Intergenerational Experiences in Aboriginal Education: My Family
Dr. Gwen Point, Chancellor, University of the Fraser Valley
This session will address the intergenerational impact of government Aboriginal education policies from the 1930s to the mid 2000s on one family – the author’s. An exploration of the connections between the federal government’s education policies and the personal education stories of the family spanning three generations reveals not only the challenges Aboriginal students faced in general, but the way Indigenous philosophies informed larger strategic and smaller tactical strategies of resistance. Through story work this family not only found strength to resist, but opportunities to try and transform the education system itself. As the intergenerational narratives reveal, the family’s objectives ranged from protecting the traditional and the sacred to developing strategies to improve their chances of succeeding within the government system.
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Speaker Bio
Dr. Gwen Point, Chancellor, University of the Fraser Valley, holds a Bachelor of Education degree from UBC, a post-baccalaureate diploma from SFU, a Master of Education degree from the University of Portland, and a Doctorate in Education from SFU. She also holds an honorary Doctor of Education degree from the University of Victoria. Dr. Point has held a number of provincial government and regional posts supporting education, child and family services, and First Nations communities. She is a respected Stó:lō leader, mentor, and cultural advisor. She has contributed her cultural knowledge and experience to numerous books, conferences, workshops, and communities, and earned many accolades and awards. She also served as BC’s Chatelaine for five years serving the people of British Columbia.