Lifelong Learning: Early Childhood Development (ECD) - Kindergarten to Grade 12 (K12)

Summary Of Discussions - Métis Breakout Session

Addressing Issues of Jurisdiction and Control

Launch Question:

How will we address the issues of jurisdiction and control that are impacting on the delivery of, and access to, and success within, early childhood development and K-12 programs and services?

The group identified the essential elements of the lifelong learning continuum as follows:

• the preservation of the Métis culture and language;
• the Métis people are the owners of their own destiny: Otipemsewak;
• ownership of the lifelong learning continuum for the Métis would be by the Métis, through the Métis and driven by the Métis;
• the validation of traditional knowledge and that the Eurocentric methods are not the only way;
• bridging knowledge assets;
• protecting intellectual property rights; and
• the purpose of lifelong learning is to ensure a thriving Métis Nation for the future.

Immediate and long-term recommended actions for addressing issues of jurisdiction and control included:

Immediate

• address the legal question on who has jurisdiction for the Métis;
• governance systems need to be defined by the Métis to end the conflict of values and issues of accountability between the federal, provincial, and municipal levels of government;
• the recognition of one Métis Nation in Canada;
• the system needs to reflect the unique and distinct values, culture, governing authorities and language of the Métis;
• the Métis need to mobilize and call on existing institutions to be accountable to the Métis;
• conduct Métis specific research into the values of a Métis education system;
• empower the Métis to be pro-active and have the capacity and authority to conduct research and develop reports on lifelong learning;
• Métis developed curriculum based on Métis specific research;
• set up Métis education bodies to liaise and work with provinces and the federal government;
• fund Métis organizations and institutions to conduct research and evaluations to make informed changes to ECD and K-12 initiatives;
• support the existing Métis institutions to do core work (i.e. the Louis Riel Institute, the Gabriel Dumont Institute and Métis child and family service agencies);
• that there be cross-departmental collaboration at the federal level to address Métis educational issues;
• the Métis National Council (MNC) has the necessary structure and needs the capacity to address sectoral needs;
• the MNC has become the vehicle of support and can coordinate lifelong learning strategies;
• support those who have succeeded (i.e. mentoring initiative);
• create Métis federal task forces for all sectors;
• the federal government assumes responsibility for the Métis people in all aspects;
• the Inherent Right Policy be addressed and enforced;
• that the obligations to Métis children under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child be met;
• provinces take responsibility to collaborate with the Métis on education in a tripartite process;
• establish a national Métis education secretariat;
• an inventory of Métis educators undertaken; and
• Métis adult councils or school boards established at the provincial and national levels.

Long-term

• move toward Métis control and ownership of ECD and K-12;
• design now for the future;
• future educational model must include Métis context/values in all subject areas;
• Métis students should have the option to go to a mainstream or to Métis educational institutions;
• expand educational options available to the Métis living in rural or northern locations;
• increase the importance and availability of ECD initiatives (birth to 6 months of age);
• that there be federal, provincial, and Métis Nation discussions on ECD and K-12 initiatives;
• legislation that recognizes the Métis as a founding nation of Canada that will lead to similar funding available to the francophone population;
• success would be a proud, healed, whole, accepted and preserved Métis culture and population;
• a transfer of resources and authority to the Métis similar to the Aboriginal Human Resource Development Strategy (AHRDS) model;
• that an environmental scan be undertaken to determine Métis people/resources available in ECD and K-12;
• new dedicated funding, including resources to assist and meet the educational needs of Métis living with disabilities;
• establish a task force to explore Métis ECD and K-12 with the provincial, federal Métis representation; and
• work to develop a Métis based holistic curriculum.

How will we work with others to implement the recommendations?

• work with the Métis Nation governance structure at the national, regional and local levels;
• develop a multilateral process where the Métis Nation, the federal and provincial governments can work together to address Métis specific issues (nation to nation);
• core and long-term funding to the Métis people;
• recognition of responsibility by the federal government for funding to the Métis;
• establishment of a coordinating body to develop educational models;
• INAC establish a task force with provincial and federal Métis representation similar to that of the AHRDS;
• allow the Métis to develop and design programs in direct response to the needs of the Métis people;
• use the existing structures already in place to address the needs of the Métis;
• look at what is working and build on those positive structures;
• work with educators, relevant groups, organizations and institutions to ensure the betterment of the quality of education for Métis children;
• develop partnerships and utilize the resources and expertise of the Métis people; and
• develop institutions to deliver programs, conduct research and conduct a national survey to create a registry of ECD and K-12 Métis initiatives.

Improving Access and Integration

Launch Question:

What adaptations and collaborative approaches are needed to improve access to Early Child Development and Kindergarten to Grade 12 programming and services?

• more funding for ECD and K-12 is required for the Métis Nation;
• federal government and provinces need to become like minded in the support of ECD and K-12 programs and funding strategies;
• Métis values need to be reflected on and validated in the school curriculum;
• the pedagogy of education must reflect the Métis culture, history and language. In Northern communities for example, traditional resources and key experience (i.e. hunting, fishing, and trapping are used in the curriculum);
• Métis access to all federal and provincial programs related to ECD and K-12;
• one Métis Nation Registry;
• teaching mentorship initiatives for Métis teachers;
• transportation resources (drivers, vans, etc.) in both rural and urban communities;
• expanding eligibility for programs that may be a question of jurisdiction;
• equitable Métis access and representation on the boards of existing Aboriginal programs;
• allow Métis to mold/own these initiatives to suit specific needs;
• Métis sensitive curriculum that drives/creates a need for provincial and federal mandates specific to the Métis;
• develop curriculum and educational resources for an approved Métis resource list;
• funding to address the needs of Métis children with disabilities and special needs;
• develop a culturally appropriate assessment tool specific to Métis children;
• Métis people within the educational environment at all levels with decision making abilities;
• take the best of the best practices, develop them and then implement them;
• lead changes to the mainstream educational system so that it relates to the Métis;
• implement the findings of culturally appropriate assessment and evaluation tools;
• adapt and develop a learning model for e-learning that can be brought to the community level;
• do not remove learner from the community for an education;
• have community input in the classroom; and
• Métis specific ECD learning programs need to be available and sustainable in all communities.

Building Capacity and Sustainability—Curriculum Development and Research

Launch Question:

What capacity supports (e.g. human resources, infrastructure, sustainability, etc.) are needed to ensure Aboriginal communities participation and progress on shared ECD and K-12 priorities?

Goal

• Reclaiming and preserving Métis culture and language are the foundation of the lifelong learning continuum.

Key Message

Establish a Métis specific multilateral process including the federal, provincial, territorial and Métis Nation governments, on lifelong learning for the purposes of long-term planning and implementing ECD and K-12 initiatives. The process would lead to an accord and ultimately an agreement on a model of implementation similar to the current Aboriginal Human Resource Development Strategy Model.

What needs to happen to create a lifelong learning environment that works for the Métis Nation?

• support the Métis Nation to develop the capacity to undertake Métis specific curriculum development, research and publications;
• cultural curriculum that reflects and informs students with Métis history infused in all curriculum in all schools (ECD, K-12, post-secondary);
• remedial or professional development to provide tools for teachers and teacher’s aides (i.e. sensitivity training);
• assessment and evaluation tools that capture and celebrate Métis strengths and gifts;
• strategy to identify and value living role models drawn from the Métis community to set strong examples for youth;
• support the design of programs for children with unique needs;
• develop a way of accrediting Métis members, role models and Elders and facilitating their presence in schools;
• promote a full spectrum of career options to Métis children through career counselling;
• have the current education systems integrated into a Métis system;
• document and write Métis history and make it available through Métis and mainstream curriculum;
• create a Métis National Council website with an inventory of programs;
• implement the inherent rights policy for Métis as it relates to lifelong learning and provide appropriate capacity for its success;
• address the misdiagnosis of Métis children to minimize childhood diseases and the impact of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD);
• access existing systems and institutions and their ability to preserve the Métis culture, language, history and identity;
• teachers need to promote Métis knowledge and culture;
• the government needs to devolve authority/funds to support existing structures already in place across the Métis Nation;
• increase the access to Métis cultural resources to support children who are wards of the province;
• money to train people to assist teachers and students and to ensure materials developed are effective; and
• community action programs for children with an increase in funding to create Métis specific projects.

What government needs to do

• no feasibility studies are required, action is now needed;
• make sure all programs are accessible to Métis people;
• commit and deliver funding in a timely fashion;
• work with the Métis to develop an accountability structure;
• that the federal government take on its fiduciary responsibility;
• any implementation model must be Métis specific and respect the Métis government structure;
• funding to develop and implement Métis specific assessment tools, such as prenatal and ECD;
• cross ministerial working committee to discuss, identify and implement short-term deliverables for the next fiscal year;
• core funding to design and deliver a national ECD and child care program for Métis children; and
• federal government should work in a more horizontal fashion to simplify the work with the Métis.

What indicates progress in occurring?

• pride in being Métis and it shows in every way;
• understanding and acceptance by all Canadians of who the Métis people are;
• Métis believe in and support their children’s learning and development;
• fifty percent (50%) of curriculum (ECD/K-12) is written by and for Métis;
• teachers promoting Métis knowledge and culture;
• Métis reclaiming the preservation of the Métis Nation (history, culture, identity and music);
• existing institutions are accountable for their degree of success in preserving Métis culture;
• rise in children self-identifying as Métis;
• existence of Métis schools and universities all along the lifelong learning spectrum;
• prenatal support/midwifery needs to be reclaimed leading to healthier children;
• nuclear family reclaimed/strengthened; and
• non-academic intergenerational knowledge accepted and valued.

Application of the Crosscutting Lenses—Métis

The Métis addressed the crosscutting lenses of disability and recommended new and dedicated funding including resources specifically for Métis children with disabilities and special needs. Additional comments included:

• expansion of options to rural, northern, etc. (jurisdiction and control recommendations);
• we will all be in the same room (working with others recommendation);
• in northern communities traditional resource use (e.g. hunting, fishing, trapping) should be a key experience (improving access recommendation); and
• transportation (rural and urban)—money for drivers, vans, etc. (improving access recommendation).

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The documentation contained on this website does not necessarily represent the views of any government or National Aboriginal Organization. The purpose of this website is to share information related to the Canada-Aboriginal Peoples Roundtable: background papers, Facilitator's sectoral and final reports, agendas and media announcements.

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