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Northern Exposures: Models of Experiential Learning in Indigenous Education.

This research involves the current educational challenges facing First Nation students of northern Canada through examination of two experiential and place-based educational programs presently being applied in both the public school system of the Yukon Territory (Experiential Programs in Whitehorse and surrounding communities) and in two Cree Nation reserve schools in northern Alberta (Community-Based Experiential Education Program in Kehewin and Cold Lake). These programs successfully utilize experiential and placed-based initiatives to address the lack of success and disengagement among Indigenous students by promoting a holistic form of education that values the importance of place and its cultural knowledge. The primary objective of this research is to discover which elements of experiential and place-based education lead to greater engagement of Indigenous students and improved educational outcomes. These two programs are practical applications of experiential education and critical theory as praxis. The programs were chosen as they represent an extensive cross-section of cultural groups (Yukon First Nations, Cree, and Dene), the schools’ placement in the educational system (public vs. reserve schools), diversity of geographic location (Yukon and northern Alberta), and scope (diverse pedagogies and epistemologies).