Aboriginal women find success through education

Tamara Bull once heard someone say "An educated Indian is a dangerous thing."

She believes it's true, particularly when it comes to educated aboriginal women.

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"It's going to be women that are going to change our communities, I know it," said Bull, a Haida artist.

"We're too smart and even though people are trying to kill us with the missing women, and trying to oppress us in a million different areas, women somehow have a way of navigating this.

"And I know in our Haida culture, women are so powerful that if they have a thought, that actually could change the outcome of somebody's life. That's how we were raised, that women are that powerful."

Education builds up self-worth

Bull didn't always feel this confident. Growing up, she struggled with math and English in school. Though she thrived at art, her father didn't want her to be an artist, and burnt all her art supplies and paintings.

Despite that, Bull sought an art education in secret. She studied graphic design and fashion design in Vancouver and Toronto, and went to film and television school.

Even though she was passionate about art, Bull says she struggled with loving and respecting her own work. She only just recently framed one of her pieces for the first time.

"I remember when I went to art school and I would see people frame their artwork on the wall and I couldn't believe people did that," she said.

"It took me a long time to get my head around that, as an aboriginal woman, I had value, and as an artist, my art had value."

Education opens doors

Education not only builds up self esteem for aboriginal women, it also empowers them and opens doors for them, says Deanna Reder, an associate professor in the Department of First Nations Studies and English at Simon Fraser University.

"At school, you can discover parts of yourself that you don't really know exist," she said.

"It's at school where you can learn new ways of approaching problems or things or yourself, or the stories in your family."

Reder also says classrooms are places where "indigenous ways of knowing" can be highlighted and taught to new generations so that negative perceptions of aboriginal people can be dispelled.

This story is part of a series called Dream Makers, featuring aboriginal women`s stories of strength, survival and success.

Listen to the full interview: Education key to success for aboriginal women