About Stories Matter: A Qualitative Study Reaffirming the Relevance of Case Studies and Stories on Indigenous Skills Employment and Training The Shuswap Nation Tribal Council Indigenous Skills Employment and Training Program (SNTC ISET) was signed in 2019. Its predecessor was the Aboriginal Skills Employment and Training Strategy I and II, the Aboriginal Human Resources Development Agreement, and the Regional Bilateral Agreement.
The program has been in place since April 1, 1996. Our project will look back at the past 26 years to document a snapshot of the many client successes made possible by this funding. This booklet documents experiential stories to support the importance of Indigenous programming. Our approach will highlight the power of stories in influencing change and improving capacity. We have highlighted individual success stories and successful partnerships that have benefited individuals and employers. Case studies and narrative inquiry will merge as a methodological framework to understand processes that explain current realities within employment and broader society. The case study narrative will document experiential stories to support the importance of Indigenous programming, utilizing the cultural significance of First Nations people’s oral traditions. “Stories are good at making simple what is complicated. At the same time, some of the complexity is
retained because stories are ambiguous and open-ended (Sandberg & Ugelvik, 2016, p. 219).”
The approach will highlight the power of stories, wrapped in a blanket of culture, in influencing change and improving capacity. The background to each story will provide context and a timeline, highlight specific layers and critical events, and explain why the Indigenous Skills Employment and Training
Program has been successful and rallied progressive and reactionary social change. Cherlyn Billy
