other. The events of the issue transpire between 1981 and 1986.<p>Teacher employees, concerned with working conditions and job security, organized as a local of the Manitoba Teachers' Society which was certified under the Canada Labour Code. The Chief and Council of the Fort Alexander Band rejected the formation of the local and the applicability of the Canada Labour Code to labour relations on the reserve. Teachers were fired for union activities. Hearings were held by the Canada Labour Relations Board. Orders were issued by the Labour Board and a collective agreement was imposed by the Labour Board. The Chief and Council refused to follow the Labour Board's orders, and contempt of court hearings were held by the Federal Court. Fort Alexander officials, including the Chief and Council, were initially fined and subsequently jailed. The Minister of Indian Affairs, David Crombie, promised to initiate Department studies to examine the possibilities and implications of changing the labour relations regime to reflect Indian self-government. The dispute was eventually settled out of court but the issue of Indian government jurisdiction over labour relations remains unresolved.<p>Conceived and sanctioned by the Manitoba Teachers' Society, the Canada Labour Relations Board and the Federal Court as a labour dispute, the researcher argues that the issue is more readily understood within the context of Indian self-determination and self-government. Concepts concerning philosophical, socio-economic, cultural, legal, political and historical aspects of the relationship between Indian peoples and the Canadian state are brought to bear on the issue. Concepts of group rights versus those of individual rights are examined.<p>It is argued that the current labour relations legal regime is inconsistent with Indian self-determination and self-government. The researcher suggests jurisdiction over labour relations should be determined by First Nations' governments as consistent with the goals of self-determination and self-government. Conceptions of Indian labour relations jurisdiction are suggested.

The Dog Child site (FbNp-24) is located within the confines of the Wanuskewin Heritage Park, approximately 3 km north of the city of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. It is a multicomponent site containing six occupation levels. The site was excavated throughout the 2004, 2005, and 2006 field seasons with the assistance of the University of Saskatchewan archaeological field school and the Saskatchewan Archaeological Society field school. Projectile point, pottery, and other technologies deemed specific to a cultural period, in addition to radiocarbon age assessment, have revealed six occupations related to five different series or complexes. These include the Plains Side-Notched complex, Prairie Side-Notched complex, Duncan/Hanna complex, Oxbow complex, and Mummy Cave series. Two levels have been ascribed to the latter series. The Mummy Cave series occupation is an area of focus as it contributes to our knowledge surrounding Northern Plains occupation during the Mid-Holocene Climatic Optimum. The archaeological artifacts and features in addition to the geoarchaeological setting have been documented in order to create a comparative survey expressing the context and extent of these cultural periods.

This thesis argues the need for major change in higher education options currently available to Native American students in the United States. Universities and Tribal Colleges represent the most common choices that Native students opt for in seeking degrees in tertiary education. However, for the most part, Universities and Tribal Colleges are not working effectively enough to produce the levels of success that are significantly transforming of the wider social, economic and cultural crisis conditions within many Native American communities. This thesis will focus on how to develop a major transformation of the higher education sector generally, a focus which also positively includes the underdeveloped potential that lies within the Tribal Colleges and Native programs in various university sites. This thesis attempts to clarify what has gone wrong in the higher education of Native Americans and to propose a national, innovative strategy for intervention. Identifying what is problematic in existing approaches will build critical insights that will inform the new strategies for change. The overall argument is that new institutions which are more sensitive and responsive to Indigenous aspirations first and foremost, need to be considered as a key in transforming Native American higher education performance. Rather than define absolutely all of the possible ingredients of what might be included in a new higher education model, this thesis works first to identify and aggregate a number of key barriers and constraints by collating different information streams. Once identified these critical elements, practices, values and structures that are deemed to be the major barriers to Native success are then used to inform the proposed new institutional framework. While a single institution model is ultimately proposed by this thesis, it should be regarded as ‘an’ answer, not ‘the’ answer. A broader intention of this thesis is to bring more focus to this area of concern and underdevelopment within Higher Education and suggest that there are different answers and possibilities (as the Maori examples have demonstrated) that are truly innovative, and which can profoundly impact Native American individual and community social, economic, cultural and political development and advancement.

This thesis argues the need for major change in higher education options currently available to Native American students in the United States. Universities and Tribal Colleges represent the most common choices that Native students opt for in seeking degrees in tertiary education. However, for the most part, Universities and Tribal Colleges are not working effectively enough to produce the levels of success that are significantly transforming of the wider social, economic and cultural crisis conditions within many Native American communities. This thesis will focus on how to develop a major transformation of the higher education sector generally, a focus which also positively includes the underdeveloped potential that lies within the Tribal Colleges and Native programs in various university sites. This thesis attempts to clarify what has gone wrong in the higher education of Native Americans and to propose a national, innovative strategy for intervention. Identifying what is problematic in existing approaches will build critical insights that will inform the new strategies for change. The overall argument is that new institutions which are more sensitive and responsive to Indigenous aspirations first and foremost, need to be considered as a key in transforming Native American higher education performance. Rather than define absolutely all of the possible ingredients of what might be included in a new higher education model, this thesis works first to identify and aggregate a number of key barriers and constraints by collating different information streams. Once identified these critical elements, practices, values and structures that are deemed to be the major barriers to Native success are then used to inform the proposed new institutional framework. While a single institution model is ultimately proposed by this thesis, it should be regarded as an answer, not the answer. A broader intention of this thesis is to bring more focus to this area of concern and underdevelopment within Higher Education and suggest that there are different answers and possibilities (as the Maori examples have demonstrated) that are truly innovative, and which can profoundly impact Native American individual and community social, economic, cultural and political development and advancement.

In foreign language education the classification native or nonnative speaker of a language often evokes thoughts related to degrees of competence in language teaching (Braine, 2004; Davies, 2004). This comparative case study focused on Spanish teachers in a United States context. It contributes toward the literature base in research related to native and nonnative speakers of languages other than English within the local context. Using the threefold theoretical framework of role identity theory (Stryker, 1968; Stryker & Burke, 2000), teacher efficacy (Tschennen Moran & Woolfolk Hoy, 2001) and social constructivism (Schwandt, 2007), the study aimed at developing understandings about the lived experience of foreign language teachers given the native/ nonnative speaker construct. It investigated how their personal perception of their role impacted the execution of professional duties. It also explored their conceptualization of the language teacher, given their extensive observation of teachers of various languages. The questions guiding the research were: (a) How does each participant conceptualize her role identity as Spanish teacher in a predominantly English speaking setting?, (b) How viable is the native/nonnative speaker construct when teacher efficacy is considered?, and (c) how has the experience of supervising teachers of differing linguistic backgrounds in the language they teach (native/nonnative speaker teachers) influenced the participants’ understanding of the language teacher construct in the USA? Data collection was done through interviews, focus group discussions and classroom observations. The participants were four veteran Spanish teachers who had been in the department chair position for more than ten years. Two grew up speaking the language while the others learned the language in an academic setting. Findings revealed that there was great similarity in the way teachers conceptualized their role as Spanish teacher and that they gave no credence to the native/ nonnative speaker construct as an indicator of language proficiency and competence in language teaching.

Recent, post-1980, immigration patterns have had a dramatic effect on U.S. labor markets, leading to considerable debate about the impact of immigration on native-born black workers. This research examines immigrant and black labor markets, across metropolitan areas, using Public Use Microdata and Summary File data from Census 2000 to generate low, mid, and high classifications of immigrant and black occupations based on socio-economic index (SEI). Multivariate findings indicate that the effect of recent immigration on black labor market outcomes differs by occupational level. Competition for low-skilled jobs is identified for native-born blacks in low-level jobs while a “bump-up” effect is identified for blacks in mid-level jobs. For example, production occupations with low language and skill requirements are shown to be contested among the groups. On the other hand, service and administrative functions emerge as bump-up mechanisms that create opportunity for black workers who amass the human capital required of these occupations. Thus, the ramifications of immigration for native-born blacks are shown to be quite different for low- and mid-SEI jobs.