Education Archives | Association of Iroquois and Allied Indians

Ontario Chiefs meet with opposition parties, call for focus on Indigenous issues in upcoming federal election

Posted on March 26, 2015 by Ira Timothy

Chiefs from First Nations across Ontario gathered in Ottawa this week to meet with federal opposition leader Thomas Mulcair and members of his caucus, as well as Liberal critic for Aboriginal Affairs Carolyn Bennett. Chiefs pushed both parties to consider critical First Nations priorities in their upcoming election platforms including lands and resources, education funding, missing and murdered In...

Pushing forward: a reflection on 2014

Posted on December 19, 2014January 26, 2015 by Grand Chief Gord Peters

As 2014 winds down and comes to a close, I have been reflecting on the incredible amount of progress Indigenous peoples have made this year in several high-impact areas. From education, to child welfare, to treaty work, our communities have spent this year exercising their jurisdiction in more and more formidable ways. This year we saw the completion of a precedent-setting human rights tribunal...

Batchewana First Nation Responds to Bill C-33 Rejection

Posted on May 30, 2014December 19, 2014 by Ira Timothy

On Tuesday May 27, 2014 Batchewana leadership attended the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) Special Chief’s Assembly to discuss the Federal Government’s controversial (proposed) Bill C-33.The Act titled, “First Nations Control of First Nations Education”, suggests that First Nations would be granted jurisdiction over education however, the proposed act in itself is an exercise of Federal power, th...

Critical dialogue needed with respect to a First Nation Education Act

Posted on May 26, 2014December 11, 2014 by Ira Timothy

The proposed First Nations Control of First Nations Education Act falls far short of the five conditions set out by the National Chiefs Assembly. We had hoped that, based on the massive rejection of the First Nations Education Act, the federal government would have collaborated with First Nations in a meaningful dialogue on a new approach. Instead, we received the same adversarial attitude wher...

Letter to Minister Valcourt – First Nations Education

Posted on May 16, 2014January 26, 2015 by Grand Chief Gord Peters

Honourable Bernard Valcourt Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development House of Commons Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0H4 Minister Valcourt, Your refusal to meet with First Nations leadership to discuss Bill C-33,First Nations Control of First Nation Education Actis inconsistent with the honour of the Crown. On May 15th, 2014, the NDP Aboriginal Affairs Critic, Jean Crowder, asked i...

Stay the Course — Protect Our Children

Posted on May 2, 2014December 11, 2014 by Ira Timothy

Grand Chief Gordon Peters issued the following statement regarding the National Chief’s resignation: It is unfortunate that Mr. Atleo felt he could not carry through in his role as National Chief when there are so many critical issues facing our peoples. The announcement this afternoon does not change our responsibility to ensure that we protect our children’s education. We will stay the cou...

An open letter to the Prime Minister on Bill C-33

Posted on April 29, 2014January 26, 2015 by Grand Chief Gord Peters

he Right Honourable Stephen Harper Office of the Prime Minister 80 Wellington St. Ottawa, ON K1A 0A2 Subject: Open Letter to the Prime Minister on Bill C-33 (to be published) Dear Prime Minister, Since 1867, the Government of Canada has been paternalistic and adversarial in denying our inherent rights that flow from our homelands and violates our treaties with the Crown. Yet Canada n...