Independent report on education in NAN First Nations details challenges of the remote north
NAN press release
NAN RELEASES INDEPENDENT EDUCATION REPORT THAT OUTLINES THE CHALLENGES OF THE REMOTE NORTH
CLICK HERE FOR A PDF COPY OF THE NAN REPORT
THUNDER BAY, ON: Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) Deputy Grand Chief Terry Waboose today released Kikinahamaagewin, a comprehensive independent report on education in NAN First Nations. This report comes in advance of the release of an education report by the National Panel, a national education review process by the Government of Canada and the Assembly of First Nations (AFN).
“This report has found that the administration of education under the Indian Act is a failed paternalistic regime, with policy driven not by education outcomes but by severely flawed funding formulas that are hopelessly outdated and discriminatory against First Nations,” said NAN Deputy Grand Chief Terry Waboose, who holds the education portfolio. “This report reflects the need for a new education regime that strengthens, supports and enables our existing school systems to ensure that the education received by First Nation students meets all provincial standards and fulfils Canada’s Treaty obligations to NAN First Nations.”
Kikinahamaagewin outlines that the path forward for NAN First Nations’ education must be based on two key principles: Indian control of Indian education and adequate and sustainable funding to ensure that First Nation education needs are met now and in generations to come.
The report is not part of the National Panel process, but will be submitted directly to the federal government and the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) as NAN First Nations’ position on improving education with respect to the rights of the people of Nishnawbe Aski.
NAN First Nations rejected the National Panel as a flawed and deficient process established without input from First Nations. The National Panel’s mandate did not include a review of pre-school education, post-secondary or vocational education, and failed to address the critical funding gap between native and non-native students “We opposed the National Panel process because it may recommend legislation that will enable the federal government to govern First Nation education,” said Waboose. “This amounts to a backdoor revision of the Indian Act, and has the potential to arbitrarily define and diminish our Treaty right to education while holding little prospect of improving the quality of education our children deserve.”
Instead of passing legislation that will strip First Nations of their Treaty right to education, NAN is calling on the Government of Canada to provide fair and adequate funding for much-needed improvements in education facilities, support services, special education, teacher salaries and curriculum education outcomes that will ensure that First Nation students receive a quality education on par with students across Canada.
NAN has also participated in a joint panel report with the First Nations Education Council of Quebec and the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations, Report on Priority Actions in View of Improving First Nations Education another independent report separate from the National Panel process that was released in November 2011.
Further to this NAN has participated in the development of the Chiefs of Ontario report titled Our Children, Our Future, Our Vision: First Nations Jurisdiction over First Nations Education in Ontario, which will be released the same day as the National Panel report on First Nations Elementary and Secondary Education.
Nishnawbe Aski Nation is a political territorial organization representing 49 First Nation communities in James Bay Treaty No. 9 and Ontario portions of Treaty No. 5 – an area covering two thirds of the province of Ontario.
For more information please contact Jamie Monastyrski, A/Director of Communications – Nishnawbe Aski Nation (807) 625-4978 or (807) 630-7087 cell or by email jmonastyrski@nan.on.ca