Creating Space: My Life and Work in Indigenous Education

Creating Space: My Life and Work in Indigenous Verna J. Kirkness Winnipeg, MB: University of Manitoba Press, 2013, 194 pages including indexI hold up my hands to Dr. Verna J. Kirkness (Ni-Jing-Jada) for sharing her life's work and creating more space for the current and future waves of Indigenous scholars in education. Many Elders assert that education is the key for the survival of Indigenous peoples. Dr. Kirkness epitomizes how the Elders' assertion is acted upon in her accomplishments to advance control of Indian Education (p. 74).The book contains seven chapters of storytelling that teach about the history of Aboriginal education in Canada and that outline Kirkness' direct involvement in supporting Aboriginal education's development. Information about her personal life and dedication to Indigenous education is skillfully written to engage the reader and capture her/his attention throughout. Kirkness' intention is to provide a window on the past. This window is an opening to bring light and to allow Indigenous and nonIndigenous people alike to understand the historical barriers, challenges, imbalances, and positive development of Indian education, particularly in Canada. This book is another example of the pivotal contributions Kirkness put forth to revolutionize Indigenous education. Her story includes intimate glimpses of her family along with her jobs, bosses, colleagues, friends, relationships, and the shifts in Aboriginal education. She reflects on her approach to writing, and sees it as akin to talking with someone over a cup of tea. She has the steadfast ability to communicate with people in communities as well as state diplomats.Verna J. Kirkness begins the book with her dedicated passion for school and learning. Intertwined with her passion are stories of human character, one example being how she did not know her biological father. Her forthrightness in sharing her personal story will resonate with many Indigenous people who grew up on reserves and Indigenous families that experienced dis-connection from each other; however, her story also shows how families form strong connections despite difficulties. Her tenacity, honesty, and strength align with the evolution of her career and commitment to advance Aboriginal education.There is honourable mention of her mentors, peers, leaders, and supports. She acknowledges that producing quality education for Aboriginal people is a collective affair. Her path as a visionary was strategic. Her roles and projects continually created space to impact change. She moved from teaching to counselling and then into supervising, consulting, managing, and directing positions. Each position was a ladder with added responsibility and authority. Money and prestige were never her motivation; rather, her career decisions gained momentum to advance the performance of Aboriginal students. She was disturbed by how students were streamlined into special education classes, one example being how they contributed to nominal role fees in public schools. The inequities were unfair.Kirkness sheds light on the 1969 White Paper, introduced by Prime Minister Trudeau to create a just society (p. …

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