Liaison speaks for Aboriginal families in school system

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She doesn't see her job as window dressing.

As one of two Aboriginal liaisons in Lloydminster's Catholic school system, Teresa Rowland's primary job is to create a buffer zone, a safe place for Cree and Metis students in the cultural minefield of a preeminently white, urban society.

It is a job in which a little empathy goes a long way.

"The Cree and Metis families see me primarily as a comfort zone, someone who will listen, translate and most important, who won't get it wrong," said Rowland.

"It is very easy to make a wrong assumption based on your own cultural expectations. I am a bridge between the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal students, families and teaching staff, a clearinghouse for misunderstanding, fear and anxiety," said Rowland.

Metis on both sides of her family, Rowland grew up in a big family, the youngest of 13 children, sharing traditional Metis lifestyle and food. Her grandparents spoke Cree and French, her parents a smattering of both, along with working English.

Language issues are familiar territory for Rowland.

"If your first language is Cree, there can be a real communication gap between parents and teachers. One of my jobs is to sit in on parent/teacher interviews and act as a translator, to iron out wrong assumptions on both sides," she said.

She works out of Father Gorman Elementary School on the Saskatchewan side of the border city, with a Native student population that ranges from 25 to 35 percent.

"There are lots of transient Native students in a city that is close to many big reserves. Lloydminster is transient, as a whole. Two factors that really affect Native people are the seasonal fluctuation in the oil industry, and the nature of the extended tribal family in close proximity to reserves, kids moving back and forth between parents, grandparents and other caregivers," said Rowland.

Part of her job includes home visits.

"Many Native families are not comfortable airing personal situations. I go in and find out what is happening during a home visit. A big part of my job is confidentiality. The families are more comfortable coming to school after I've been to their homes and had coffee with them. Working one on one, I help them to understand that their children are not being discriminated against," she said.

As Aboriginal liaison, Rowland also co-ordinates cultural programs, Native arts and crafts, field trips to the Syncrude gallery and Sacred Heart Church in Edmonton, interschool powwows, storytelling circles and Elders visits.

Rowland, who got her feet wet as a classroom volunteer, became a full time liaison in 1996.

"The first four years have gone fast, in a job that throws new curves and challenges on a daily basis. Our Aboriginal families know where they can find me and that I am here to speak for them," said Rowland.