Kiskinawacihcikana: Aboriginal women faculty experiences in the academy

Abstract

This ethnographic case study examines the experiences of five Aboriginal/Native American women faculty working in universities in Canada and the United States. By using interview, observation and document analysis the author has sought to understand the cultural negotiations of the participants. The hiring of Aboriginal faculty raises new questions about faculty roles and experiences, in much the same manner that the hiring of women and other visible minority faculty raised questions about the structures and culture of the university. These women have successfully attained status positions as tenured and tenure-track faculty. While some of their experience may be explained by their gender, their experiences as Aboriginal women are unique. These women actively work to decolonize the very structures of the university. They reconceptualize the tradition bound roles of researcher, committee member, and teacher. By doing so they make themselves hyper-visible to the lateral oppression of other Aboriginal faculty, and they are vulnerable to the structural oppression that binds a colonial organization. By telling their stories here, these women leave trail-markers for other Aboriginal people who may seek an academic path.