Shirley Anne Swelchalot Shxwha:yathel Hardman
Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Studies (PhD)
Research Topic
One Heart at a Time: Indigenizing the Academy
Cash Ahenakew
Associate Professor
Relevant Thesis-Based Degree Programs
Great Supervisor Week Mentions
Each year graduate students are encouraged to give kudos to their supervisors through social media and our website as part of #GreatSupervisorWeek. Below are students who mentioned this supervisor since the initiative was started in 2017.
Dr. Ahenakew is a great supervisor because he cares first and foremost about his students as people.
Graduate Student Supervision
Doctoral Student Supervision
Dissertations completed in 2010 or later are listed below. Please note that there is a 6-12 month delay to add the latest dissertations.
Educational technology implementation among BC first nation communities : a cross-cultural lens reflection (2023)
This study is a self-reflexive autoethnographic analysis of my physical attendance to approximately half of the over 200 First Nations (FN) communities across British Columbia (BC). This analytical autoethnography represents my reflections on conversations and experiences during my six-year journey (2007–2012 inclusive) sharing technical software and hardware knowledge with school administrators, teachers, and band council members in some of the most isolated FN communities in BC. I also reflect upon more recent experience undertaken with Coast Salish Development Corporation (Cowichan Nation Alliance) on Vancouver Island from 2021 to 2022. As a technical advisor sanctioned by the First Nations Education Steering Committee and First Nations Technology Council, access was granted by all communities that I attended.As a visitor, I noted inadequacies such as a lack of high-tech infrastructure, limited access to educational resources, restricted opportunities to communicate via the Internet, and insufficient access to computer technologies – in comparison to urban centres predominantly populated by Caucasian communities. More specifically, I analyze the effects of technology upon culture, language, traditions, ceremonies, customs, and values using reflections, as well as peer-reviewed research. I visualize the impact of digital technologies through a ‘two-eyed seeing’ conceptual lens, through autoethnographic Reflections that represent my lived experiences on reserve territories, which guide my methodology. Attending Indigenous communities also became a learning experience for me, since it evoked memories of my own upbringing in ‘two-eyed seeing’ as a Punjabi person forced to adapt to Canada’s Eurocentric ideologies, especially in education. The purpose of my autoethnography is to share and amplify my understanding of FN communities’ experiences without intending to represent nor speak on behalf of any individual, community, or territory. I write as an ally settler immersed in FN communities seeking advancement in technology leading to community-based approaches to decolonization, self-determination, and reconciliation. I conclude with proposed policies and broader social changes related to Canada’s education system so technology can serve as a method for aiding in liberation, and enhancing empowerment for FN Indigenous communities. My research (technology training modules) allowed for relationships to flourish in my quest to enhance relations, and mutually share in reflection.
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Disruptive stories and cautionary tales: an anti-oppressive autoethnography on digital storytelling (2021)
The full abstract for this thesis is available in the body of the thesis, and will be available when the embargo expires.
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Haq wil la hlo is sim: walk slowly on the breath of your ancestors. An examination of gift giving within post-secondary education (2016)
The purpose of this dissertation was to explore the values and traditions embedded in the Indigenous practice of gift giving to understand how this tradition can inform the work of Indigenization in post-secondary education. Seven Gitxsan Chiefs and seven Elders from Vancouver Island University were contributors to this study, sharing their perspectives in relation to how this practice connects to Indigenous epistemology and ontology. The Gitxsan feast system and crest pole framed the theoretical inquiry and methodology for this study. In addition, I drew on Kirkness and Barnhardt’s (1991) 4 R’s of respect, relevance, reciprocity and responsibility as an ethical framework for quality Indigenous education and provided a reinterpretation of the 4 R’s, identifying the 4 A’s of accommodation, acquiescence, affiliation and acceptance, as part of my personal analysis informing this study. I also utilized Kuokkanen’s (2007) concept of gift logic. Numerous findings were identified in this study. Primary among them was the understanding that Indigenous research, grounded in protocol and traditional practices, can be a catalyst for cultural reaffirmation leading to a deeper understanding of Indigenous philosophy. Second, the articulation of a Gitxsan Gift Giving Model identifying the values and principles consistent with Gitxsan philosophy. Third, an Indigenous research paradigm that is uniquely Gitxsan and indicative of a decolonizing approach to doing research. Fourth, the development of a Discursive Tool rooted in Indigenous philosophy as a method of inquiry to explore the distinctions and tensions related to the Indigenization process. Fifth, Goodness Theory: An Ethical Approach to Indigenization that centers Indigenous knowledge and emphasizes balancing a good heart and mind. The approach identifies specific Indigenous characteristics and principles that surround a way of knowing that can be a portal for dialogue in post-secondary education, a site of engagement for speaking our truths informed by our values.
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Master's Student Supervision
Theses completed in 2010 or later are listed below. Please note that there is a 6-12 month delay to add the latest theses.
Living between worlds: an autoethnographic exploration of individualized and entangled third space (2018)
I had the honour of being able to attend two Sun Dance ceremonies in Southern Alberta, and found them to be transformative. The purpose of this study is to reflect on my identity as a product of colonisation and how participation in Indigenous ceremony, specifically the Sun Dance, impacted me both as an individual and as an educator. The guiding research questions are: why was the ceremony so impactful; how did participation in the Sun Dance help to increase knowledge and understanding of Indigenous cultures; how did participation in ceremony impact my third space identity; and how did my experience strengthen me as a critical ontologist. An autoethnographic methodology was chosen in part because personal stories have impact and can change the way the reader understands and navigates the world. It also gives voice to the marginalised, and can be more accessible to readers from various backgrounds. The data presented comes from self-reflection, reviewing relevant literature, and discussions with Elders. Supporting artifacts are included in the appendix. This autoethnography is grounded in three major philosophical schools: Indigenous ways of knowing and being, critical theory, and decolonial/post-colonial theories. Specifically, I connect myself and my work to two philosophies derived from these schools: Homi Bhabha’s third space, and Joe Kincheloe’s critical ontology. The former focuses on cultural hybridity, which describes my identity, while the latter combines Indigenous and non-Indigenous viewpoints, which describes my praxis. Immersion in ceremony, and self-reflection, provided a deeper understanding of myself and my place in the world, and impacted the ways in which I interpret information and relate to others. I gained a deeper appreciation of Indigenous cultures, and began to see how ceremony is both a powerful healing and teaching tool. I concluded that ethical teaching requires a classroom where everyone’s differences, cultures, and ways of being are respected and brought together to inform daily practice. Participation in cultural practices, including but not limited to ceremony, would help provide a multifaceted perspective by which one could more accurately evaluate their own sociocultural and political values, ethics, and practices both as a person and as an educator.
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Current Students & Alumni
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