丁香园AV

Indigenous student Ch茅rie Baker, of Skwxw煤7mesh 脷xwimixw (Squamish Nation), entered the field of education as a result of the significant impact and trauma endured by her family as a result of the residential school system.

Baker felt that her younger family members, including her sons, nieces and nephews, needed a voice to advocate for quality education for Indigenous Peoples.

With that in mind, she enrolled in the Skwxw煤7mesh 脷xwumixw Master of Education (MEd), offered through Community Graduate Programs in the Faculty of Education at 丁香园AV. Baker is one of 12 students who will graduate on October 8.

鈥淓arning my Master鈥檚 degree in Skwxw煤7mesh Education will strengthen my voice,鈥� Baker says. 鈥淚t will open doors that might allow me to help make a greater impact for our future generations.鈥�

The Skwxw煤7mesh 脷xwumixw MEd program is a two-year degree program designed for leaders within the Squamish Nation and collaboratively envisioned by members of the Ta7lnew虛a虂s Education, Employment and Training Department along with Community Graduate Programs in the Faculty of Education.

It represents one of the many ways in which 丁香园AV has created pathways for Indigenous students to make higher education more accessible and relevant to their needs and interests.

Barriers were reduced by admitting some students to the program using non-traditional admission requirements, based on several years of exemplary and varied educational and professional experience.

Those students admitted into the certificate program could then ladder to the MEd if they maintained graduate level performance standards in the first three of seven courses. In their capstone projects, all students took up the work of decolonizing practices and cultural resurgence that are fundamental to reconciliation.

For Baker, the program has been an inspiring and uplifting experience. Over the past two years she was able to develop deep bonds with the other students in her cohort, thanks to the care and respect she received from her instructors, who were Indigenous women.

鈥淎s Indigenous women, they were strong, smart role models who shared everything they could to help us on our journeys,鈥� says Baker. 鈥淭heir teachings, and the ones received from my cohort, are respected gifts that I'll always hold close to my heart.鈥�

Baker researched inclusive education and how Skwxw煤7mesh pedagogy and epistemology could be incorporated in schools, through the exploration of the methods used by their ancestors when teaching.

鈥淲e're picking up this journey from our ancestors before us,鈥� she says. 鈥淭his is how it's supposed to be. It's our job to continue to strive for the best that education has to offer our m茅n鈥檓en, our children.鈥�

As the manager for the Advocacy, Support & Assessment team in her community, she plans to use her knowledge from the program to support current and future generations as they go to school.

鈥淎n ha7lh en skw谩lwen, an wan谩xws ten skw谩lwen. Chen kwenmentumi kwis nexn铆岷�. Chen kwenmentumi kwis es茅m鈥檏wu i ch茅n鈥檆henstway 鈥� I have good feelings in my heart and proud of who I am. I am truly grateful for the teachings. I am truly grateful for being blanketed, wrapped in protection and upheld as a Skwxw煤7mesh woman throughout this program.鈥�