Native children struggle In our public schools . Deana Lancaster News Reporter dlancaster@nsnews.com : IN the Squamish Nation, the initiation ' process for becoming a Syewen, or ~ Longhouse, dancer lasts through the win- ter. _ Dancers are not chosen randomly. Everyone has a song in them, and when the song wants to come out, the feelings and symptoms the per- son is affected with are known as being “Indian Sick.” _ Soon, that person will become a dancer. Families can also offer someone to Syewen if he or she is struggling with substance abuse problems; or those who are phys- ically il} can offer themselves. During the winter initiation, the new dancer, or “baby” moves into the Longhouse —- located off Welch Street on the Capilano Indian Reserve No. 5 — and it becomes their life. Work, school, social activities whatever he or she was doing before initiation — is pur on hold. If the new dancer is a student in the public school system he or she takes the winter off from learning how to construct effective sentences, solve algebra equations and memorize the Periodic Table. ! ‘That's: a winter of studying that can never be Tegained. And once a student — any student — miss- es classes and falls behind, it can be almost impossible ‘to get back on top of things again. ~ :, But in the aboriginal community family, loyalties, traditions and rituals are important. - For most of us on the outside our priorities are reversed. Family time and spiritual nourishment often take a backseat to the demands of work and school. -'Iv’s only one of the many and varied reasons why irst Nations students on the North Shore are failing in ‘our school system. : According to North Vancouver School District 44 ‘statistics, only 18% of aboriginal students that started Grade 8 in ie pubtic school system in 1993 graduated from Grade 12 in . That’s compared to 83% for the non-aboriginal school pop- tion. ; “It’s a scary statistic,” said Woldy Sosnowsky, principal of Keith - yon Alternative Secondary School (KLASS). And not an easy one “It’s a huge question. A complex question,” said Sosnawsky. One thac he’s been thinking about for 25 vears, since he began rking with First Nations students. At KLASS, students who are truggling in the mainstream education system are able to work at rade progression over six years (1993-94 to B.C. public schools Aboriginals Gr. 8 .--Gr.9 . 00%". 82%: 100% 93% 998-99) in Gr. 10 86% Non aboriginals Gr 8 Gr. 9 Gr. 10 100% 99% 99% eir own pace, on an Individual Education Plan designed specifi- y for. them, so they can use their strengths and improve their weaknesses: Sosnowsky said 25% to 30% of students at any given time are. fromthe North Shore’s two native bands, the Tsleil- faututh and Squamish Nations. “. “The aboriginal people had a strong, purposeful, viable culture intil we came along and destroyed it. Only now are we beginning rectify those mistakes.” ; Yet even on the road to understanding there remain some neg-" “ative attitudes within the school system, said Sosnowsky. The native way of teaching is experiential and includes story- ling, singing ard carving. In the Canadian culcure students sit at ‘a'desk to do their learning. Even our languages are different. English is noun-based — we name things. Aboriginal languages are largely verb-based. ; j -.«:Many aspects of our. culture just don’t mesh with their cul- “ture,” said Sosniowsky. “And instead of listening and valuing their point of view we dismiss it. They're relegated to the back of the room and it’s no longer relevant or interesting for them. . “TPs like when you walk into someone else’s home, you just don’t feel comfortable there.” : ot *. So you leave. : Gr. 11 85% 72% 51%... - 18% 75% Gr. "1 96% SUNDAY FOCUS t And for some students, dropping out doesn’t seem like a bad option. If you're used to living at a subsistence level, accumulating wealth is not as important. In our culture, it’s everything,” said Sosnowsky. And many of the 82% that don’t graduate with their classmates from Grade 8 do well after leaving school. “They belong to a very nurturing community, they’re accept- ed back and they find other ways of learning. Eventually they'll learn skills to survive in che 21st Century. Many of them eventual- ly go back to school.” But many don’t and therein lies the real tragedy. Those who . don’t have the capacity to become contributing members of society become a burden. And the costs of non-education are steep. In January, the First Nations Employment Society hosted ing, Welfare Work at the Squamish Nation Rec Centre, a conference aimed at exploring ways to reform social assistance programs, According to an arti- cle in the spring issue of . Dreamspeaker, the publication produced by the B.C. Region of indian and Ne Speak Amirs Canada, keynote er Jol Bud Morris of the Kahnaawake Economic Commission spoke about how - welfare disempowers aboriginal people. “Some of our people now think of welfare not as a safety net, but as an entitlement. That’s how Gr. 12 Grad 59% 38% Gr. 12 Grad 94%. 83% 89% 77% source School District 44 bad things have got.” ‘ Collecting a welfare cheque is about “...loss of hope, abusing alcohol and drugs, forgetting parental responsibilities, crime, poor health and suicide.” He added that moncy should be spent on education, job train- ing, economic development and child care, rather than on welfare. And he said, the youth should be told that if they don’t finish high school “they’re not cligible for anything.” Like ripples in a pond, the ramifications of under-educated, unemployed young people in our aboriginal communities will eventually spread to affect everyone. o According to the working group of the National Aboriginal Youth Strategy, First Nations youth represent the fastest growing segment of Canada’s young people. Recent estimates suggest the aboriginal population is growing at an average annual rate of 2.3% — more than twice the rate of the rest of the Canadian population. And with greater responsibilities for First Nations on the road ahead: self government, negotiating treaties, land settlements and planning for economic development, there’s more need than ever for an educated and highly trained workforce. Fortunately, there are many who realize it. As a Squamish Nation councillor, Tewanee Joseph sees encour- Development. “. Sunday. May 21, 2000 - North Shore News - 3 Learning in two cultures LOCAL First Nations, businesses and School District 44 are working together on faitiatives like the Grizziles’ Stay in School program to help students like Carson Graham's Bianca Joseph and Brandon Willie succeed. oe aging young people to go to classes, to take part in extra curricu- lar activities and in community life, as a priority. In 1996 he helped co-ordinate the Grizzlies’ Stay in School program for the - Squamish Nation. During the NBA Season, the Bank of Montreal buys four “Jam Packs” of 11 Grizzlies’ game tickets each. Squamish Nation stu- dents who attend Carson Graham, Windsor, Sutherland, Se. Thomas Aquinas, KLASS and the Eslha7an Learning Centre qual- ify to get a pair of game tickets by attending school, getting good grades, or by improving their grades and work habits. Teachers, counsellors; and vice-principals recommend which students should be eligible tar the tickets. , “It’s recognition for students that are doing well, not necessar- ily top-not. &, but doing well,” said Joseph. “And a litde recogni- ~ tion goes a ‘cng way.” He said though it may not seem like much, many of the, students have never been to GM Place, so the tickets are an effective incentive to go to class. .. . “If you can attend that’s half the battle. Otherwise there are gaps in your learning.” . ce sans d there are other programs in place, designed to help kids: stay in school. The Squamish Nation has both a post-secondary counsellor and an education director at work in the communizy. : Joseph said cross-cultural activities for public school teachers, to”: help them understand how nation members relate to each other- ’- and participate in cheir culture, have also been effective. : Last fall School District 44 launched a new: program for abo-’ tiginal students, with'a grant from the federal government. Nine North Vancouver schools received computers -for First Nations students to help chem learn about technology and software, deve! op Web sites and improve writing skills. ; Cer a And earlier this spring, KLASS students participated in a seven- week instructional unit of First Nations Study. Called Passages, the... study unit saw the students build a longhouse, learn beading, catv- ing, how to make canoe paddles, cradle boards, medicine bags, dream-catchers and drums; and fearn about healing circles, mak- ing bannock and more. At the end ofit all, they held a potlatch, at . which they thanked the elders of the local bands and offered gifts’ to their instruciors, friends and others who supported the’aim of. First Nations education in North Vancouver... os oS The purpose of the study unit.was an important one, said: Sosnownsky. : “We wanted to let them know ‘We value you. We want to sharé - _ your culture and learn about your heritage. “Teach us.” : Coming in Sunday Focus NEXT week in Sunday Focus reporter Jan»... Sorensen takes a closer look at young driver safety ‘in the aftermath of the death of 16-year-old Nick’. Downs, killed May 7 in a high speed car crash... - To suggest a feature story’ that deserves to be “in Focus”: write to Martin Millerchip, North Shore News, 1139 Lonsdale. Ave., Nofth Vancouver, V7M. 2H4, fax 985-2104 or e-mail”