The article titled Whose English Counts? Indigenous English in Saskatchewan Schools by Andrea Sterzuk (2008) details the power dynamic that exist between Saskatchewan’s Indigineous peoples and white settlers, and how this dynamic translates into the English Language Arts classroom. The article begins by outlining the academic statistics of Indigenous and settler students. One of the most alarming statistics that was outlined is my first main takeaway from the article:
“Alarmingly, in the province of Saskatchewan, a young Indigenous male is more likely to go to jail than to graduate from high school (Thompson & Hubbard, 2004)” (p. 10).
In reading this statistic I am horrified by the injustice done unto Indigenous students where they face higher likelihood of jail time than academic achievement. I believe that recognizing the power imbalances is only the first step in reversing this statistic. I must then put into practice the Language Arts for Indian and Métis Students: A guide for adapting English Language Arts. Which is the only ministry guide to teaching linguistically diverse INdigenous students in Saskatchewan. While it is highly criticized, it is a step in the right direction.
This guide is also my second main takeaway from this article. I have been learning to become a teacher for the past four years, have been taught by some of the most culturally responsive and knowledgeable people I know, and yet have never been introduced to this document. This document could, for some students, mean the difference to a high school diploma and a better future or becoming another drop-out statistic.
Sterzuk begins to hone in on the linguistic differences between Indigenous and settler students. She claims that “Indigenous English differs systematically from standard English on phonological, morphological, and lexical levels and in terms of pragmatics, syntax, and non-verbal language as well (Dubois, 1978; Leap, 1993; Olson Flanagan, 1987; Schilling-Estes, 2000; Wolfram, 1984).” (p. 12). These are huge differences where English Language Arts is concerned. Many questions come to mind in hearing this, see below for a fully synthasized question I pose to my fellow educators.
While teachers such as myself mean well, I struggle to find resources in teaching linguistically diverse classrooms. Andrea Sterzuk shares this exacerbation due to the lack of resources when she writes “no tools are available to [teachers] to guide them in the explicit language instruction that is necessary to help dialect-speaking children develop literacy skills.” (p. 14). This is extremely disheartening as we face astronomically low graduation rates among Indigenous students. School has not been kind to these students, especially given the pandemic, and I worry that their success has been compromised to keep settler students up to speed in academia. Andrea (2008) goes on to explain that “To my knowledge, no program exists in any Saskatchewan school that is specifically designed with the goal of helping Indigenous English-speaking students develop fluency in standard English. “ (p. 14). Whether the debate is that all Indnigenous students should be taught standard English or their dialect of English should be legitimized in the classroom, the fact that there has been no headway in either direction is concerning. Especially with the topic of graduation rates amon INdigeous students is so pressing right now, there doesn’t seem to be much research into how to achieve this. In Saskatchewan we are creating generations of students who do not have access to academic success, and subsequently cannot attain jobs or a lifestyle that will break the colonial cycle.
Question to discuss in Class:
How can we, as High School English teachers, change our assessment practices to allow for Indigenous dialects of English while also upholding curricular and school-based standards?
Sterzuk, Andrea. Whose English Counts? Indigenous English in Saskatchewan Schools. McGill Journal of Education, 2008, mje.mcgill.ca/article/download/712/2083/9738.
Hayley Hodson 