Indigenous Research: Education

"The eagle flies the highest in the sky, and in a Coast Salish legend people would seek guidance from the eagle to gain knowledge of faraway places. This representational eagle wing relief was created to bring the knowledge to students as they seek guidance in their studies." By Marissa Nahanee - Maykw Cha7em Squamish & Nisga’a Nations, Eagle Clan.

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If you need help, please contact Jenna Walsh, Indigenous Initiatives Librarian & Librarian for Indigenous Studies, Archaeology, Environmental Science, and Resource & Environmental Management at or jmwalsh@sfu.ca or Ask a librarian

Resources in the SFU Library

Locate materials in the Library Catalogue

Journal articles

Indexes

Use these indexes to locate journal articles on your topic:

Suggested journal

Journal of American Indian Education

Associations and organizations

BC First Nations Schools Association

First Nations Education Steering Committee (BC)

Government information specific to Education

Aboriginal Education
Web page from the BC Ministry of Education

First Nations 12 IRP
Linked from the BC Ministry of Education

Shared Learnings: Integrating BC Aboriginal Content K-10

Directories of web sites 

BC Ministry of Education - Aboriginal Education
Policies, documents, and contact information. Includes Integrated Resource Package for First Nations 12, as well as guides for support workers and counsellors.

Aboriginal Peoples
Library Archives Canada

Canada's Digital Collections
Subject Index - First Peoples. Some of the collections include:

Children's and Young Adult Books with Contemporary Native American Indian Themes
Annotated list of picture books, short stories, novels, and biographies for youth by or about First Nations people, put together by author Cynthia Leitich Smith. Entries include publication information, the nation of the writer or illustrator, a brief plot summary, and commentary on theme and characterization. A similar list of Children's Books with Historical Native Themes is also available. American focus.

The circle game: shadows and substance in the Indian residential school experience in Canada / Roland Chrisjohn, and Sherri Young ; with contributions by Michael Maraun. Revised edition. Penticton, B.C. : Theytus Books, 2006. [print]

  • Table of Contents of a report to the Royal Commission on Aboriginal peoples, submitted in 1994. Addresses history, impacts, education, and ongoing issues connected with residential schools in Canada. Includes recommendations and conclusions.
  • Comments by Roland Chrisjohn on a website regarding the report - scroll to the middle of the page..under "Genocide and residential schools - accountability" [MB]

First Nations and Métis Education (BC Teachers' Federation)
Outlines policies, initiatives, and funding resources for First Nations education. Links to professional development tools and teaching resources such as lesson plans, program suggestions, and online resources.

First Nations Education Links (Xwi7xwa Library, UBC)
Links to curriculum resources, government reports, organizations and associations, policy documents, and First Nations courses and programs internationally and in Canada. Also includes links addressing children's literature with First Nations themes and characters, as well as residential schools.

First Peoples on SchoolNet (Industry Canada)
Part of a Canadian government initiative to connect schools to the Internet, and a resource for educators. Provides links to First Nations-oriented curriculum and educational resources, First Nations schools and programs, and sites for First Nations youth, as well as relevant legal, health, and government information.

Kids' Stop
From Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada.

Teachers' Section
Includes classroom activities from age 7 to 14, e.g.

Learning Circle: Classroom Activities on First Nations in Canada
Ages 12-14 (78 pages)

Native Residential Schools in Canada: A Selective Bibliography
This bibliography accompanies the exhibition Where are the Children? Healing the Legacy of the Residential Schools produced by the National Archives of Canada, the Aboriginal Healing Foundation and the Aboriginal Healing Charitable Association in collaboration with the National Library of Canada, numerous church and other archives presented at the National Archives of Canada in Ottawa from June 18, 2002 to February 3, 2003. The type of materials listed in this bibliography include books, scholarly articles, school histories, personal accounts, theses, videos, and Internet resources.

A Select Bibliography of Children's Books by and about Aboriginal Peoples for Ages 4-14
Put together by Karen Russell-Letourneau at INAC, this bibliography is divided into four main components: fiction, myths and legends for older children, non-fiction, and picture books. Each entry includes a colour image of the book's cover, basic bibliographic information (author, illustrator, title, publication information), and a recommended age level. Additional resources include language material and a bibliography of works organized by nation.