Ottawa, Ontario - traditional and unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg people - Indigenous Services Canada
Today, partners from Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) and the Government of Canada gathered to sign the NAN-Canada Education Reset Table Agreement. This agreement marks an important step forward in the work of education reform and toward First Nations leadership over First Nations education systems in the region. It was signed on Tuesday by NAN Grand Chief Derek Fox and Deputy Grand Chief Bobby Narcisse, and the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous Services.
Through this agreement, both parties will continue working in partnership to support the education systems serving 49 NAN communities to provide safe, culturally appropriate, and high-quality education services in a way that respects the diverse circumstances, strengths, and challenges of their communities. The agreement establishes the NAN-Canada Education Reset Table with a mandate to develop a policy and funding framework that can support the First Nations in NAN territory in exercising greater control over their education systems.
The guiding principles of the partnership between NAN and the Government of Canada include:
- collaborative and transparent decision-making.
- a learner-centred approach.
- equitable services and outcomes.
- equitable, community-centred, and evidence-based funding.
- culturally appropriate discussions and decisions.
Meetings and discussions will also be grounded in the spirit and ethics embodied in the Seven Sacred Teachings of the Anishinaabe.
The future of education for NAN learners must be grounded in remembrance, healing, and reconciliation for First Nations children, youth and families, and all the Survivors of residential schools, Indian Day Schools, the Sixties Scoop, and Ralph Rowe.
