Aboriginal studies program begins in New Year

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Students looking to build a firm foundation of knowledge regarding Aboriginal issues can now do so at Langara College in Vancouver through the school's new Aboriginal Studies program.

The two-year program, launched in January, is offered by the college's Aboriginal Studies department within the Social Sciences division.

Students entering the Aboriginal Studies program can work toward either an Arts and Science diploma or an Associate of Arts degree. Students who already have degrees have the further option of taking the program as a post-degree certificate.

Courses within the Aboriginal Studies Program include the Aboriginal Colonial Experience, Canadian Indian Policy, Contemporary Social Issues for Aboriginal People, the Roles of Aboriginal Women in Canada, The Canadian Constitution and Aboriginal People, Aboriginal People and the Criminal Justice System, and Aboriginal Community-Applied Research. As well, biweekly seminars are included as part of the program, allowing not only for discussions of program-related issues, but also for establishing a supportive atmosphere for students in the program.

The program also includes courses offered in partnership with the Institute of Indigenous Government (IIG) and taken at the IIG. Those courses include Indigenous Society, Culture and Identity; Introduction of Social Science Research Methods; Introduction to International Indigenous Studies; and Federal Indian Policy in Canada: Historical Development and Contemporary Issues.

The IIG has a wealth of experience in offering such programs. IIG is Canada's first autonomous Indigenous-controlled public post-secondary institution, offering post-secondary programs in the area of Indigenous government studies.

Dave Pearson is co-ordinator of Aboriginal Programs for Langara. He said the new Aboriginal Studies program was developed because of a demonstrated need for such a program in the Vancouver area. Pearson said development of the program was partly student driven, partly faculty and administration driven, and partly community driven.

There are 35 students enrolled in the first intake. Pearson estimated about half are from British Columbia, with the other half coming from across Canada. Almost all of those currently enrolled are First Nations students, Pearson said.

He said the program offered by Langara differs from those already offered by the IIG in that the Langara program is broader in approach, and offers an entire semester dedicated to applied research.

The research element of the program is one of the things that will make graduates of the program attractive to prospective employers, Pearson explained.

"We had a number of meetings with both public and private sectors when we were developing the program," Pearson said. "Students having completed the two years will have the normal skills that post-secondary students have, but in particular they'll have good research skills."

Such skills are very much in demand, Pearson said. For instance, he said the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs is always looking for co-op students with the kind of background the program provides, and in the private sector, the demand is there for similarly skilled people to act as liaisons between the corporation and community.

Students wanting to continue their education after completing the two-year course at Langara have that option available to them as well. The program is set up so students can take the first two years of a four-year university undergraduate degree in First Nations studies at Langara before transferring to a university.

The Aboriginal Studies program is offered over four semesters, and runs from January to April, then September through December.

The second intake is set to begin in January 2001. Applications for enrollment in the next session will be accepted until late October.

For more information about Langara College's Aboriginal Studies program, call Dave Pearson at 604-323-5645 or Tara Letwiniuk at 604-323-5989 or visit the Langara website at www.langara.bc.ca