In 2016, a group of Mi’gmaq students began their studies to obtain a Bachelor of Education from McGill in Listuguj, a First Nations community along the Quebec-New Brunswick border.
Students don’t just physically remain in their communities: the whole philosophy of their education is rooted in the Mi’gmaq culture, taught by Mi’gmaq instructors in the Mi’gmaq language. The program reflects an indigenized approach to traditional curricula given on campus, and is designed to represent Indigenous culture, values, and perspectives on learning. To ensure that the program continues to grow and evolves with the needs of its students, an on-site coordinator with the Listuguj Department of Education works closely with McGill’s Office of First Nations and Inuit Education in the Faculty of Education.
Following the success of this approach in Listuguj, McGill and the Kahnawà:ke Education Centre used the same delivery model – full-time study through evening courses – to launch a Bachelor of Education program in 2018 in the community of Kahnawà:ke, on the south shore of the Saint Lawrence River near Montreal.