• Have a long term commitment.
• Develop a sense of community within the college/institute.
• Students need to feel accepted and missed if they are not attending.
• Raise the bar, students will rise to the challenge.
• Make time for the students, they are the reason we are here.
• Remember and acknowledge that there are many First Nations within provinces, on and off reserves, and each one has its own needs and expectations.
• Understand differences between mainstream and Aboriginal student needs/ expectations.

We look at our work as evolving. It is a work in progress. We cannot be positional but can remain principled in our approaches. We have worked hard to neutralize the political influence and interference factors although this is difficult. We have tried to cultivate our own sense of leadership in post secondary education and are actively de-segregating ourselves in this larger mainstream educational environment. We are committed to transforming this learning environment to enable all of us to explore and expand upon Aboriginal and Canadian discourse. We know that it will not be easy but we are determined to make changes. We are not merely interested in maintaining the status quo or in adaptation of educational models; rather, we recognize that we are responsible to build them.

Confederation College

12. Conclusion

Given the demographic reality of an increasing and younger Aboriginal population in Canada, one of the most important issues for colleges and institutes today is the urgent need for greater participation of Aboriginal learners. Key areas of focus include the overarching premise of Aboriginal control of education, as well as learner access, success and retention, and overall Aboriginal community development.

“With 30,000 Aboriginal graduates in Canada – a huge improvement from a decade ago – and the impact of the increasing age of the workforce and impending skills gaps, we need to realize the goal of accessibility to post-secondary education. To do so, we need to work with government in terms of treaty and Aboriginal rights, increasing institutional capacities and working with other colleges and institutes to ensure that there is adequate programming for First Nations students. Colleges and institutes have the opportunity to respond to regional needs more immediately than any other institutions in Canada, and the needs of Aboriginal communities are regionalized, to some extent, both on- and off- reserves. ?

Bob Watts, Chief of Staff, Assembly of First Nations, speaking to
college and institute Presidents, November 2004