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Matthew Angees (Shibogama First Nations Council Education Coordinator) and Wunnum Lake band member) and Douglas Beardy (Independent First Nations Alliance Education Coordinator and Muskrat Dam band member) are on a hunger strike outside of Indian and Northern Affairs offices on the Fort William First Nation, near Thunder Bay. Click here to see their public letter announcing their reasons to begin this hunger strike to protest the lack of progress in securing adequate funding for First Nation schools.

From The Chronicle Journal ...

Protesters seek on-reserve school funds
By LINDSAY LAFRAUGH - October 10, 2007

Matthew Angees and Douglas Beardy are hungry for more funding for on-reserve education.

The pair set up camp Wednesday outside the regional office of Indian and Northern Affairs Canada on Anemki Drive where they began fasting in protest of the lack of funding to band-operated schools.

“What we want to voice and advocate on behalf of all of the communities within NAN First Nations is that our educational system is in crisis right now and it is getting worse,” Angees said during a news conference at the Fort William First Nation site.

Beardy is education co-ordinator at Muskrat Dam First Nation and Angees has been involved in education at Wunnumin Lake First Nation for the past 23 years, as a teacher, principal and education director.

Based on what he has seen as an educator he said that Canada‘s First Nation schools are underfunded, and lack resources and adequate support systems.

First Nation Education Authorities are currently running under the Band Operated Funding Formula (BOFF) which was developed in 1988, a system the protesters called outdated, noting it does not include the cost of transportation and operations fuel, and insurance costs, capital construction, employee benefit packages or replacement and renovations of facilities.
The formula also leaves out funding for integrating technology, school libraries and recreational activities.

“We want to be able to provide the students of First Nation schools with the same level of education as other students in the province. They deserve that,” said Angees.

He explained that funding for band-operated schools has only gone up about $1,000 per pupil in the past 20 years, compared to an increase of more than $2,500 per pupil in the province‘s public schools in the past 10 years.

INAC is currently working on a business report for the Treasury Board for the renewal of its First Nation Education Authorities in which the BOFF will be addressed. The current authorities expire in March.

“We are really at a disadvantage here in the region because it is a national issue, and other than raising awareness, we in Thunder Bay have very little impact on the formula,” said Joseph Young, director of funding services for Ontario region north at INAC.

“Our people at headquarters (in Ottawa) are aware of what is happening here . . . progress is being made, education authorities are being discussed and have been over the past couple of years . . . hopefully when they see the information and see what is happening here it will have a positive impact,” Young said.

NAN territory is home to 42 band-operated schools serving about 8,300 primary and secondary students.

NAN Deputy Grand Chief Terry Waboose, who was on hand to lend his support to the protesters, said he was disappointed they had to take such a step.

“It is a shame that they have to come to this measure and put their health at risk to show the government how serious this is,” he said.

Thunder Bay-Rainy River MP Ken Boshcoff said he, too, is disappointed that the government has yet to acknowledge the funding needs of Canada‘s on-reserve schools.

“Prime Minister (Stephen) Harper has had two budgets, two fiscal updates, two huge surpluses and still hasn‘t even begun to address this issue,” he said in an interview.

“I don‘t understand why the government hasn‘t sat down and addressed (the funding issue) in a positive way.”

Angees and Beardy will be drinking water during their hunger strike, and Angees will be taking his medication for rheumatoid arthritis.

“We are trying to last as long as we can and will be monitoring our daily status,” said Angees.

“We just don‘t know what else to do, this is the only recourse we have.”