Moving Beyond Good Intentions: Indigenizing Higher Education in British Columbia Universities through Institutional Responsibility and Accountability

Abstract

Abstract:Higher education is one of the keys for Indigenous peoples' capacity building, empowerment, and self-determination. However, higher education has also played a large role in perpetuating the colonial and assimilationist agenda in Canada. Consequently, transforming our institutions to become more successful for Aboriginal peoples is critical for reasons that are political, socially just, equitable, and empowering for Indigenous peoples. The purpose of this article is to articulate, through the theoretical and methodological lens of an Indigenous wholistic framework, institutional responsibilities and accountabilities to Aboriginal higher education through the examination of three universities in British Columbia, Canada.