Browsing by Author "Rowe, Robyn"

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Aboriginal perspectives understanding and comparing the lived experiences and resilience of aboriginal men and women attending higher education
(Laurentian University of Sudbury, 2015-07-09) Rowe, Robyn
Through an in-depth examination and review of the traumatic impact of colonialism and oppression faced by Aboriginal peoples, trends being to appear within the literature. These trends include the intergenerational cycles that foster negative outcomes for Aboriginal Peoples, specifically for those who were forced to endure the physical, emotional, mental, spiritual and sexual abuse within the Residential school system. The survivors of this era experience lifelong trauma which is then passed on through the generations to their children, grand-children, great grand-children etc. The numbers of Aboriginal students attending University level, higher education are increasingly low and the research has indicated that this is, in large part, due to the impact of the residential school system and the outlook that Aboriginal Peoples now have towards the education system. Factors of resiliency both positive and negative are described throughout. Positive resiliency, from a western perspective, include the ability to overcome adversity (Scarpino, 2007). This research project utilizes a qualitative method of open-ended one-on-one interviews with Aboriginal men and women who are students at Laurentian University in order to better understand their lived experiences and the aspects that have fostered positive resiliency for them to pursue higher education.
“Mother first, student second”: challenging adversity and balancing identity in the pursuit of university-level education as First Nations mothers in Northeastern Ontario
(2017-08-28) Rowe, Robyn
The literature surrounding the educational experiences of Indigenous Peoples is an ever-growing and diverse area of research in Canada. However, within this field, the voices of First Nations mothers attending post-secondary needs further development. Through a decolonizing methodology and the use of autoethnography and Indigenous storytelling, this project was designed to explore and better understand our experiences as First Nations student-mothers during the pursuit of university-level education while caring for our children. I argue that Canada’s oppressive history of colonialism and the resulting intergenerational trauma have had specific implications on the post-secondary experiences of the First Nations mothers who participated in this research. The First Nations student- mothers from Laurentian University in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada who contributed to this research tell diverse stories about their experiences however, our narratives intersect in several ways. Areas of interest that emerged from the collected narratives include: (1) how we, as First Nations student-mothers have overcome obstacles, including what difficulties arose for us in the decision to pursue post-secondary education; what motivators contribute to our ongoing success, and how we experience self-doubt and internalized oppression despite our achievements and (2) how we, as First Nations student-mothers have blended our identities as First Nations women, mothers, and students within the university experience. Ultimately, this project aimed to contribute to continued efforts towards decolonization while furthering Indigenous-led research which hopes to improve the educational outlook for future generations of First Nations mothers.