This study investigated the educational circumstances of Aboriginal students in inner city high schools in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It is based on a literature review and interviews with Aboriginal high school students, Aboriginal school dropouts, adult members of the Aboriginal community, and teachers. Results indicate that there is a cultural/class/experiential divide between Aboriginal students/families and the school system. The life experiences and cultural values of many Aboriginal families differ significantly from what they experience in schools, which are run largely by non-Aboriginal, middle class people for the purpose of advancing the values of the dominant culture. The educational system marginalizes Aboriginal students and does not adequately reflect their culture and realities. The incidence of overt racism is high. There are few Aboriginal teachers and little Aboriginal curriculum content. Many Aboriginal students resist and reject this form of education. This is viewed by the dominant culture as a problem of Aboriginal students failing in school. The school system then works to raise Aboriginal students to the level of the superior culture. Aboriginal people assert that they want the education needed to participate fully in Canadian society and their own self-governance, but they do not want to abandon their culture to do so. They believe that the educational system needs to better reflect the community's rapidly changing demographics. (Contains 176 references.) (SM)