ABORIGINAL AND INDIGENOUS EDUCATION ACTION PLAN

PRESENTATION TO REGIONAL MEETINGSOCTOBER 2016

BACKGROUND

• Plan emerged from 2015 Executive Strategic Priority

• October, 2015: discussion paper adopted by Executive- outlines the key concepts and principles for further plan development. Development referred to MSBA Aboriginal Education Committee

• December, 2015: MSBA Aboriginal Education Committee meets for first time to develop “the plan”. Committee membership is expanded to include trustees, as well as significant education and Aboriginal partners.

• Discussion paper is approved. Committee name is amended to “Aboriginal and Indigenous” to reflect the realities of “time” and “place” associated with Manitoba’s First Peoples.

FIRST MEETING: DECEMBER 2016Approval of KEY CONCEPTS:

• many Aboriginal and Indigenous Peoples have their own aspirationsfor education

• all Aboriginal and Indigenous Peoplesexercise rights of self-governance and self-determination

• some Aboriginal and Indigenous Peoples have guaranteed education rights under treaties

• we are all called to action in matters of truth and reconciliation

FIRST MEETING: DECEMBER 2015Approval of GUIDING PRINCIPLES:

• Appreciative Inquiry• Collaboration and non-duplication• Consensus• Cultural autonomy• Cultural competency and proficiency• Wholism

All concepts and guiding principles are explained in detail within the discussion paper

GUIDING QUESTIONSWhat can school boards themselves do, to affect positive and meaningful impacts?

What are school boards alone mandated to do, that we alone can do?

FIRST MEETING: DECEMBER 2015Approval of five KEY OBJECTIVES:• To expand board capacity and proficiency in Aboriginal and

Indigenous matters.• To enhance representation and voice of Aboriginal and Indigenous

Peoples in school governance.• To promote greater equity and justice through inclusive workplaces

and organizational practices in the public school system. • To foster a culture of innovation and creativity for addressing

Aboriginal and Indigenous student success.• To acknowledge truth and champion reconciliation in public

education.

FROM JANUARY TO MAY 2016, EACH MEETING FOCUSED ON DEFINING MEANING AND ACTIONS FOR ONE PRIORITY

JANUARY 2016

EXPANDING BOARD CAPACITY AND PROFICIENCY IN ABORIGINAL AND INDIGENOUS MATTERS

KEY ACTIONS

1. Identify local external resources to assist with development of capacity and proficiency.

2. Collaborate on the MFNERC Provincial Transition Initiative.

3. Produce virtual workshop videos for professional development.

4. Continue to work with MASS and MTS through Emamawi initiative.

PRESENTER: DARREN MCKEESASKATCHEWAN SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION

In attempting to enhance relations between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities, it is important for all public school boards to recognize that tensions

within such relationships will often occur naturally, owing to the long history of Aboriginal and Indigenous communities with education systems– too much tension or

too little engagement in relationships requires careful correction.

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

FEBRUARY 2016

PROMOTING GREATER EQUITY AND JUSTICE THROUGH INCLUSIVE WORKPLACES AND ORGANIZATIONAL

PRACTICES IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM

PRESENTER: CRAIG HALLABORIGINAL HUMAN RESOURCE COUNCIL

KEY ACTIONS

5. Engage all Faculties of Education in Manitoba to review teacher capacity.

6. Provide all school boards with a goods and services procurement guide.

7. Develop a voluntary workplace diagnostic survey to evaluate organizational inclusion.

8. Explore opportunities with the Aboriginal Human Resource Council for boards to access online training and development opportunities.

There are several indicators of inclusive and equitable workplaces and organizations, reflected through policy as well as through practice. Relevant indicators tend to focus on establishing inclusive policy and practice frameworks pertaining to governance and leadership, community engagement, human resource development and employment,

communications, and capital/goods and services procurement.

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

MARCH 2016

ENHANCING REPRESENTATION AND VOICE OF ABORIGINAL AND INDIGENOUS PEOPLES IN SCHOOL

GOVERNANCE

KEY ACTIONS

9. Develop a guide for engagement and participation of Elders and other recognized community advisors and teachers in school board processes.

10. Send memo with copy of the guide to all school boards and superintendents.

11. Develop manual re: public consultation and community engagement processes, as well as democratic mentorship initiatives, with Aboriginal and Indigenous peoples and communities.

12. Develop and implement a research informed strategy for enhancing participation of Aboriginal and Indigenous candidates, through MSBA’s pre-election candidate information sessions and recruitment initiatives.

PRESENTERS: VICTORIA BLACKBIRD AND KEVIN SETTEECHAIR, ROLLING RIVER SCHOOL BOARD / CANDIDATE (2014),

WINNIPEG SCHOOL BOARD

…ensuring that specific invitations are received by local Aboriginal and Indigenous community members in advance of… consultative processes can be a catalyst for promoting greater participation, representation and voice in school board decision-making.

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

APRIL 2016

FOSTERING A CULTURE OF INNOVATION AND CREATIVITY FOR ADDRESSING ABORIGINAL AND

INDIGENOUS STUDENT SUCCESS

KEY ACTIONS

13. Share the Niji Mahkwa and Children of the Earth whole school learning models with all school boards.

14. Share relevant information pertaining to the optimization of language instruction resources across Manitoba.

15. Distribute a memorandum encouraging all divisions to prominently feature any Adult Learning Centre or Adult Literacy Program on their divisional website or other lists of schools operated by each division.

16. Continue to work with all co-signors and partners to promote the Collaborative Blueprint for Indigenous Education

PRESENTERS: ROB RIEL, CHRIS GORING, JACKIE CONNELLWINNIPEG SCHOOL DIVISION

Creativity and innovation ought to be informed by the community as a whole, rather than by just one team or group of divisional staff members. Listening and hearing the

community’s ideas can help to spur new approaches and strategies and capture valuable teachings or concepts that can be passed along to new generations through

the local context of public education.

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

MAY 2016

ACKNOWLEDGING TRUTH AND CHAMPIONING RECONCILIATION IN PUBLIC EDUCATION

KEY ACTIONS

17. Recommend policy and practice for formal integration of Elders and traditional community teachers into school programming, for language learning and capacity.

18. Host a provincial forum focused on language learning across the early, middle and senior years.

19. Ensure that all Manitoba high school libraries are provided with copies of “A Knock on the Door” and “Wahbung, Our Tomorrows”.

20. Coordinate TRC calls to action on greater funding equality and resources, and the enhancement of language instruction within the public education system.

21. Promote the formal recognition of Aboriginal and Indigenous languages as founding languages of Canada by Federal and Provincial Governments.

PRESENTER: CHARLENE BEARHEADNATIONAL TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION CENTRE

If school boards agree to champion reconciliation, this reflects a very strong commitment by accepting leadership and therefore, through taking action. This is the desired starting point that was intended by the TRC. It is important to recognize the

past, including the residential school experience, and ensure that it is never forgotten through the ongoing education of future generations of Canadian students. However,

this should not be the only or final objective of the public education system.

QUOTE OF THE MONTH

GENERAL PRIORITIES

ENGAGING MULTIPLE PRIORITIES

KEY ACTIONS

22. Distribute the MET Smudging Protocol and Guidelines to all boards. Further, develop a policy template for recognition and use of ceremonial tobacco and smudging on school properties.

23. Encourage formal acknowledgement of traditional territories and lands in all Manitoba school divisions. Lobby the Government of Manitoba alongside of education partners, to amend The Schools Patriotic Observances Regulation.

24. Issue memo to all boards encouraging use of achievement and engagement data in school planning.

25. Work with MASS and MASBO to develop a best practices and models guide addressing supports for student transience.

CROSS-CUTTING THEMES AND ACTIONS

CSBA

2016-2019 STRATEGIC PLAN ACTIONS

a) Draft advocacy correspondence and statement on Federal and Provincial funding in support of First Nations education

b) Compile, via national questionnaire, general and best practices for FNMI education

c) Support for the work of the Assembly of First Nations in the aftermath of Attawapiskat

d) Draft letter of inquiry re: policy frameworks and clarification emerging from the decision of the Supreme Court of Canada in Daniels v. Canada

e) Monitor upcoming conferences for opportunities to submit presentations on the work of school boards relative to Aboriginal and Indigenous education. Focus on WIPCE.

f) Promote the National Trustee Gathering on Aboriginal Education at future conventions of the National School Boards Association, issue formal invitations to national Aboriginal and Indigenous Organizations.

FIRST NATIONS, MÉTIS AND INUIT PRIORITIES

NEXT STEPS1) Planning for a formal launch event2) Let’s get started, there’s no time to lose!

PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE:

DISCUSSION PAPER

HTTP://WWW.MBSCHOOLBOARDS.CA/DOCUMENTS/PAPERABEDACTIONPLAN.PDF

FINAL REPORTHTTP://WWW.MBSCHOOLBOARDS.CA/DOCUMENTS/FINALREPORTABEDACTION2016.PDF

TO READ THE FULL VERSION OF THE FINAL REPORTAND TO ACCESS THE DISCUSSION PAPER

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION

“EDUCATION IS THE NEW BUFFALO”

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT THE ASSOCIATION