These statistics not only describe the enormity of the task in front of Native literacy practitioners it explains their issues of time, space, and funding. Research that uncovers the major cause of these statistics (Residential school impacts) also explains the emotional issues in the Native literacy field. In February 2003, Turtle Island Native Network posted the results of First Nations People On-Reserve survey. In that survey “Lack of education, drug and alcohol abuse, poverty and psychological issues are seen as the most important challenges facing Aboriginal children and youth”. The communities, served by Native literacy programs require literate adults to begin the task of fixing the problem. Native adult learners and the practitioners have multiple levels of issues to contend with. The issues are not always seen to be adult only. Program directors, tutors and presenters voiced comments and concerns at the Symposium on Literacy and Aboriginal Peoples May 2002. (OISE 2002:69) Concerns with age guidelines, timing, exits, and available time for quality contact time with learners, as well as first language needs, were judged to be of the highest priority.

Canada’s National Literacy Secretariat states:

• Literacy development is strongly influenced in the early years by a child’s family environment and the educational background of parents.
• The higher a nation’s literacy skills, the more likely its population is to have healthier habits and lifestyles. Those with higher literacy skills tend to be more involved citizens who participate in their communities and in society.
• Literacy is linked to economic success. Literacy levels determine the kind of jobs people find, the salaries they make and their ability to upgrade their work skills. Literacy also contributes to society’s overall economic and social performance.
  (www.nald.ca/nls/nlsilld/fact3.htm)

The Native literacy field fully agrees. It is their belief that holistic pedagogy is of paramount importance in the advancement of Canada’s National Literacy Statements.

There are many ways to present, depict and explain holistic but basically it means that all of life experiences of all community members create the learning of an individual. Current practitioners, their tutors, and volunteers make every effort to provide literacy services within these parameters. Holistic pedagogy prevents the re-occurrence of past school experiences for their learners, creating more possibilities of furthering their education and workforce skills. From the information shared during the survey and face to face contact of this project it is clear that practitioners are incorporating holistic pedagogy to meet the unique needs of their learners. The following wheel attempts to sort the different practices into the Aboriginal understanding of holistic teaching/learning not so much to articulate holistic approach but to validate practitioners in their ongoing use of it. Activities are sorted into the four aspects of self in such a way as to show how open-ended the concept of wheel is and how it can be applied to a holistic approach.