This paper presents an alternative view to the pedagogical needs relating to literacy for Aboriginal students. The question posed is how to utilize this knowledge to lessen the impact of perceived failure in early schooling of entrenched non-attendance patterns for Aboriginal students of compulsory school attending ages. The potential for improving literacy levels within a school community sensitive to cultural and pedagogical diversity is presented as offering the parallel potential to encourage a more lateral view of non-attendance patterns. After laying out the constructions of Aboriginal alienation and literacy and the methodology used for this paper, the factors that affect the achievement and participation of Aboriginal students is examined in depth. Considered sequentially are parenting, health, attendance, literacy, and teacher factors. It is concluded that "reframing" the pedagogy of Aboriginal instruction is necessary for each of these factors. This paper proposes pragmatic beginnings to a more inclusive and culturally sensitive framing of policy and pedagogy associated with both non-attendance and literacy. These pragmatic beginnings are discussed in terms of both underlying beliefs necessary to activate pedagogical shifts of this magnitude and the potential impact on literacy outcomes of early implementation of these identified strategies. Numerous diagrams, tables, charts, and extensive scholarly references are included. (Contains approximately 100 references.) (Author/KFT)