Send to Members of Parliament, Senate

DRAFT: Form Letter for First Nations, Allied Organizations, Individuals, Agencies, Organizations, Canadians

: Send to Members of Parliament, Senate

Dear Member of Parliament/Senate

I am seeking your support in defeating the proposed First Nations Education Act of the government of Canada.

We agree that changes must be made in First Nations education and we encourage you as leaders in Canada to meet with First Nations leaders to respectfully strategize solutions that will serve us all.

All Canadians should have equitable opportunity to, access to clean water, choices in housing, health services and a good education that prepares one for a life of contributing to the well being of society at home and globally.

Sadly this is not the case for most First Nations in Canada who are funded by the government of Canada and are expected to run their own school systems according to government formulas. Old formulas from the 1980’s called Band Operated Funding Formula(BOFF) were not designed to run a schools butthey are still in use today. The (BOFF)fails to provide funds for gyms, science labs, libraries, computer labs, language immersion or recreation programs. Most First Nations use their entire BOFF funding to pay teacher salaries and are forced to seek alternative funding to support classroom activities, thus requiring the First Nation to prepare proposals to the Federal Government and other sources on an annual basis. This process has a negative impact on planning, stability and the every day operations of the school.

Funding limits were placed on education budget of AANDC since the 1990’s and have not changed despite the provincial rates rising at 4-7% annually. Teacher salaries are notoriously 30%-40% lower than their correspondingly licensed provincial colleagues and government has noted such discrepancies since 1946.

We live in a complex but integrated society where the economic and social impacts of a well-educated citizenry affect the well being and economy for all of us. Estimates conclude that closing the gap in graduation rates for Aboriginal peoples and Canadians would place $115 billion in the Canadian economy in social services savings and $400 billion in economic contributions in the form of income taxes and purchasing power of First Nations.

Severe underfunding has created a crisis in First Nations school systems. The crisis extends to the provincial school system where an estimated one third of First Nations students will walk out/drop out in this school year.

The effectiveness of any school program in retaining First Nations students is the foundation of culturally responsive education based on Indigenous languages, cultures, spirituality and history. Funds for the development of Culturally Responsive Education curricula and training of teachers are also notably lacking.

The importance of maintaining First Nations languages and cultures is essential to strengthening First Nations and ensuring social justice and equity. Canada needs to fulfill its obligations that it made when Canada signed the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

First Nations governments are moving toward the exercise of jurisdiction in education through the development of their own laws for self-determination based on inherent rights and treaty rights.

In developing a First Nations Education Act without First Nations leadership at the table from the start, the Government of Canada has failed to co-create the ACT in the spirit of reconciliation with First Nations Governments and failed to develop a meaningful partnership promised in the Crown First Nations gatherings. Long-term problems demand long-term solutions.

I urge you to vote against the First Nations Education Act as a unilateral instrument of continued assimilation and domination of First Nations by the Canadian government.

I urge you to restructure a new set of conciliatory meetings to resolve the First Nation education crisis.

Nov. 2, 2013