Expressions in Canadian Native Studies by Ron Laliberte - Assignment Example

Expressions in Canadian Native Studies by Ron LaliberteSummary of article in the book: “What is Native Studies” (pgs. 13-26)The setting, righting and writing of names are the three words that best describes the term Native Studies (Laliberte, 2000). The use of terms “native”, “Aboriginal” and “first nations” are used interchangeably to give a clear description of the Inuit Indian, some of Canada’s first inhabitants (Laliberte, 2000). In native studies, the words given by elders and other native informants have a major attribute to the inscriptions which are retrievable after many centuries.

Therefore, the native studies show an onset of ethical attitudes because of their structural basis around the ethical approach. In Aboriginal studies, the studies revolve around an ethical approach and the call of the Aboriginal people for justice. For example, the protocols governing native studies revolve around how elders get addressed, how to listen to them and the names used when talking about the community (Laliberte, 2000). The outcome is that it proves that there are places where native studies present the best of a university system.

In Canada, Native studies relates to part of a broader process and challenges posed by existence of the first nations. The studies provide the Aboriginal students with the knowledge and experience necessary for assisting Aboriginal communities to realize their potential. As a result the community gets a mechanism which helps other Aboriginal students to gain access to post-secondary institutions (Laliberte, 2000). It makes the teaching and learning of Native studies an intellectual challenge and experience.

Through native studies, the Aboriginal community’s history, culture and experiences are noticeable to other communities in other parts of the world (Laliberte, 2000). Hence, for the world to hear the call of Aboriginal people, the native studies will provide the gateway for new social and material structures.CommentaryIn Peter Kulchyski’s article on Native studies, he goes to great lengths to show the importance of such studies in contemporary Canada. According to Kulchyski, it is extremely important to give credit to elders in the Aboriginal community (Laliberte, 2000).

The illustrations of some of his statements are most notable in page 19 of the article. In page 19, he asserts that Elders in the Aboriginal communities are the key to helping the community understand all about life issues. By giving credit to elders, it is the only way that the names of knowledgeable people in the community can take place besides the names of other people from non-native communities in scholarly practice. The editor attempts to provide a comprehensive approach to what I saw as an interdisciplinary of studies in the Aboriginal community in Canada.

For example, in page 22 of the book, Kulchyski points out that most of the Aboriginal communities especially those who are in the mid and far north are small to the point that when there is an analysis of quantitative data it is always questionable. This proves that most of the official statistic analyses collected in most cases do not provide the world with the right picture of the Aboriginal community. In my opinion, I find Kulchyski’s article attempting to create a balance between the social sciences and the scientific as the best way of presenting ideas about indigenous and academic ways to the world.

In an effort to show that a balance can exist between indigenous learning and western academic scholarship, the editor also uses his views and elder’s teachings. Hence, the technique Kulchyski uses to convey his opinions are clear to all readers.ReferenceLaliberte, R. (2000). “What is Native Studies?”. In Expressions in Canadian native studies. Saskatoon: University Extension Press.