Indigenous student needs to see hope

As a First Nation student, I see firsthand the low number of Indigenous students completing high school and moving forward to continue their education. The dropout rate among Aboriginal people in Canada is 43 per cent, while non-aboriginal is at 15 per cent. This means almost half of Aboriginal students don’t make it past high school.

The lack of economic opportunities on many reserves discourages the effort needed to do well in school and complete an education, as jobs are often unavailable regardless of education. Why do well in school if it doesn’t make a difference, right? Wrong.

In addition, inadequate housing and lack of basic resources such as clean drinking water are major concerns for students living on reserve. I have three words for you: Attawapiskat First Nation. If students are not provided with basic living necessities such as clean drinking water, you can see how this would affect attendance or even lack of motivation to go to school at all. So, ask yourself, can we really expect these kids to successfully accomplish high school if they don’t believe they’re important enough for clean drinking water?

Better education would seem to offer one solution, but many deeply despise and do not trust a system that has failed them. What Aboriginal youth need to hear is they’re not alone — that however unaccommodating the present-day problems may seem; the future is far from hopeless. If leaders can give young people opportunities to see it, it’s possible to pull yourself out. Courtney Paskimin, Turtleford