scholarly journals Cultural Safety for Mi’kmaw Students and Staff at Cape Breton University

2014 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 50
Author(s):  
Heather Schmidt

Cultural safety reflects the extent to which an individual feels that their culture is respected, accepted and understood by the larger society in which they live.The concept was originally developed in the context of Indigenous Peoples, but it could also easily be applied to members of other minority groups whose voices are underrepresented in mainstream society (e.g., the LGBT community, the differently-abled, other ethnic minorities). In this paper, I discuss my ongoing efforts to assess and measure cultural safety in Mi’kmaw First Nation students, staff and faculty at a small university in northern Nova Scotia. To maximize the chances of Indigenous students graduating and achieving to their full-potential within post-secondary institutions, we need to stop and ask whether they feel a sense of belonging, connection and cultural safety on-campus. If the answer is ‘No’ or ‘Only in the Aboriginal student centre’, then we need to collaborate with Indigenous students to design and implement interventions. These may involve altering both the physical campus and the way in which non-Native individuals on-campus think about and relate to Indigenous culture and individuals.

2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 70
Author(s):  
Heather Joyce Nelson ◽  
Twana Lee-Ann Cox-White ◽  
Beverlee Ann Ziefflie

There are many factors that effect the post-secondary completion rate of Indigenous students. The Indigenous student completion rate is a reflection of the number of students entering post-secondary education but is significantly affected by withdrawal rates (institutional withdrawals and student voluntary withdrawals). In the Saskatchewan Polytechnic School of Nursing, the Indigenous student withdrawal rate was 4.2% higher than the total nursing student population. Lower success rates among Indigenous students is a concerning issue in nursing programs. Continuing to operate programs and teach in the same fashion is not improving success rates. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action (2012) highlighted the need to examine strategies and develop policies to enhance Indigenous student success. To this end, recent literature was reviewed to determine trends among Indigenous nursing students, their struggles, and more importantly, the successful strategies currently being implemented. Indigenous peoples are not a homogenous group; rather, they are a mosaic of cultures, languages and nations. The authors examined the literature to determine key factors that enabled or prevented the success of post-secondary Indigenous students. Twenty-one articles on current research regarding Indigenous student success facilitators and barriers were examined. These articles encompassed research from Canada, the United States, Australia and New Zealand. The purpose of this literature review was to identify themes and gaps, drive positive change in education, and guide future research. The research team found four common themes: academic preparedness, cultural safety, intrinsic student factors, and student support.


2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (10) ◽  
pp. 101
Author(s):  
Twana Cox-White ◽  
Beverlee Ziefflie ◽  
Heather Joyce Nelson

Background and aim: Indigenous students have a lower rate of post-secondary completion than non-Indigenous students. This is due to a variety of intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Current literature revealed a variety of concerns that were naturally divided under the themes of academic preparedness, cultural safety, intrinsic student factors, and student supports. This study examined the completion rates of Indigenous students within a nursing program, student associated success strategies, and predominant personal barriers to success. Using focus groups and interviews, the researchers examined the lived experiences Indigenous students at Saskatchewan Polytechnic in Western Canada.Methods: A qualitative design using a phenomenological approach was utilized to gather data. Focus groups and interviews with Indigenous students were conducted to gather personal perspectives and experiences. This data was then coded and themed.Results: The results of this study identified various strategies and supports that advanced and promoted Indigenous student success along with numerous barriers that Indigenous students felt impeded their success within the nursing program at Saskatchewan Polytechnic. The themes in this study included academic preparedness, cultural safety, resolve/resilience, confidence, social expectations, and financial support.Conclusions: There is a need to expand and develop support systems that enable Indigenous students to improve academic completion rates. Building confidence and a sense of belonging are important factors in improving student success from post-secondary programs.


Author(s):  
Michelle Hogue ◽  
Joanne Forrest

In this paper, we as educators of Indigenous students transitioning into post-secondary education, reflect on our collaborative pilot project: Bridging Cultures Over-Under, a connection of Indigenous students in similar preparation for university programs at the University of Lethbridge in Lethbridge, AB, Canada, and at Batchelor Institute in Darwin, NT, AU. Unbeknownst to the students, the story of attempted assimilation of Indigenous peoples in both countries, and the resultant socio-economic conditions, is both parallel and similar. Through Skype sessions, Indigenous students in polar opposite countries shared their own experiences, culture, history, stories, dreams and desires and some of their academic work. The goal was to understand their shared experience and further build on these relationships so they might learn from and support each other through peer mentoring. Outcomes of this project have lead to a continued connection and the development of a secure Facebook site so that the students can further build their relationships and develop a more extensive network as they continue on their academic journey.


2021 ◽  
pp. 088626052110219
Author(s):  
Jacinthe Dion ◽  
Stephanie Boisvert ◽  
Geneviève Paquette ◽  
Manon Bergeron ◽  
Martine Hébert ◽  
...  

University-based sexual violence prevalence is worryingly high and leads to many serious consequences for health and academic achievement. Although previous work has documented greater risk for sexual violence among Indigenous Peoples, little is known about university-based sexual violence experienced by Indigenous students. Using a large-scale study of university-based sexual violence in Canada, the current study aims to (1) examine the risk of sexual violence against Indigenous students compared to non-Indigenous students, and (2) to document sexual violence experiences of Indigenous students. Undergraduate students from six universities ( N = 5,627) completed online questionnaires regarding their experience and consequences of university-based sexual violence (e.g., forms of sexual violence experiences, gender, and status of the perpetrator, context of the violence, PTSD, disclosure). Findings indicated that compared with their non-Indigenous peers, Indigenous students experienced significantly higher levels of sexual harassment. However, no difference was found for unwanted sexual behaviors, nor for sexual violence contexts. Among Indigenous students, those having experienced sexual violence after age 18 (outside university) were more likely to report university-based sexual violence. Overall, findings highlight that Indigenous students, as well as non-Indigenous students, experience university-based sexual violence. Given their history, Indigenous students may have different needs, so sustainable policies that foster cultural safety on all campuses are clearly needed.


Author(s):  
Shenique S. Thomas ◽  
Johnna Christian

This chapter draws from a qualitative study of incarcerated men to investigate the social processes and interactions between both correctional authorities and family members that inform their sense of belonging and legitimacy. It reveals that prison visitation rooms present a complex environment in which incarcerated men have access to discreet periods of visibility and relevance to their family members and the broader community. There are, however, several precarious aspects to these processes. The family members who are central to enhancing men’s visibility and legitimacy are primarily women from economically disadvantaged, racial, and ethnic minority groups, resulting in their own marginalization, which is compounded within prison spaces. By illuminating both the challenges and opportunities of familial connections, this chapter informs a social justice framework for understanding the experiences of both incarcerated men and their family members.


2021 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-70
Author(s):  
Vanessa Van Bewer ◽  
Roberta L Woodgate ◽  
Donna Martin ◽  
Frank Deer

Learning about the historical and current context of Indigenous peoples’ lives and building campus communities that value cultural safety remains at the heart of the Canadian educational agenda and have been enacted as priorities in the Manitoba Collaborative Indigenous Education Blueprint. A participatory approach informed by forum theater and Indigenous sharing circles involving collaboration between Indigenous and non-Indigenous health care professionals ( n = 8) was employed to explore the above priorities. Through the workshop activities, vignettes were created and performed to an audience of students and educators ( n = 7). The findings emerging from the workshop illuminated that Indigenous people in nursing and higher education face challenges with negotiating their identity, lateral violence and struggle to find safe spaces and people due to tokenism and a paucity of physical spaces dedicated to Indigenous students. This study contributed to provoking a greater understanding of Indigenous experiences in higher education and advancing reconciliation.


2021 ◽  
pp. 084456212110161
Author(s):  
Nicholas Metheny ◽  
Claire Dion Fletcher

Background The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) TRC has called to increase the number of Indigenous practitioners and include cultural competency education in their curricula. However, it remains unknown how nursing and midwifery programs are progressing towards these goals. Purpose To examine the extent to which baccalaureate nursing and midwifery programs are creating culturally safe spaces for Indigenous students, responding to TRC-recommended curricular changes, and including Indigenous content. Methods A digital environmental scan of accredited baccalaureate nursing and midwifery programs in Canada was conducted. Analysis was conducted using descriptive statistics. Results Of the 107 programs, less than one-fifth (n = 19, 17.8%) met all three cultural safety criteria. More than half (n = 59, 55.1%) included culturally safe spaces for Indigenous students, 20 (18.7%) satisfied TRC call #24 to require Indigenous-relevant coursework, and one-third (n = 36, 33.6%) were seen as infusing their curricula with Indigenous-related content. Conclusions This represents the first attempt to systematically catalog nursing and midwifery programs’ response to the TRC Calls to Action. Most schools have not made substantial progress towards cultural safety. Nursing and midwifery programs should commit to expanding their cultural safety programming to incorporate multiple ways of knowing and being in their curricula.


Author(s):  
Margaret J.R. Gidgup ◽  
Marion Kickett ◽  
Tammy Weselman ◽  
Keith Hill ◽  
Julieann Coombes ◽  
...  

The objective of this qualitative systematic review was to synthesize all evidence to understand the barriers and enablers to older Indigenous peoples (aged 40 years and older) engaging in physical activity. Four databases were searched. Study quality was assessed from an Indigenous perspective, using an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander quality appraisal tool. Data were analyzed using thematic synthesis. There were 4,246 articles screened with 23 articles and one report included from over 30 Indigenous communities across four countries. Cultural Safety and Security was a key enabler, including developing physical activity programs which are led by Indigenous communities and preference Indigenous values. Colonization was a key barrier that created mistrust and uncertainty. Social Determinants of Health, including cost, were supported by successful programs, but if not addressed, were demotivators of engagement. Older Indigenous peoples identified barriers and enablers that can direct the development of sustainable, culturally appropriate physical activity programs.


2121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Betsy Forero Montoya ◽  

Foreign Otherness in Japanese Media analyzes contemporary Japanese society by examining the ways in which Japanese media portrays Latin America and therefore how Japanese readers construct their idea of it. Offering a detailed methodology and results from field research, and based on concepts such as otherness, cultivation analysis and the theory of the autopoietic social system as a framework, this book considers the impact of mass media on the construction of non-dominant foreign cultural subjectivities in Japan, and explores the dynamics of otherness in the country. As such, it is apt for scholars in Japanese studies, media studies, and anyone interested in the interaction between foreigners or Latin Americans and Japan, or in relations between mainstream society and minority groups.


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