Dupuis, J. K. (2012). Supporting urban Aboriginal social justice in education: A case study of the educational leader’s roles, responsibilities, and relationships as care providers. Retrieved from ProQuest Dissertations and Theses.

I am still reading this 200+ page dissertation but I am so excited about the knowledge that it offers. It is part of my personal philosophy that I cannot reach, teach, or support my students without creating relationships with them first. That presents more of a challenge when the educator has a different frame of reference than their students. I believe that this research will provide assistance with bridging that gap.

In Kovacs’ qualitative study, she begins with the purpose of developing a community of care model in which educators are only a part. She stresses the importance of schools involving students’ parents and representatives from their culture, whether that is extended relatives, elders, or other care providers. Overall, her interest is in providing social justice – “balance and harmony in respect to supporting…Aboriginal people” (9). She concludes that, particularly in urban centers, education does not fully support Aboriginal students’ “holistic well-being” (194), although she acknowledges several efforts that have the potential to create improvement. She concludes with a series of questions meant to provoke thought in educators, as well as to provide avenues for further research.