Sixteenth International Conference on Interdisciplinary Social Sciences

Abstract

The educational success of young people living in Aboriginal communities is a major challenge given the systemic and socio-economic barriers they are facing. The complexity of their situation requires the implementation of interdisciplinary actions integrating the knowledge of social sciences and of education into the Aboriginal culture. The purpose of this communication is to show how, based on an interdisciplinary support process, it is possible to support the educational and social success of young Aboriginal people by giving them equal opportunities to succeed, by encouraging the reinforcement of their personal and family potential and by focusing on their resilience. Modelled on the project Pathways to Education (PASS) of young Pekuakamiulnuatsh people of the Ilnu community of Mashteuiatsh (Quebec, Canada), the support mechanisms and their adaptation to the Ilnu cultural reality will be presented as well as the challenges encountered and their strategies to cope with them. The paper highlights how the approach surpassed disciplinary paradigms by “bringing them to share a common vision while maintaining the wealth and the strength of the perspective of their fields of knowledge.” This project is a great example of social innovation as it is the only one to be part of the Quebec’s First Nations communities among the PASS projects funded by Pathways Canada.