Author Archives: pageone1

Module 2 – Post 5 – Valcourt urges First Nations Education Reform First, Funds Later

Reforming First Nations education is key to closing the learning gap between aboriginal and non-aboriginal students and should come ahead of throwing more federal funding into the system, Aboriginal Affairs Minister Bernard Valcourt said.

‘The current system is failing these kids,’ Canada’s aboriginal affairs minister says

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/valcourt-urges-first-nations-education-reform-1st-funds-later-1.1930709

Federal Aboriginal Affairs minister Bernard Valcourt states that reform of First Nation Eduction System is required before any funding changes are to be put in place. Shawn Atleo, the national chief for the Assembly of First Nations, states that “fair and sustainable” funding needs to be part of any reforms. Also, these need to include “support and respect for our languages and our cultures”.

An interesting development is Valcourt said he spoke with James Anaya, a UN special envoy on the rights of indigenous peoples. Anaya is now on a nine-day visit to gauge the progress Canada has made since 2004 on indigenous rights issues, when his predecessor made the last trip here.

Although Valcourt touts the proposed Education reforms he states, “The aim of this [visit] is to ensure that we have a system which we don’t have right now,” the minister said.

This news story is a great wrap up to all of the posts I’ve made in this module.

Cheers

Module 2 – Post 4 – Consultations for Development of a First Nation Education Act

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http://www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/eng/1358798070439/1358798420982

This Government of Canada AANDC website provides information regarding the consultations with First Nations, provinces and others on a proposed framework for legislation on First Nations elementary and secondary education.

Highlights include:

– AANDC held eight face-to-face regional consultation sessions across the country, more than 30 video and teleconference sessions, as well as online consultation activities, including an online survey.

– The Government received input on a variety of topics, including treaties, parental involvement in education, language and culture, the transition to legislation funding, and First Nation control over education.

– The Government released a Blueprint for Legislation on July 12, 2013.

– Proposed legislation will be shared with all First Nation communities across the country, provincial governments, and others, for input prior to legislation being introduced in Parliament in the fall of 2013.

My First Nation colleagues say the legislation is not enough. The Assembly of First Nations has rejected the legislation as it stands at this point.

Module 2 – Post 3 – First Nation Education Funding

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http://www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/eng/1349140116208/1349140158945

Further to the previous post regarding the increases in funding in First Nations Education, this Aboriginal and Northern Affairs Canada website provides data on Federal Funding Levels for First Nations in K-12 Education.

Here are some of the statistics from 2011-12:

– $1.55 billion provided to support First Nations elementary and secondary education.

– $200 million was provided to First Nations for construction and maintenance of education facilities on reserve.

– Manitoba had the highest number of FTE (Full-Time Equivalent) students at 21,114. Atlantic Canada had the lowest number at 6,098.

– Quebec had the highest per student funding amount at $15, 420. Saskatchewan had the lowest per student funding amount at $12,563.

My colleagues tell me that although the numbers seem to be impressive they are not. Why? In Manitoba, funding per student is greater if students attend Provincially run schools. In fact, there is a now movement by First Nation schools in Manitoba to join Provincially run school divisions due to the funding inequity. Approximately $2500 in extra funding per student is provided. In more relative terms, for every 100 students, this is an additional $250,000.

Module 2 – Post 2 – First Nation Education Act

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http://actionplan.gc.ca/en/initiative/first-nation-education-act

This post contains a link to the Government of Canada’s Economic Action Plan website on the First Nation Education Act. Improving graduation rates for First Nations students is an objective the Government shares with First Nations parents, educators and leaders.

Other highlights include:

– In 2011, the Government and the Assembly of First Nations launched a National Panel, which made a number of recommendations for reforming First Nations education in its February 2012 report. (A link to this report is available in my previous post reference).

– In Economic Action Plan 2012 the Government committed to working with First Nations to have in place by September 2014 a First Nation Education Act.

– In Economic Action Plan 2012, $100 million was slated to be invested over three years for First Nations education to provide early literacy programming and other supports and services to First Nations schools and students, and to strengthen their relationships with provincial school systems.

– Also in Economic Action Plan 2012, $175 million was slated to be invested over three years to build and renovate schools on reserve, providing First Nations youth with better learning environments. This builds on investments in on-reserve school infrastructure made as part of Canada’s Economic Action Plan between 2009 and 2011.

More funding is being provided to First Nations Education. As someone who works for a First Nations education organization, my colleagues tell me this is ‘long overdue’. While funding increases are needed, there is little mention on this site about self-government First Nations regarding Education, another issue raised by my colleagues. The consensus seems to be that funding increase alone may not be enough.

Module 2 – Post 1 – From Residential Schools to the First Nations Education Act

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My first post for this module is a blog posting I found on rabble.ca.

http://rabble.ca/blogs/bloggers/apihtawikosisan/2013/10/residential-schools-to-first-nations-education-act-colonialis

A fact filled blog post regarding First Nations Education. Not just an Op Ed piece, the blog post includes statistical information on outcomes and fund. Also included are links to various educated related documents including an Assembly of First Nations 2012 report on Education.

A few interesting points in the blog are:

– 40 per cent of Aboriginal students aged 20-24 do not have a high school diploma compared to 13 per cent of non-Aboriginal people.

– 9 per cent of the Aboriginal population have a university degree compared to 26 per cent among non-Aboriginal students. 63 per cent of Aboriginal university graduates are women.

– The federal funding formula for on-reserve schools has been capped at 2 per cent growth per year since 1996 despite the need having increased by 6.3 per cent per year, creating at $1.5 billion shortfall between 1996-2008 for instructional services alone.

If you’re looking for information on First Nations Education, this blog post is a worthwhile read.

Statement Connecting Weblog to Research Interests

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At this point, I want to use the assignment to explore some of the issues in First Nations Education, possibly with some content regarding education and technology. I work for a First Nations organization the supports First Nation schools in Manitoba. There is a movement towards First Nation self-governance and for this to extend to Education. Topics I would like to explore include:

–          What are the desired educational outcomes for First Nations people?
–          What role do governments play in First Nations education?
–          What changes are First Nations people requesting/advocating for themselves regarding education.
–          What makes First Nations education unique? What are the differences between First Nations education, which is federally funded, and Provincial education, which is provincially funded?
–          What effect does the Indian Act have on education?
–          What are the spin-off effects to First Nations people with improved education? How will their lives be enhanced?
–          How does First Nations culture affect the way First Nations people learn?
–          How does spirituality affect First Nations people regarding Education?
–          Why is language important to First Nations people? Why in Education?
–          What has been the history of education of First Nation people in Canada?
–          What are residential schools? Why were they used with First Nation people?
–          What are some of the educational initiatives being taken in First Nation Education today?
(I’m already over 200 words here. Wow, that isn’t a lot of words to work with 😉

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Updated version

How does an increase in technology use support or detract from the ability of Aboriginal youth to develop self- and cultural identity?

Module 1 – Post 5 – Indian Act

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http://laws-lois.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/I-5/index.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_Act

I’ve included two links here. The first link is for the AANDC website that is the Indian Act. Farly dry stuff but you really want to get in to the details, this is the site with that information. The second link is for a wikipedia page. Much easier to read although I hope that the information is accurate. Oh Wikipedia! A few interesting points to note:

The Indian Act was enacted in 1876.
The Act provides Canada’s federal government exclusive authority to legislate in relation to “Indians and Lands Reserved for Indians”.
There have been a series of amendments but the original Act is still in use today.

From the last point, legislation that was created in the time of John A MacDonald stills dictates the way the federal government deals with First Nation peoples in Canada. I know there a many posts here but if anyone does read this and has the time to post please do. My own thought is the Indian Act is archaic and of course, creates a sense of frustration for First Nation people, In my organization, First Nation people in my organization have told me that once a year they are able to attend a First Nation gathering at The Forks, a Winnipeg meeting place, and receive $5.00. Supposedly, according to the Act, they are also entitled to a bag of flour. It’s 2013…how can this be?

My posts for this module have been around what is First Nation and what is the relationship involvement with Government. Because AANCD is responsible for First Nation Education I felt it important, for my anyway, to explore this.

Module 1 – Post 4 – What is Status?

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http://www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/eng/1100100032472/1100100032473

There is a host of criteria to determine whether or not a First Nations person qualifies as a ‘Status’ Indian. This is defined in the Indian Act. Again, not referred to as the First Nations Act but the ‘Indian’ Act. The Government has an Indian Register that is he official record identifying all Status Indians in Canada. Here is a summary of the qualification criteria:

You were entitled to registration prior to the changing of the Indian Act on April 17, 1985;
You lost your Indian Status as a result of your marriage to a non-Indian man (s. 12(1)(b)), including enfranchisement upon your marriage to a non-Indian man (s. 109(2));
Your mother and father’s mother did not have status under the Indian Act, before their marriage and you lost your status at the age of 21 (s.12 (1)(a)(iv) – referred to commonly as the double-mother rule);
Your registration was successfully protested on the grounds that your father did not have status under the Indian Act, however your mother had status;
You lost your registration because you or your parents applied to give up registration and First Nation membership through the process known as “enfranchisement”; or
You are a child of persons listed in 1 to 5 above;

I only include this to illustrate that being ‘Status’ is not as easy as saying that you are First Nations or Indian. Based on ancestry and marriage, each generation apply to be registered and fit the registration criteria in order to be classified as Status and received the entitled benefits.

So what is the Indian Act…post #5!

Module 1 – Post 3 – Status vs Non Status

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http://www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/eng/1100100032374/1100100032378

In my previous post, I mentioned that the Government of Canada defines First Nations peoples as:

Status
Non Status

The term status refers to an individual recognized by the federal government as being registered under the Indian Act. Why is this important? Because if you are Status then you are eligible for a range of benefits and services. These include tax exemption if you are employed by a First Nations organization operating on First Nations territory. I know this because my current employer falls into this category.

Interesting to note that to some the term Indian is derogatory yet the Government of Canada continues to use this term instead of First Nations. Next post, what defines Status?

Module 1 – Post 2 – AANDC

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http://www.aadnc-aandc.gc.ca/eng/1100100013791/1100100013795

After searching for some general information and more information on what exactly First Nations means in Canada, I decided to search for a definition of First Nation from the Government of Canada. The government refers to status and non-status Indian peoples in Canada as First Nations peoples. A separate link is available for this and I will explore this in another post. Interestingly, the figures on this web page are slightly different than my previous wiki page posting. Again, the differences between Aboriginal and First Nations are stated. There is a government department that acts as the representative for the Government of Canada is dealing with issues for Aboriginal peoples including:

negotiating land claims
self-government agreements
providing social services
education
economic development

There are further links posted and will explore some of these in further posts, specifically status as mentioned above.