Our Children Our Future Our Vision - People for Education

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Our Children, Our Future, Our Vision schools were based if they continue to allow First Nations children to receive a substandard education. 211 Yet, scholars, researchers and economists recognize that although immediate needs will have a high initial cost, those reforms will save money in the long term. 212 The issue relates more to adequacy than equity. Adequacy relates to the actual amount of funding needed to achieve pre-identified goals whereas equity is limited to the total resources Canada claims are available. 213 Those who consider equality of education to mean equality of funding make an assumption that all students are on the same playing field. Thus, due to the educational gap that exists in Canadian society, the emphasis should not be placed on the equality of educational opportunity, rather, in the interest of closing the gap the focus should be on equalizing educational outcomes. 214 Thus, true equality for First Nations education not only means funding education at levels which are no less than provincial levels, but also additional funding to help address the current educational gap created by federal laws and policies over many generations. Canada created this mess; it needs to support First Nations to fix it. The success of First Nations peoples in education should be of “vital interest” to all Canadians as the country’s social and economic prosperity depends on it. 215 Today, the discriminatory levels of service provided to First Nations are the result of INAC control, inappropriateness of the Indian Act as vehicle to deliver education; and the lack of financial and governance support provided to First Nations. 216 Moving forward, there must be a comprehensive education budget and fully supported infrastructure if we expect First Nations to not only close the gap, but to excel. 217 Adjustments to the funding formulas for First Nation education must be comprehensive, flexible and stable with a focus on adequacy (First Nation needs and goals) and not equity (a share of predetermined funding envelopes). 211 Ibid. 212 J. Paquette, “Supporting First Nations secondary students studying away from home: A case history of policy gone awry” 41:2 (2007) J. of Can. Studies 88. 213 Investing in the Future, supra note 175 at 6. 214 Educational Cost Drivers, supra note 201 at 7. 215 AFN Fact Sheet, supra note 141. 216 C. Sheila, “First Nations education: Financial Accountability and Educational Attainment” (2006) 29:4 Can. J. of Educ. 998-1018 at 1005-1006. 217 Our Children, supra note 106 at 33. 49 Chiefs of Ontario
Our Children, Our Future, Our Vision (c) Cultural Relevance “The cultural teachings that should accompany language instruction is very important… All communities have First Nation members who are the best to teach the language and culture component, but are not allowed to teach – due to lack of formal training. I strongly disagree with this – who better to teach than someone who lives and practices what they are teaching.” (Councillor) There is also a growing recognition internationally that the inclusion of Indigenous Knowledge in First Nation education is key to improving educational outcomes for Indigenous children. 218 Indigenous Knowledge must be at the core of Indigenous early learning experiences because it is Indigenous culture, language, values, and traditional approaches to healthy living and learning that define equality in early childhood education. 219 Given the suppression of Indigenous languages and the requirement to learn English, only 3 of the 65 Indigenous languages in Canada are strong enough to avoid extinction. Thus, the incorporation of Indigenous languages becomes that much more important in First Nation education. 220 Much of the literature also refers to the importance of incorporating Indigenous knowledge as a means of decolonizing. 221 The many years of colonially-imposed laws and policies have had longterm, inter-generational impacts on our communities. 222 Residential schools were designed to bring about the “peaceful elimination of Indians”. 223 First Nation control over education and training of teachers is helping to replace years of colonialism with individual and collective action with an Indigenous focus. 224 In this way, students and teachers benefit from strengthening of culture and shedding colonization. But more resources have to be put into making Indigenous knowledge available in books, journals, theses, dissertations, and other formats. 225 Sadly, cultural racism has been and continues to be a major impediment to moving forward. While residential schools may have closed, the education in most provincial schools replicates the same content. Schooling is an institution of mainstream society and by forcing First Nations to par- 218 R. Kitson, J. Bowes, “Incorporating indigenous ways of knowing in early education for Indigenous children” (2009) 34:4 Aus. J. Early Childhood 81-89 at 81. 219 J. Hare, J. Anderson, “Transitions to early childhood education and care for indigenous children and families in Canada: Historical and social realities” (2010) 35:2 Aus. J. of Early Childhood 19-27 at 2. 220 G. Labercane, W. McEachern, “Striving for success: First Nations education in Canada” (1995) 115:3 J. of Ed. 322 at 323. 221 J. Orr, D. Freisen, “ ‘I think what’s happening in aboriginal education is that we’re taking control’: Aboriginal teachers’ stories of self-determination” (1999) 5:2 Teachers & Teaching 219 [Aboriginal teachers]. 222 RCAP, vol.1, supra note 6 at 333-410. Shingwauk’s Vision, supra note 6. Unsettling the Settler Within, supra note 6. 223 What other Canadian kids have, supra note 208. 224 Aboriginal teachers, supra note 221. 225 M. Battiste, et al., “Decolonizing Education in Canadian Universities: An Interdisciplinary, International, Indigenous Research Project” (2002) 26:2 Can. J. of Native Ed. 82-95 [Decolonizing Education] at 91. Chiefs of Ontario 50
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