Media.Knet.Ca

Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs
Indian and Northern Affairs Canada
Terrasses de la Chaudiere
10 Wellington, North Tower
Hull, Quebec, K1A 0H4

Dear Honourable Minister Strahl:

Please accept this as official notification as the Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada, of our intention to stage a peaceful demonstration to advocate and pressure the Federal Government and Indian Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) to increase the national band operated funding formula.

Through numerous studies and research that has been conducted by various parties, and our actual experience in administering First Nations schools, it is very obvious and evident that the Federal Government does not provide adequate instructional funding to our band operated schools. For the past twenty years (1988) and when the existing formula was last updated (1996), INAC has not increased the band operated funding other than through minor increments.   

First Nations’ educators and leaders had anticipated favourable results from the work and research done by the Joint Assembly First Nations (AFN) and Indian Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) Band Operated Funding Formula (BOFF) Working Group. This was a key process to substantiate the need for increased funding for BOFF. Unfortunately, the process is stalled and INAC’s priority is now on Systems. It was the BOFF Working Group’s plan to submit the business case to the Treasury Board this fall (2007) to request for increased funding for band operated schools. Unfortunately, that will not happen unless the Federal Government and INAC recognize and accept the urgency of the funding issue.

It is our understanding that Treasury Board guidelines require federal departments such as INAC to renew their spending authorities every five years. INAC’s existing education spending authorities are due to sunset in March 2008.  INAC must approach Treasury Board for renewed authorities by fall of 2007. It was the intent of AFN Band Operated Funding Formula Working Group to submit its business case to Treasury Board this fall (2007) to substantiate the need to increase band operated funding in which the Treasury Board would have renewed INAC education spending authority in 2008. The end result is that we (all band operated schools in Canada) will have to wait another five years in 2013 to submit a business case to seek funding increases.

For the past decades, our children have endured the inadequacy of instructional funding in their schools that have resulted into a crisis dilemma in our community schools. The Federal Government continues to ignore the numerous studies and reports that have support and recommend for increased funding. We want the Federal Government and INAC to take full responsibility by making a commitment to increase the national band operated funding formula to provide the funding our children deserve for a high standard, culturally appropriate, adequately resourced and universally recognized education.

Matthew Angees, of Wunnumin Lake, and Douglas Beardy, of Muskrat Dam, will be staging a peaceful protest to secure a commitment from the Federal Government to increase the national band operated funding formula.

Location: Thunder Bay, Ontario

Place:  Outside INAC’s Thunder Bay Region Office
   100 Anemki Drive, R.R.#4
   Thunder Bay, Ontario.

Date:  October 9, 2007

Time:  Starting 9:00 am

Yours in Education,

Matthew Angees       Douglas Beardy