Decolonizing and revitalizing academic advising in the Canadian post-secondary school system to improve Indigenous student success

If Indigenous students are considered "at-risk" at BC public post-secondary educational institutions due to hardship, socioeconomic discrepancies, and/or learning disabilities, what can academic advisors do to further reduce asymmetric power relations, institutional insensitivity, and social discrimination to improve Indigenous student success? Academic advisors execute prescriptive and developmental advising procedures to frame foundational advising; however, these methods fail to develop a student's sense of identity. Our study involved conducting a sharing circle with staff, faculty, and managers at the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology (NVIT), an Indigenous post-secondary institution, to better understand how academic advisors and instructors can support Indigenous students. Our analysis found participants discussed an innovative approach to advising that is culturally appropriate. Our participants felt that for this new model to work staff, faculty, Elders, and managers must collaborate in the advising duties. Our research recommends a new holistic approach to academic advising, which incorporates their intellectual, emotional, cultural, and physical needs (building on Pidgeon's (2008, 2016) Indigenous Wholistic Framework). However, for this new advising model to be implemented, work must be done to educate staff and management, preparing the space, and support rebuilding student identities.