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The Treaty #3 education team is hosting a letter writing campaign to voice concerns about INAC cuts to Special Education funding for students attending provincial schools.

Go to their web site at http://www.treaty3.ca/education-crisis/ to sign the postcard that will be sent online to Roger Valley's office.

From the web site ...

ISSUE

INAC has made severe cuts to the moderate to high cost special education funding for students attending provincial schools in order to cover a $3.2 million deficit in their budget. These cuts are effective immediately and will impact students in the 2006-07 school year.

First Nations submitted applications to INAC in June for the profound and moderate special needs students. These applications were reviewed by INAC in a process which did not involve the First Nations.

IMPACT

Most First Nations have suffered 30-75% cuts. In the Treaty #3 territory, these cuts amount to $1.3 million dollars. This results in the loss of support services for many students attending provincial schools. First Nations have not received enough funding to provide the one-on-one support to students which INAC has determined do not meet the criteria for high cost support, even though these students do meet the criteria of the Ministry of Education.

INAC will not disclose which students are to receive support and which are not. First Nations were simply given an allocation and told to work with it.

Students with moderate to severe issues will be impacted the most. This means that there will be a higher ratio of students to Education Assistants, no Education Assistants for students who are not considered a priority, and possibly no Education Assistants for students who may pose a threat to themselves or others.

If these supports are not in place for students who may pose a threat, the principals of the schools can prevent those students from entering the school, based on the Ontario Safe Schools Act.

What you can do ...

Voice your concern for our children by emailing the postcard to Roger Valley by filling out the form on the Treaty #3 web site, or click the postcard graphic (on the web site) to download a printable version you can sign and mail or fax.

If you choose to download the postcard, Roger Valley's Mailing address and fax number is listed below.

Roger Valley, MP
101 Duke Street
Dryden, Ontario P8N1G4
Fax: 1-807-223-8655

Anishnabe and Metis women are working cooperatively to honour murdered and missing Aboriginal women by hosting an empowerment workshop and a march in September...

Co-organiser Agnes Esquega says the purpose of the workshop is to raise awareness about missing and murdered Aboriginal women and to provide young women especially those moving to Thunder Bay from the northern reserves with the information that they need to protect themselves... The workshop takes place on September 6th at Action for Neighbourhood Changes at 500 Simpson Street in Thunder Bay... The workshop is open to ages 14 and older... A march will follow... For more information call Agnes Esquega at (807) 475-0847 or Sharon Johnson at (807) 622-8429

Equay-wuk (Women's Group) has developed their latest resource, "A Guide for Professional Caregivers:  Self-Advocation for First Nations Clients" and is hosting a workshop on Cultural Awareness and Self-Advocation Training in September 2006.

The Menonakachihewaywin Natamakewin (Better Caregiving Project) is a cultural awareness and sensitivity project, intended for non-aboriginal front-line caregivers employed to provide care for Anishnaabe clients from remote First Nation communities in Northwestern Ontario.

Workshop:  "Cultural Awareness and Self-Advocation Training Workshop"

Sunset Inn, Sioux Lookout, Ontario

September 19-21

Facilitator:  Bill Constant

Major components of the workshop include:

• Priming for cultural competence
• Understanding the historical Anishinaabe worldview

For more information, contact:

Darlene A. or Felicia Waboose
Equay-wuk (Women's Group)
Tel: (807) 737-2214 or toll free: (800) 261-8294
Fax: (807) 737-2699
email: equaywuk@nwconx.net

Workshop Information available on website: www.equaywuk.ca