Analysis of Aboriginal Services Awareness Survey at Conestoga College

This report presents the findings of a survey conducted at Conestoga College to assess students' awareness of Aboriginal services, culture, and history. The survey revealed a significant lack of knowledge among students regarding the location of Aboriginal Services, the services provided, the history of indigenous people in Canada, and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. While a portion of students demonstrated some awareness of certain aspects, a large percentage indicated a lack of familiarity. The report highlights the need for increased educational initiatives to enhance student understanding of Aboriginal issues, including incorporating relevant content into the curriculum and promoting cultural awareness activities. The analysis includes a SWOC (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Challenges) assessment, along with references to relevant academic literature. The report concludes with a call for greater efforts to address the identified knowledge gaps and foster a more informed student body.

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Executive summary
The survey report presents the responses of people working in the Aboriginal services
and their level of awareness about the Aboriginals, their culture, habits and lifestyle. The
aboriginal services are meant for providing accessible services at free or highly
subsidized rates to the aboriginals. However, the lack of understanding and knowledge
about them among the students is acting as a barrier for a better standard of help and
care. The purpose of the survey was to get a better idea about the extent or rather the
lack of knowledge among the students.

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An insight into what the surveys indicate about their services
Even though about 22% of the respondents were aware of the history of aboriginals in
Canada they still were unaware of their present conditions. Most students also
confessed that they did not know how the aboriginal services were catering to the needs
of such people. Even the activities taking place for raining an awareness within the
premises of the college lacked an active audience as only 13% of the students were
aware of them. The college itself is built upon the ancient indigenous property.
However, the students were mostly unaware of it. However, most of the students
developed an interest and vowed to look into the matter after the completion of the
survey.
Research any opportunities for improvement
The scope for improvement is ample. The college is working on many initiatives and the
students also have the opportunity to attend a powwow event. However, it is seen that
the students lack the desire to know more about the aboriginals themselves (Sandlos &
Keeling, 2016). There is ample stimulus in their environment that would have been able
to make them interested in the aboriginal culture. However, students still continue to be
ignorant.
Knowledge about indigenous and aboriginal people can be incorporated in their course
as an additional subject as then the students would not be able to ignore it. Moreover,
the students can also be encouraged to prepare individual or group projects where they
need to research into the culture (Smith & Varghese, 2016). Also, the college can hold
a yearly celebration of their establishment where they acknowledge the history behind
the land and include the students in the celebration.
SWOC
Strengths
There are many stimuli present in the learning
environment of the student from which they can
derive knowledge and understanding of the
aboriginals.
Weaknesses
The students lack the will or
desire to respond to the stimuli
and gain knowledge from them.
Opportunities Challenges

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A wide range and holistic understanding of the
aboriginals can be gained within the college
(Godlewska et al. 2017).
The students continue to be
ignorant and unaware.
Explanation of these findings
The first inference that can be drawn from the survey report is that the students of the
college lack substantial understanding of the indigenous people and their loss of habit,
culture and lifestyle. Ongoing modernisation is claiming their resources however, people
are still ignorant about their difficulties. The college itself is built upon aboriginal land.
The students lack the volition to know more about the history, culture and ongoing
distress being caused to the people (Godlewska et al. 2017). As long as people and the
coming generations are unaware of the plea of the aboriginals their situation cannot be
improved much.

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References
Godlewska, A., Schaefli, L., Massey, J., Freake, S., & Rose, J. (2017). Awareness of
Aboriginal peoples in Newfoundland and Labrador: Memorial's first‐year students
(2013) speak. The Canadian Geographer/Le Géographe canadien, 61(4), 595-
609.
Godlewska, A., Schaefli, L., Massey, J., Freake, S., Adjei, J. K., Rose, J., & Hudson, C.
(2017). What do first‐year university students in Newfoundland and Labrador
know about Aboriginal peoples and topics?. The Canadian Geographer/Le
Géographe canadien, 61(4), 579-594.
Sandlos, J., & Keeling, A. (2016). Aboriginal communities, traditional knowledge, and
the environmental legacies of extractive development in Canada. The extractive
industries and society, 3(2), 278-287.
Smith, N. L., & Varghese, J. (2016). Role, impacts and implications of dedicated
Aboriginal student space at a Canadian university. Journal of Student Affairs
Research and Practice, 53(4), 458-469.