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Journal of Early Childhood Research

http://ecr.sagepub.com/content/10/1/3The online version of this article can be found at: DOI: 10.1177/1476718X11402753 2012 10: 3Journal of Early Childhood ResearchJane P Preston, Michael Cottrell, Terrance R Pelletier and Joseph V Pear

ce Aboriginal early childhood education in Canada: Issues of context

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Jane Preston, College of Education, University of Saskatchewan, #28 Camp us Drive, Saskatoon, SK, Canada S7N 0X1

Email: jane.preston@usask.ca

Aboriginal early childhood

education in Canada:

Issues of context

Jane P Preston

University of Saskatchewan, Canada

Michael Cottrell

University of Saskatchewan, Canada

Terrance R Pelletier

University of Saskatchewan, Canada

Joseph V Pearce

University of Saskatchewan, Canada

Abstract

Herein we provide a literature synthesis pertaining to the state of Abor iginal early childhood education in Canada. We identify key features of quality Aboriginal early childhoo d programs. The background and significance of early childhood education for Aboriginal peoples is expl icated. Cultural compatibility theory is employed as the philosophical basis to conceptualize quality Aborigin al early childhood education. Based on this theoretical premise, we suggest Aboriginal early childhood progr ams should incorporate Aboriginal pedagogy, be infused with Aboriginal language and culture, be adequately staffed by qualified Aboriginal educators, be structured to empower Aboriginal communities and incorpora te full-day kindergarten. Prominent Aboriginal early childhood programs are featured within the ar ticle.

Keywords

Aboriginal peoples; early childhood education; cultural compatibility th eory This article stems from a larger research initiative, conducted on behalf of the Saskatchewan 1 Ministry of Education (Canada), where we examined strategies that supp orted increased educa- tional outcomes for Aboriginal students enrolled in two provincial school divisions (see Cottrell et al., 2009). Through that project, it became evident that while many Saskatchewan sch ools were Article

Journal of Early Childhood Research

10(1) 3-18

© The Author(s) 2011

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4 Journal of Early Childhood Research 10(1)

committing significant resources to addressing the Aboriginal education gap, 2 there was a strong sense among some educational stakeholders that a critical part of the so lution lay outside the purview of K-12 education, namely, within early pre-school years. 3

This realization led us to

explore the large body of literature that highlights the remarkable influence that qual ity early child- hood education has on child development. Consequently, this article is a literature review of early childhood education for Aboriginal peoples living in Canada. The purpose of this article is to provide background information pertain ing to Aboriginal early childhood education in Canada and to identify key characteristics of quality Aboriginal early childhood education. A number of quality early childhood education programs are specifi- cally featured. Our review of the literature involved the interrogation of over 100 written sources, including monographs, academic journals, federal and provincial/territor ial educational policy documents, Internet sources newspapers, magazines and periodicals. We collected and synthe sized these data for the benefit of other researchers, policy-makers, pr actitioners, caregivers and community members interested in the development and/or evaluation of pro grams in the area of

Aboriginal early childhood education.

Because government-sponsored programs and researchers utilize a variety of terms when

describing early childhood education, it is helpful to clarify this linguistic diversity. Related refer-

ences to early childhood education include early learning programs (Preston, 2008a), early child- hood care and education (Prochner and Howe, 2000), early childhood education and care (Friendly,

2009; Gordon and Browne, 2008),

early childhood development (Greenwood et al., 2007), early childhood intervention (Niles et al., 2007) and early childhood services (Penn, 2000). Unless otherwise stated, we render these terms as synonymous; however, the term we most frequently encountered within the literature and the one predominantly employed thr oughout this paper is early childhood education. Early childhood education refers to any programs, activities and/or experiences intended to promote the overall health and education of chil dren under the age of nine years (Mayfield, 2001). Early childhood education encompasses a broad assortment of educational programs and services. These include, but are not limited to, prenatal care, childcare/daycare, family resource centers, family support programs, nurseries, preschools, Head S tart programs, prekinder- garten programs, kindergarten and primary grades in public school. The aim of these programs is to promote the overall healthy development of children and their families, enrich early learning experiences and increase the prospect of Aboriginal peoples achieving parity in education. Before discussing the intricacies of Aboriginal early childhood education, the term Aboriginal also needs explication. Statistics Canada (2007) stipulates, 'There is no single or ''correct'' defini- tion of Aboriginal populations. The choice of a definition depends on the purpose for which the 4 (INAC) defines Aboriginal peoples as, 'The descendants of the original inhabitants o The Canadian Constitution recognizes three groups of Aboriginal people - Indians, Métis and Inuit (INAC, 2009). These three expressions, in turn, also need clarification in order to un derstand the Canadian meaning of Aboriginal. Due to some offensive connotations pertaining to the word,

Indian

, in the 1970s Canadian leaders began to substitute First Nation for Indian. Historically, Métis referred to the children of French fur traders and Cree First N ations people (who lived within the Prairie Provinces) and the English/Scottish fur traders and Dene Fi rst Nations people (who

lived within northern Canadian regions). Today, Métis is used broadly to describe people with both

First Nations and European ancestry (INAC, 2004b). Within Canada, Inuit people are Aboriginal peoples living in the northern regions of the Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, Northern Quebec and Northern Labrador (INAC, 2009). A final aspect to this discussion is the somewhat uncommon usage of the term

Indigenous

by Canadian leaders. As INAC (2004a) explains, 'The at UNIV PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND on August 31, 2013ecr.sagepub.comDownloaded from

Preston et al. 5

term [Indigenous] is rarely used in the Department, and when it is used, it usually refers to In what follows, we address the demographic and socioeconomic backgrounds that dictate the critical importance of early childhood initiatives for Canadian Aboriginal peoples. We suggest that the cultural competency model is an appropriate philosophical basis for

Aboriginal early childhood

education. Using this paradigm as our frame of reference, we identify some of the key characteris- tics of effective Aboriginal early childhood education and highlight a number of Aboriginal early childhood educational programs currently in place within Canada. Providing background: The need for Aboriginal early childhood education Learning begins at birth, and all aspects of a child's healthy development are directly dependent upon that child being immersed within a nurturing environment from early days of life. Restated from a neurological perspective, early childhood experiences have a decisive impact on the archi- tecture of the brain (Levitt, 2008; Tarlov, 2008). Research on various aspects of early childhood education provides compelling empirical evidence that quality early chil dhood education has a positive, longitudinal impact on a child's academic and social prospects (Barnett, 1998; Karoly et al., 1998; Landry, 2008; Niles et al., 2006, 2007; Reynolds et al., 2001). When children are nur- tured within a stimulating environment, they are more likely, for example, to develop an extensive range of positive personal, social and intellectual traits including sel f-confidence, mental health, motivation to learn and the ability to control aggression, solve conflic t in nonviolent ways and develop and sustain friendships (Tarlov, 2008). Furthermore, young children immersed in dynamic, motivational and supportive environments are more likely to graduate from high school and are more prone to develop successful parenting skills (Tarlov, 2008). Additional studies highlight a variety of unanticipated advantages of early childhood education. Adult benefits associated with early childhood education include decreased involvement in criminal activities, higher incomes and longer adult marriages (Schweinhart, 1994). For these myriad reaso ns, expending time, energy and resources on promoting educational environments for babies, toddlers and young children is a sound way to help ensure the future well-being of young learners. While the provision of quality early childhood education is an important consideration for all children, it is especially critical for Aboriginal populations, namely, because Aboriginal peoples are the fastest growing and youngest ethno-cultural group in Canada. Bet ween 1996 and 2006, the First Nations and Inuit populations grew 29 percent and 26 percent respe ctively, compared to an

8 percent increase among non-Aboriginal people (Statistics Canada, 2008

). The median age for Canadian Aboriginal peoples is 26.5 years, as compared to 39.7 years of the non-A boriginal population (Statistics Canada, 2009). Within Canada, approximately 20 percent of the Aboriginal population is under the age of 10, as compared to 11 percent of the non-Aboriginal population of the same age (Libin, 2008). Regional demographics further accentuate the significance of these young

Aboriginal profiles.

In Saskatchewan, for example, the median age of Aboriginal peoples is 21.7 years, while the median age of Saskatchewan's non-Aboriginal population is 41.4 years (Statistics Canada, 2009). In Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, Aboriginal peoples constitute the fastest growing segment of the school age populations; therefore, it is not surprising that in t hese Prairie Provinces one in eight students under the age of four is Aboriginal (Richards, 2008). If the growth rate of the Aboriginal populations remains in line with census statistics, within 25quotesdbs_dbs11.pdfusesText_17