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T U S C

T

N

A

NOVEMBER

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Graphic by TUNA Co-Leader, Katie Lariviere

Get ready for the ultimate collaboration! 

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TUSC and TUNA (Trent University Native Association) are teaming up for our Collective’s second event of the year. This month’s topic of social awareness aptly focuses on Indigenous participation in post-secondary education. 

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With such a large and critical topic in mind, let’s give some context. A recent article from Colleges & Institutes Canada (linked below) gives a great recap of the most recent (2021) Census data on Indigenous involvement in education. Here’s a quick breakdown of their key facts: 

 

  • 16% of Indigenous people aged 25-64 have attained a University degree (compared to 36% of their non-Indigenous counterparts)

  • 25% of Indigenous youth aged 19-30 living on Reserve have completed post-secondary education, compared to 49% living off Reserve and 77% of non-Indigenous individuals of the same age cohort.

  • Approximately 50% of Indigenous learners begin their post-secondary education journeys at the College level (most of these College entrants, additionally, are women aged 20 and older). 

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  • Supporting the nearly 350 000 Indigenous youth reaching adulthood by 2026 in pursuing post-secondary education (and gaining job-centered skills) could add an estimated $27.5 billion to Canada’s economy (per year). 

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As astounding and informative as these statistics can be — of course, numbers tell a fraction of the story. Given the gap between the demographics of Non-Indigenous to Indigenous students in post-secondary education, there is much to learn about Indigenous experiences within historically white, male-dominated, colonial institutions. Interestingly, in 2018 Trent University held a round-table discussion on this very topic voicing the stories of 5 Indigenous students navigating the university setting (see below for a link to video of the full conversation).

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With this stated, our goal this November is to update, expand, and explore the topic further by giving space for first-hand accounts of what it means to be an Indigenous student navigating systems of university and post-secondary education in 2024. We hope that members of TUSC and TUNA alike will benefit from hearing and/or voicing these perspectives on what is an under-discussed aspect of decolonization and reconciliation. 

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Join us Tuesday November 5th, 2024 for a full night of this discussion in the Gathering Space (ENW 102) from 6 - 8pm. The event will be catered by the wonderful folks of Mishomis Kitchen!

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As always, bring your stories, your thoughts, and your sociological imagination. 

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      Happy November, 

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      TUSC Executive

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More resources for this to start you on your way: 

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  • Two facts sheet produced by The Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario explaining why education is a treaty right, exploring access and funding to post-secondary education, and the state of Indigenous Institutes in Canada: 

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https://cfsontario.ca/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/Indigenous-Education_Factsheets_2021_EN.pdf. 

https://www.cfsontario.ca/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/2017.01-Indigenous-Education-fact-sheet.pdf. 

 

  • The referenced article from Colleges & Institutes Canada (from June, 2024): 

https://www.collegesinstitutes.ca/by-the-numbers-indigenous-post-secondary-education-in-canada/. 

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  • Also, click below to find out about the 73 Canadian institutions that have joined CICan’s Indigenous Education Protocol initiative: 

https://www.collegesinstitutes.ca/colleges-and-institutes-in-your-community/our-members/?_protocols=indigenous-education-protocol. 

 

For Trent Students — resources specific to our institution: 

 

 

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