'We are already at a disadvantage': Indigenous college students concerned about online learning

Kyla Morris, a psychology student from Kahnawake, Que., is nervous about the fall semester being primarily online due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"For someone who needs extra help, I go see a tutor. It will be a bit harder for me to get what I need," she said. 

Morris, who attends Dawson College in Montreal, started classes this week. The majority of her classes are being held online but she said she is happy at least one class will require her to go on campus.

"I really do like going to school. I think it will be helpful," said Morris.

She's among a group of Indigenous post-secondary students in and around Montreal who issued a statement to their respective colleges about education during the pandemic calling for "creative and flexible" solutions that meet the needs of Indigenous students and their unique experiences.

"We are already at a disadvantage; we don't want the pandemic to add to the pre-existing inequity," the statement read.

"We want to continue to learn and we want to advance in our programs to be able to achieve our professional goals."

Bad experiences during the spring

The letter came on the heels of many bad experiences Indigenous post-secondary students had during the spring when classes were moved online abruptly as a result of the pandemic. The letter stated that many students felt the workload got heavier with online lectures, essays and individual learning, and that they struggled with the lack of community support from other Indigenous students and staff.

It's why Morris made a group chat in the spring for Indigenous students who frequent Dawson's First Peoples' Centre for resource help and socializing.

"It's important that every student connects with another student to not feel lonely and know that they're not in this alone. We're in this all together," she said.

Alex Tukkiapik, an Inuk student from Kuujjuaq, Que., at John Abbott College, recently returned to Montreal for the fall semester. Like Morris, most of his classes are online.

"Transition to [online learning] took a toll on me going from a semi-social life to solitude," said Tukkiapik. 

He stuck around the city during the spring to finish up his classes while most of his friends left. Being back, he said he is happy to have in-person labs once a week.

"It's good to have a face-to-face interaction now instead of staring a screen all the time," he said.

Tristin Tukalak, an Inuk student studying music at Vanier College, expressed similar sentiments. Moving out of a student residence in Montreal to his parent's home in Saint-Hippolyte brought its own challenges during the spring. Without access to a library or computer lab, he ended up writing essays on his phone. 

"My parents wanted me and my brother back when this all started. Initially it was going to be two weeks, and now it's been five months," said Tukalak.

"Being at home, it was very different. I wasn't comfortable with it at all. It's not easy to deal with, especially when you don't have all the requirements or things you need like a computer which I didn't have."

He returned to the student residence last week for the start of classes. Like Morris, most of his courses will be online but  he said he's much more motivated now that he has his own laptop. 

"It was hard for me to not feel alone when this was all happening. But, now, it's a little different," he said.

"I'm less concerned about everything because I have the resources I need; the Wi-Fi runs so much smoother. So I'm very grateful for that. My only concern is my own health; I don't want to get COVID-19."