Honouring the Truth Reconciling for the Future

The legacy • 197In October 2013, the government released the text of the proposed First NationsEducation Act. The bill itself provided no guarantee of increased or stable funding ofFirst Nations schools, leaving such matters to be resolved through regulations, with noassurance of equity in the distribution of resources to educate First Nations childrenin First Nations schools or in provincial schools. In February 2014, the Government ofCanada and the Assembly of First Nations announced an agreement on a new basis forFirst Nations education reform and legislation. The agreement called for over $2 billionin new funding to reserve schools, and replaced the 2% cap on annual increaseswith a 4.5% annual increase and $1.25 billion from 2016–17 to 2018–19. However, afteropposition from Aboriginal leaders, the proposed legislation was put on hold, pendingagreement on the principles for a new Act.Based on all that it has heard from thousands of former students and family membersthroughout the country, the Commission is convinced that such an Act mustrecognize the importance of education in strengthening the cultural identity ofAboriginal people and providing a better basis for success. Albert Marshall, a formerstudent of the Shubenacadie residential school in Nova Scotia, made this point forcefullyto the Commission.The current education system has been designed to completely eradicate whoI am and to kill that Indian Mi’kmaq spirit that’s in me. But I do know I needknowledge and I need education. But the kind of education I need has to bereflective of who I am as a Mi’kmaq. And that knowledge that I get, that I willreceive, I have a responsibility with that knowledge to pass it down so otherswill benefit from it.... The kind of legacy that I want to leave my children in thefuture generations is one of which they will be able to excel, they will be able tocompete without having to worry about is the education system going to furthereradicate their selves. 65Call to Action10) We call upon the federal government to draft new Aboriginal education legislationwith the full participation and informed consent of Aboriginal peoples. The newlegislation would include a commitment to sufficient funding and would incorporatethe following principles:i. Providing sufficient funding to close identified educational achievement gapswithin one generation.ii. Improving education attainment levels and success rates.iii. Developing culturally appropriate curricula.iv. Protecting the right to Aboriginal languages, including the teaching ofAboriginal languages as credit courses.