First Nations Education Building Capacity Across the Country

Paul Michel is the director of the First Nations Centre at University of Northern B.C. (UNBC) in Prince George, B.C., "I've been director for the past six years," said Paul. "We have 500 Aboriginal students enrolled in the university, which is about 15 percent of the total enrolment." The UNBC campus has 3,800 students.

The First Nation enrolment is a high number relative to the First Nation demographic of the province, which stands around five percent. "We average 75 Aboriginal graduates per year," said Paul. "Those are in certificate programs, diplomas, degrees, and master's degrees."

Paul spent eleven years teaching First Nation Studies and social work at UNBC. He is Secwepmec descendent from Adams Lake, B.C., and his wife is Dakelh (Carrier) from closer to Prince George.

"We have lots of exciting news at UNBC," said Paul. "At the First Nations Centre on campus we offer peer counselling, certified counselling, and we run the Northern Advancement Program, which provides a transition year to first year students," and the centre offers tutoring on academics.

The First Nation Centre hosts events that offer traditional First Nation culture. "We hold workshops on moccasin-making, drum-making, weaving, and other cultural activities," said Paul, and they see a constant flow of students through the centre.

The First Nation Centre enjoys a central location on the picturesque mountain-top university campus in the west-end of the city. "You see lots of students from all backgrounds in the centre. We have a huge mix and our peer support is half non-Native. Our 'stress-buster' days are attended by people from all over the campus."

UNBC represents a major step forward in the capacity-building of First Nation communities in northern B.C.. Dozens of grads leave campus with professional skills they put to work at home. 

Vancouver Island University (VIU) has a vibrant education program in fisheries and aquaculture that is a magnet to the First Nation youth of the Pacific Coast. Sabrina Halvorsen graduated a four year degree program to become an associate biologist for Nuu Chau Nulth Uu-a-thluk fisheries in Port Alberni, B.C..

"I am a member of the Uchucklesaht Tribe," on the west side of Vancouver Island, said Sabrina of a community of the Nuu Chah Nulth Nation. She took her childhood education from schools in Uchucklesaht, Bamfield, and Port Alberni, and she entered VIU after doing some work in growing oysters on the outside of Barkley Sound.

"When I originally started in the Uchucklesaht oyster farm science opportunities were presented," and she seized them, and went to work on the VIU degree. Today she does biological science for the NTC, "I've been doing a variety of different things this spring. We are doing stream restoration work, crab studies, sea otter studies, and general scientific observations."

She lives in a beautiful land, "I like the work and days working in the field are my favourite days". The office time is spent immersed in policy papers and proposal writing. The NTC has the nation in mind, which is basically the west side of Vancouver Island. Historically they had much closer relations with their north western neighbours, the Kwakwaka'wakw, than with the Coast Salish.

She works with regional biologists, Jim Lane, Katie Beach, and Roger Dunlop in the NTC lands and fisheries offices. "We have sea lice surveys upcoming, continuation of the sea otter counts, and we are conducting crab surveys. I will also be participating in the Burman and Koauk projects which will be determining Chinook salmon escapement to these rivers".

She has worked with the Bamfield Marine Science Centre (U of Vic) to deliver aquatic orientation sessions to youth. "We show them the activities of a biologist and how to sample species such as salmon by removing scales and otoliths for age and origin. We teach them the importance of protecting our natural resources and what we can do to maintain the natural environment. We also try to engage and encourage the students who are interested in working towards science based career goals."

She said the Uchucklesaht oyster and mussel farm that introduced her to the career she has taken is no longer operating. "The oyster farm was so remote a location that it's hard to find personnel who can do it. I hope my band will start that up again someday."