Undergraduate curricula in the USA, Canada, New Zealand and Australia: Are we missing the mark on Indigenous peoples and parks?

Abstract

Indigenous peoples’ rights increasingly demand the attention of government agents, including protected area managers in the CANZUS states (Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the USA). Park/Indigenous relations are a fundamental job competency for CANZUS park employees. This exploratory research draws on the curricula of 391 university major programmes to quantify the extent to which CANZUS university programmes in natural resources management, park management and allied fields might prepare aspiring CANZUS park employees to work with Indigenous peoples; I conclude the programmes generally fail to do so. Zero American park management majors in the study require Indigenous-focused coursework. In the Commonwealth countries, 52 per cent of park management programmes do so. Only 6 per cent of American natural resources management majors require such coursework, versus 45 per cent in the Commonwealth countries. This calls attention to an urgent need to improve aspiring park employees’ understanding of how their work intersects with Indigenous peoples and settler-colonialism.

Keywords

• indigenous
• canada
• united states
• australia
• new zealand
• curriculum
• undergraduate
• training
• education