First Nations Focus
This page is dedicated to First Nations education and federal/provincial policies that effect First Nations education.
A great starting point to learn about First Nations educational and social issues:
http://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/why-fixing-first-nations-education-remains-so-far-out-of-reach/
A great article on the educational disparities:
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/02/14/attawapiskat-first-nations-education_n_6665198.html
http://pulitzercenter.org/blog/suicide-strikes-canada-first-nation-tribes
Articles outlining Justin Trudeau's First Nation policy thus far:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay/trudeau-first-nations-funding-1.3527716
http://leaderpost.com/news/local-news/chiefs-to-meet-with-prime-minister-trudeau-in-treaty-4-territory
Some relevant articles about Federal First Nations educational policies:
http://www.canadiancontent.ca/issues/0499firsted.html
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/paul-martin-angry-about-failure-of-first-nations-education-bill-1.2660154
A great article on the potentials of equal funding: “Their results show that equity matters!”
http://www.macleans.ca/news/equal-education-funding-gets-big-results-on-manitoba-reserve/
First Nation Advocacy:
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2016/03/30/first-nation-education-underfunded-advocate-testifies.html
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay/funding-gap-cindy-blackstock-1.3549525
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay/decade-of-darkness-over-for-first-nations-says-ontario-regional-chief-1.3323365
http://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/why-fixing-first-nations-education-remains-so-far-out-of-reach/
A great article on the educational disparities:
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2015/02/14/attawapiskat-first-nations-education_n_6665198.html
http://pulitzercenter.org/blog/suicide-strikes-canada-first-nation-tribes
Articles outlining Justin Trudeau's First Nation policy thus far:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay/trudeau-first-nations-funding-1.3527716
http://leaderpost.com/news/local-news/chiefs-to-meet-with-prime-minister-trudeau-in-treaty-4-territory
Some relevant articles about Federal First Nations educational policies:
http://www.canadiancontent.ca/issues/0499firsted.html
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/paul-martin-angry-about-failure-of-first-nations-education-bill-1.2660154
A great article on the potentials of equal funding: “Their results show that equity matters!”
http://www.macleans.ca/news/equal-education-funding-gets-big-results-on-manitoba-reserve/
First Nation Advocacy:
http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2016/03/30/first-nation-education-underfunded-advocate-testifies.html
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay/funding-gap-cindy-blackstock-1.3549525
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunder-bay/decade-of-darkness-over-for-first-nations-says-ontario-regional-chief-1.3323365
The Current State of Federally Funded First Nations's Schools
By Lindsay Komar
I thought I would begin with providing an overview of the baffling state of affairs for First Nation schools on reserve land. All schools on reserve land are under the jurisdiction of the federal government who review and evaluate the success of each community’s educational standards through the Indian Affairs and Northern Development Canada (INAC.) Further still, INAC dictates the funding that First Nations’ schools receive. First Nations communities are relatively free, by agreement or precedent, to develop their own education framework and standards; nevertheless, most First Nations communities actively use a blended curriculum with provincial standards as the backbone. All communities oversee their own education (acting as independent boards.) However, some join alliances with other communities to form umbrella boards which act as an advisory body and provide services, but with autonomy still in the hands of each community. Further still, in Ontario, all First Nations communities are obligated to participate in provincial standardized testing: EQAO. In a word, the educational framework for First Nations schools is a very a confusing, with a weighty bureaucratic backdrop. In the 2014 Ontario policy guide “Equity and Inclusive Education in Ontario,” the goals of inclusive education are outlined. The authors state “equity and inclusive education aims to understand, identify, address, and eliminate the biases, barriers, and power dynamics that limit students’ prospects for learning, growing, and fully contributing to society.” ( (Equity and Inclusion in Ontario Schools: Guidelines for Policy Development and Implementation, 2014) In the world of First Nations Education, the ideas of inclusion and equity are coming to fruition. When considering inclusive trends in First Nations education, one can focus on two important pieces: development of more inclusive pedagogy and increased access to services and funds.
With the implementation of self-government agreements and the federal government’s commitment to allowing local communities to maintain local autonomy, significant shifts in First Nation pedagogy have begun to occur. As stated by the Assembly of First Nations, “education systems must . . . be grounded in First Nations cultures and languages” and that “every First Nation must be able to design their own standards, standards that meet or exceed provincial standards, but as uniquely designed to reflect language, culture, and their ways of learning and knowing” (Morcom, 2014) The movement has several common names; holistic-learning model, land-based pedagogy, culturally inclusive education, culture-based education, etc. These movements focus on two fundamental shifts in education practices. Firstly, changes to the traditional Western model of education, which have proven to be ineffective for most First Nations students living on reserves. Under this model, pedagogy is developed to reflect traditional/community ways of knowing and learning. Learning incorporates land-based learning (hunting, fishing, and trapping,) sharing traditional practices (making teepees, making traditional foods, gathering seasonal foods, and making traditional items,) increasing community engagement in education (elders working at the school helping guide school in traditional religious ceremonies, passing of oral traditions and providing support for at-risk youth) and language renewal programs (teaching students their traditional language.) (Links, n.d.) The second major shift is outlined in an outstanding article entitled “Are you Providing an Education that is Worth Caring about?” by Melissa Oskineegish. The article emphasizes the need for culturally inclusive training for pre-service teachers who plan on working in First Nations communities; including the history of colonization, the transgenerational effect of residential schools, cultural practices and community engagement. The author believes that providing this type of training, educators will be more likely to stay longer, engage in reciprocal relationships with community members and increase student success. Because of this, non-profit agencies such as Teach for Canada, have come to existence to bridge the gap and provide training to teachers wanting to work in the North. (Oskineegish, 2015)
A second very fundamental goal of inclusion is access to necessary services and resources. As stated in article 24 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities that all students have a right to an inclusive education “at all levels…Reasonable accommodation of the individual’s requirements is provided; Persons with disabilities receive the support required, within the general education system, to facilitate their effective education; and Effective individualized support measures are provided” (Porter & Smith, 2011) Inclusive education means that students, who require additional services, can access them within their school/community. Up until 2016 the education funding disparity between federally run schools and provincial school was shocking. In 2010-2011, students in federally run reserve school received 67% of the funding per student that provincial students received. This figure is even more daunting considering that reserve schools have two to three times more special education needs. Further, despite growth in reserve populations, funding growth has been capped at 2% per year. (Morcom, 2014) In terms of special education, INAC has a special funding formula; the special education work plan, which is renewed annually. However, again until recently, the funding was below provincial standards and difficult to access. (Auerbach, 2007) As of 2016, this disparity has begun to change. In 2015, Justin Trudeau committed to allocating $2.6 billion to First Nation education over a four-year term and to put additional funds in education infrastructure. This has had remarkable impact on education standards for First Nations schools. For the first- time many schools can bring in experts to provide teacher training, psychologist to provide assessments, provide speech and language pathologist, introduce mental health and addiction counselling, purchase educational resources and much, much more.
As I have stated often when asked about my job, “it is an exciting time to be involved in First Nations education!” I look forward to continuing my work and seeing the growth of education in First Nations communities. The concepts of inclusion for First Nations education includes developing a more cultural relevant pedagogy and providing sufficient funding to meet the needs of students who live on reserves.
By Lindsay Komar
I thought I would begin with providing an overview of the baffling state of affairs for First Nation schools on reserve land. All schools on reserve land are under the jurisdiction of the federal government who review and evaluate the success of each community’s educational standards through the Indian Affairs and Northern Development Canada (INAC.) Further still, INAC dictates the funding that First Nations’ schools receive. First Nations communities are relatively free, by agreement or precedent, to develop their own education framework and standards; nevertheless, most First Nations communities actively use a blended curriculum with provincial standards as the backbone. All communities oversee their own education (acting as independent boards.) However, some join alliances with other communities to form umbrella boards which act as an advisory body and provide services, but with autonomy still in the hands of each community. Further still, in Ontario, all First Nations communities are obligated to participate in provincial standardized testing: EQAO. In a word, the educational framework for First Nations schools is a very a confusing, with a weighty bureaucratic backdrop. In the 2014 Ontario policy guide “Equity and Inclusive Education in Ontario,” the goals of inclusive education are outlined. The authors state “equity and inclusive education aims to understand, identify, address, and eliminate the biases, barriers, and power dynamics that limit students’ prospects for learning, growing, and fully contributing to society.” ( (Equity and Inclusion in Ontario Schools: Guidelines for Policy Development and Implementation, 2014) In the world of First Nations Education, the ideas of inclusion and equity are coming to fruition. When considering inclusive trends in First Nations education, one can focus on two important pieces: development of more inclusive pedagogy and increased access to services and funds.
With the implementation of self-government agreements and the federal government’s commitment to allowing local communities to maintain local autonomy, significant shifts in First Nation pedagogy have begun to occur. As stated by the Assembly of First Nations, “education systems must . . . be grounded in First Nations cultures and languages” and that “every First Nation must be able to design their own standards, standards that meet or exceed provincial standards, but as uniquely designed to reflect language, culture, and their ways of learning and knowing” (Morcom, 2014) The movement has several common names; holistic-learning model, land-based pedagogy, culturally inclusive education, culture-based education, etc. These movements focus on two fundamental shifts in education practices. Firstly, changes to the traditional Western model of education, which have proven to be ineffective for most First Nations students living on reserves. Under this model, pedagogy is developed to reflect traditional/community ways of knowing and learning. Learning incorporates land-based learning (hunting, fishing, and trapping,) sharing traditional practices (making teepees, making traditional foods, gathering seasonal foods, and making traditional items,) increasing community engagement in education (elders working at the school helping guide school in traditional religious ceremonies, passing of oral traditions and providing support for at-risk youth) and language renewal programs (teaching students their traditional language.) (Links, n.d.) The second major shift is outlined in an outstanding article entitled “Are you Providing an Education that is Worth Caring about?” by Melissa Oskineegish. The article emphasizes the need for culturally inclusive training for pre-service teachers who plan on working in First Nations communities; including the history of colonization, the transgenerational effect of residential schools, cultural practices and community engagement. The author believes that providing this type of training, educators will be more likely to stay longer, engage in reciprocal relationships with community members and increase student success. Because of this, non-profit agencies such as Teach for Canada, have come to existence to bridge the gap and provide training to teachers wanting to work in the North. (Oskineegish, 2015)
A second very fundamental goal of inclusion is access to necessary services and resources. As stated in article 24 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities that all students have a right to an inclusive education “at all levels…Reasonable accommodation of the individual’s requirements is provided; Persons with disabilities receive the support required, within the general education system, to facilitate their effective education; and Effective individualized support measures are provided” (Porter & Smith, 2011) Inclusive education means that students, who require additional services, can access them within their school/community. Up until 2016 the education funding disparity between federally run schools and provincial school was shocking. In 2010-2011, students in federally run reserve school received 67% of the funding per student that provincial students received. This figure is even more daunting considering that reserve schools have two to three times more special education needs. Further, despite growth in reserve populations, funding growth has been capped at 2% per year. (Morcom, 2014) In terms of special education, INAC has a special funding formula; the special education work plan, which is renewed annually. However, again until recently, the funding was below provincial standards and difficult to access. (Auerbach, 2007) As of 2016, this disparity has begun to change. In 2015, Justin Trudeau committed to allocating $2.6 billion to First Nation education over a four-year term and to put additional funds in education infrastructure. This has had remarkable impact on education standards for First Nations schools. For the first- time many schools can bring in experts to provide teacher training, psychologist to provide assessments, provide speech and language pathologist, introduce mental health and addiction counselling, purchase educational resources and much, much more.
As I have stated often when asked about my job, “it is an exciting time to be involved in First Nations education!” I look forward to continuing my work and seeing the growth of education in First Nations communities. The concepts of inclusion for First Nations education includes developing a more cultural relevant pedagogy and providing sufficient funding to meet the needs of students who live on reserves.
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