| Summary: | Quebec’s Indigenous peoples have long been excluded from higher education because of the historical context of social segregation and the assimilative aim of the formal education imposed on them. Today, that population is experiencing increasing graduation rates, but they are maintaining a persistent gap with the non-Indigenous population. The data collected from 23 Quebec First Nations university students and graduates, plus 11 professionals working with them, allowed us to see a common pattern in the different school pathways: study in order to improve the well-being of Aboriginal people within and outside the communities. Research general objectives are, first, to contribute to a better knowledge of the phenomenon of university studies among the First Nations of Quebec and, second, to understand the meaning conferred by Quebec First Nations students on their university studies. Research specific objectives are to: 1) Understand the relationship to Indigenous identity and culture among First Nations students and graduates; 2) Understand the main factors explaining the transition to university of First Nations students and how their pathways go; 3) Understand the projects and achievements of First Nations students in connection with their university studies; 4) Analyze the environment offer by universities and public authorities to help the integration of Indigenous students into the university community. This thesis explains how the educational pathways of First Nations university students in Quebec are clearly influenced by their relationship to Indigenous identity and culture, and how that influence gives birth to study projects in the form of life projects in an Indigenous environment (Blaser, 2004). These projects are of a collective nature and focus on the well-being of Indigenous peoples in general, in addition to the students themselves, whether in communities or outside. I also explain how students manage to combine the contributions of Indigenous education with those of Western education, in ...
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