If you have ever dreamed of investing time and effort in your own culture by taking university level courses in Aboriginal studies, there are a wide variety of programs both in Quebec and across Canada. The only problem comes in determining which one is right for you.
In Quebec there is one institution that offers a certificate program for Aboriginal Studies and the program is available only in French at Université Laval in Quebec City. The Certificat en études autochtones studies North America’s indigenous peoples and is offered through Laval’s anthropology department. For more info: www.ant.ulaval.ca
Concordia University also offers a cluster of courses in Aboriginal Studies. However, they are mere elective courses and they do not lead to a certificate. But they are ideal if you would simply like to pick up a few things while earning that BA, and they are offered in English. To find out more: http://artsand-science.concordia. ca
If you are looking to obtain a Bachelors degree and more in Native Studies but you don’t want to go half way across the country to do so, the best bet is Laurentian University in Sudbury. Laurentian offers programs leading to a 3-year general BA and a 4-year specialized BA. Many of the courses are available online for those who prefer to study from home. www.usudbury.com/EN/Departments/Native_Studies/Native_S tudies.html
Moving into the Prairies, the University of Saskatchewan also offers a Native Studies BA and honours are also available in this program. The program offers an international perspective on indigenous peoples as well of local and national perspectives. www.usask.ca/nativestudies/
If you are looking to go for a more all-encompassing approach to obtaining a BA in Aboriginal Studies, look no further than First Nations University of Canada in Saskatchewan. Not only are there a wide variety of programs geared specifically towards First Nations at this university, there are also several courses in the Cree language, including an honours program. www.firstnationsuniversity.ca
Out west, the University of Lethbridge in Alberta also offers a Native American Studies BA program that not only focuses on Canada’s aboriginal people across North America from a Native perspective, www.uleth.ca/fas/nas
Other universities in Canada that also offer various types of Native or Indigenous peoples studies are as follows:
Cape Breton University in Nova Scotia offers a unique Mi’kmaq Studies program featuring both a major and minor in Mi’kmaq Studies and various other programs with a focus on the Mi’kmaq people, http://mrc.uccb.ns.ca/courses.html
The University of Northern British Columbia offers a First Nations Studies program with BA and MA programs and certificates in both Aboriginal Health Sciences and First Nations Language, www.unbc.ca/firstnations/
The University of Toronto has offered a Native Studies Program where students can graduate with a BA specialist, major and minor. Their focus is on the languages, cultures, histories, creativity and wellbeing of the indigenous peoples in Canada and globally, www.utoronto.ca/abs
Trent University in Peterborough, Ontario, offesr a BA, an MA, and a Ph.D. program in Native Studies along with programs in Native Management and Economic Development, and Indigenous Environmental Studies.
www.trentu.ca/academic/nativestudies
McMaster University in Hamilton offers an Indigenous Studies program where students can graduate from a three-year combined BA in Indigenous Studies in conjunction with another subject or obtain a BA, MA or Ph.D.
www.mcmaster.ca/indigenous/default.htm
Lastly, the University of Victoria offers a variety of interesting programs, including a Certificate in the Administration of Indigenous Governments and an MA program in the same field.
http://web.uvic.ca
