'I think that what's happening in Aboriginal education is that we're taking control' Aboriginal teachers' stories of self-determination / Jeff Orr & David W. Friesen. [citation] :

This article reports findings from a study of four First Nations graduates of the Northern Teacher Education Programme (NORTEP) in Canada in order to examine Christine Sleeters' (1993) contention that a more diverse teaching force will have significant implications for the structure of schooling. It shows some of the ways that these northern First Nations teachers, through their Aboriginal worldviews, are challenging the predominantly Eurocentric orientation of Canadian schools as part of the broader movement towards Aboriginal self-determination in the context of the evolving nature of northern Aboriginal education in Saskatchewan. These Aboriginal teachers' identities are shaping school practices and the broader development of their communities. Experiences at NORTEP, as well as through earlier life histories, have shaped these teachers' Aboriginal identity. Their own alienation and frustration with the education and social system they experienced, and struggles that they had as Aboriginal people growing up in difficult times have greatly influenced the direction of their actions. Their understanding of, and commitment to the teaching of Aboriginal language and cultural knowledge, their commitment towards linking the school and the community, and their belief and support for community people, such as women who are returning to higher education and community volunteers are manifestations of their teacher identity. All four of these individuals have come to focus their efforts upon projects they see as helpful in advancing the position of their people by working actively to increase their capacity to determine their own future by addressing needs from within.