SSHRC Research Grant: Indigenous Languages
Frank Deer is currently working on a study titled First Nations Languages: A
Comparative Study in Culturally Relevant Sustainability. This study is in the first year of
a three year term and is funded by SSHRC’s Insights Development programme. This
study will address the issue of language revitalization in the educational and community
contexts of First Nations in Canada. The overall goal of this study is to support the
continuing development of interventions that will support language revitalization
amongst First Nations communities. The objectives of this proposed study are to acquire
an understanding of what has facilitated the survival of two First Nations languages:
Kanien'kehá:ka (Mohawk) and Cree, and to acquire an understanding of how First
Nations languages such as these fit into the context of First Nations education.
Preliminary results from this work have revealed tensions between frequently used
classroom resources for language (e.g., language dictionaries and community-developed
resources) as well as those for supplementary learning through technology (e.g., smart
phone apps) may have undesired consequences for language syntax and development due
to the lexicographic imperatives for translation.
Knowledge Synthesis Project: Post-Secondary Education
Frank Deer is also currently working on a project titled Canadian Post-Secondary
Education and Aboriginal Peoples of Canada: Preparation, Access, and Relevance of
Post-Secondary Experiences. This project is exploring post-secondary experiences of
Aboriginal peoples and is funded by SSHRC’s Knowledge Synthesis programme. The
overarching goal of this project is to synthesize the existing literature related to the postsecondary learning experiences of Aboriginal peoples in Canada with specific focus on
preparation for, and participation in, PSE. Specifically, this scoping review will examine
historical, social, cultural, familial, and personal factors that may affect Canadian
Aboriginal peoples’ preparation for successful participation in PSE. The knowledge
synthesized from this project, which corresponds with SSHRC’s priority area associated
with Aboriginal peoples, will form a basis for future dialogues that can inform both
educational programming and policy development in key areas related to Aboriginal
peoples’ preparation for the Canadian labour market. The project is expected to be
completed in October 2015.