Mi’kmaw Kina’matnewey and Mi’kmaw Control over Mi’kmaw Education: Using the Master’s Tools to Dismantle the Master’s House?

Abstract

In 2010, the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) renewed the call for First Nations Control of First Nations Education, a vision they first laid out nearly 40 years before. While many Indigenous communities and community organizations in Canada are still working toward this ideal, Mi’kmaw Kina’matnewey (MK), a collective of Mi’kmaw communities in Nova Scotia, stands out as a unique example of the vision fulfilled. With high school graduation rates that range from 85% to 90% annually – more than double the graduation rate for Aboriginal students in the rest of the country – MK is undoubtedly the most successful Aboriginal Education system in Canada. In this chapter, we will describe the governance model for MK that includes a board of directors from all 12 member-communities who work collaboratively to guide education from pre-school to post-secondary. We will describe the beginning days of MK and show how it has grown into the organization it is today through a relentless pursuit to cultivate the capacity within Mi’kmaw communities to ensure Mi’kmaw people are working in all levels of Mi’kmaw education. We will show how preparation of pre-service and in-service teachers and administrators from the communities has been an essential component in the decolonization of MK education. We will explain how this work has been supported through partnerships, in particular, through an over 20-year partnership with the Faculty of Education at St. Francis Xavier University. Finally, we will share examples of program achievements in Mi’kmaw language revitalization, numeracy and literacy, and other student achievement measures while also striving toward a decolonized approach to education.