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Dr. Martin is Assistant Professor and Coordinator, Aboriginal Nursing Cohort Initiative, and Ms. Seguire is Senior Instructor, Faculty of Nursing, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.
The authors have disclosed no potential conflicts of interest, financial or otherwise.
Indigenous values and world views informed pedagogical approaches in an Aboriginal Nursing Cohort Initiative (ANCI) in Canada (Aboriginal Nurses Association of Canada, 2006). In this article, we use the term indigenous to signify the First Peoples of any region or country. Although there is more diversity among indigenous peoples and groups than similarities, commonalities include strong connections to natural resources (land), distinct language, culture, beliefs, and social, economic, or political systems (Gracey & King, 2009). Indigenous peoples tend to form nondominant groups of society; yet, they resolve to maintain and reproduce ancestral environments and systems (Gracey & King, 2009).
This article describes an innovative educational program for indigenous students pursuing a baccalaureate degree in nursing. In prerequisite and beginning nursing courses, a cohort strategy facilitates peer support and incorporates the indigenous value of interconnectedness (Hampton & Roy, 2002; Martin & Kipling, 2006). By establishing an academic program with consistent instructors and advisors (i.e., continuity of instructors and advisors), small groups, tutoring, manageable course loads, and a culturally supportive environment, a path for success was forged.
Background
The contextual nature of indigenous peoples' education in North America will be discussed, as the past continues to shape the way in which indigenous students experience and respond to teaching and learning. Historically, many barriers prevented North American indigenous peoples from pursuing a path to college or university. Reasons for low participation and completion rates of indigenous students in postsecondary education are primarily identified as structural and include challenges in secondary education, language and cultural differences, and the effects of discrimination (Association of Canadian Community Colleges, 2005; Curran, Solberg, LeFort, Fleet, & Hollett, 2008; Pijl-Zieber & Hagen, 2011).
The historical context and the relationship between North America's indigenous peoples and formal or "Western" education cannot be ignored (Hampton & Roy, 2002; Keohane, 2009; Martin & Kipling, 2006; Pijl-Zieber & Hagen, 2011; Smith, McAlister, Tedford Gold, & Sullivan-Bentz, 2011). Aggressive assimilation was the model of education forced on North America's indigenous peoples (Hampton & Roy, 2002; Keohane, 2009).
A significant and tragic...