Credits galore on FNUC file

From an opinion piece by Murray Mandryk in the Regina Leader-Post of June 5, 2010.

No one acted more admirably than Cadmus Delorme and the other students, who immediately took the fight to the assembly of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations.

Along with dedicated FNUC teachers such as Randy Lundy, they didn’t quit until the funding was restored this week.

The entire First Nations community should be proud them. We all should.

But absolutely no one deserves more praise than FSIN Chief Guy Lonechild.

Read more in the Leader-Post.

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Todd Russell presents petition in the House of Commons

Thought you might be interested in the following. This morning I presented the first of several such petitions in the House. More to follow before we rise for the summer break.

Todd.

Mr. Todd Russell (Labrador, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, I have the honour to introduce a petition signed by people through Saskatchewan in support of the First Nations University of Canada .

The petitioners wish to draw to the attention of the House that the viability of the First Nations University of Canada was threatened by the removal of provincial and federal funding and that the reinstatement of provincial funds and up to $3 million in federal funds to the proposed student-based support program would not ensure long-term sustainable funding of the First Nations University, that steps have been taken to improve the governance and accountability of the First Nations University and a memorandum of understanding has been signed by all parties, that the founding mission of the university includes a commitment to enhance the quality of life and to preserve, protect and interpret the history, language, culture and artistic heritage of First Nations peoples.

The petitioners state that we must not lose the valuable resource and indigenous knowledge that has been created at the First Nations University and that above all we must the support the students at First Nations University who have demonstrated their dedication, commitment and overwhelming desire for the continuation of the institution.

The petitioners call upon the Government of Canada to work with the students, staff and faculty to build a sustainable and viable future for the First Nations University of Canada by fully reinstating federal funding of at least $7.2 million.

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Tory agenda makes Grit/NDP coalition alluring

From an editorial by Doug Cuthand in the StarPhoenix of April 30, 2010.

The First Nations University of Canada, too, has been cast aside by the federal government. This month’s payroll may well be the last for many FNUC staff. Funds have run out and Ottawa refuses to reinstate its funding despite all the positive moves the university’s new board of governors has made.

The University of Regina is onside to provide administrative support, and the Canadian Association of University Teachers has lifted its censure of FNUC. The university is on the right path to reform, but the federal minister is steadfast in his refusal to support this institution. It’s obvious that First Nations institutions are not part of the Conservative government’s political landscape.

Indian Affairs Minister Chuck Strahl began his political career as a member of the Reform party that begat the Canadian Alliance which morphed into the new Conservative Party of Canada. The Reform party was to the right of the old Progressive Conservative party and made considerable noise about First Nations politics and accountability.

This may have appealed to the Tories’ redneck base, but once in power they tried to bury their past. However they continued to attack First Nations and aboriginal issues. They scrapped the Kelowna Accord, refused to sign on to the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of Indigenous peoples and, when FNUC encountered internal problems, they jumped on the chance to destroy the university.

In spite of the best efforts of the new board, the new president and the University of Regina, the federal government remains steadfast in its desire to shut down FNUC.

Read more in the StarPhoenix.

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Clarke, Joseph spar on FNUC

From an article posted by John Statton to the Meadow Lake Progress web site.

In his letter, [Conservative MP Rob] Clarke noted that the Conservative government is committed to supporting First Nation learners and helping currently enrolled FNUC students finish their academic year. He noted that the government has made $3 million available through the Indian Studies Support Program.

“It’s just very unfortunate to see to the state that now the First Nations University is facing,” said Clarke in a telephone interview.

“I’ve had numerous meetings with Minister Strahl on this very issue. I’d like to point out that the issues are concerns of First Nations University students, for students themselves,” he said.

[NDP candidate Lawrence] Joseph felt that current government programs are not meeting the needs of First Nations.

For more, see the Meadow Lake Progress web site.

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Solidarity Picnic and Barbeque, Thursday April 15, Noon-6pm

Everyone is invited to the Solidarity Picnic and Barbeque on Thursday, April 15, from 12 noon to 6 pm, at First Nations University.

The Solidarity Picnic is an alcohol-free, come-and-go-as-you-please event to be held at the First Nations University of Canada, Treaty 4 land. There will be a large tent, chairs, a stage, and a BBQ area. This event is free.

• Noon-12:10 Arrival
• 12:10 Cadmus Delorme/Diane Adams/or member/s of the FUNnivSA opening remarks
• 12:20 FUNniv Officials including Dr. Herman Michell VP Academic
• 12:35 Local Onlyz (music/hip hop)
• 1pm Dagan Harding(acoustic solo)
• 1:25 Dr. Linda Goulet, FUNniv/ DJ Music
• 1:30 Terrence Littletent & the Kawacatoose Drummer Boys (hoop dancing)
• 2:30 Dr. James McNinch, Dean of Education
• 2:40 The Hoarsemen (tentative) / DJ Music
• 2:50 Mike & Bree (song and story)
• 3:05 Alfred Youngman (acoustic solo)
• 3:12 Lionel Peyachew (acoustic solo)
• 3:20 CUPE 1975/2419/URFA
• 3:30 Rah Rah
• 4:20 Lonesome Weekends
• 4:35 Warren McCall, MLA Elphinstone-Centre/ Dr. Anthony Hall, University of Lethbridge/ DJMusic
• 4:50 Al Fricker performs “A Change Is Gonna Come”
• 5:00 The Nancy Ray-Guns
• 5:50 Keith Goulet, FUNniv/Closing ceremonies

For more information contact:
Marc Spooner at: marc.spooner@uregina.ca
Cadmus Delorme at: cadmusd@hotmail.com
Patrick Lewis at: patrick.lewis@uregina.ca

Made possible through generous support from:

• FNUnivSA
• Presidents of University of Regina and First Nations University
• URSU
• Faculty of Education University of Regina
• CFS- Saskatchewan
• and others

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Letter #73: Keith Goulet

Letter to the editor of the Leader-Post
Mar. 29, 2010

This is a letter of support for the reinstatement of $7 million dollars of federal funding for First Nations University of Canada.

On June 11, 2008 Prime Minister Harper acknowledged the disastrous failure of the Indian residential schools in a statement of apology. He stated,

“Two primary objectives of the residential schools system were to remove and isolate children from the influence of their homes, families, traditions and cultures, and to assimilate them into the dominant culture…Today, we recognize that this policy of assimilation was wrong, has caused great harm, and has no place in our country.”

The decision to cut funding to First Nations University is not only disrespectful to First Nations families, traditions and cultures, it is also a new form of the old colonial policy of assimilation. If the doors of the First Nations University were closed, the students would have to be assimilated into other mainstream institutions. If the Prime Minister truly believes that the policy of assimilation is harmful and wrong, then he should have the funds reinstated.

For over 20 years following the deficit financing of the Grant Devine conservative government in Saskatchewan we have been paying $500 million-$800 million every year on interest payments on the debt. This is money we can’t use towards many outstanding issues. Federally, the $56 billion deficit will take years to repay. Financial management has to be improved but this also holds true for the federal and provincial governments.

A new agreement has been signed and the province has re-instated the $5.2 million. Federal Minister Chuck Strahl previously stated that he would follow the lead of the province. Now is the time for him to take respectful action.

Keith Goulet,
PhD student and former Cabinet Minister

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House Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs meeting on First Nations University

The House Standing Committee on Aboriginal Affairs meeting on First Nations University will be broadcast live on parlvu (web cast) at 1:30 Saskatchewan time (CST), 3:30 to 7:30 EDT.

It will be shown on the parl-vu web site: parlvu.parl.gc.ca. Viewers should use the English feed – the “floor feed” won’t be translated.

The committee’s membership is as follows:

• Chair: Bruce Stanton (Con)

• Vice-Chairs: Jean Crowder (NDP) and Todd Norman Russell (Lib)
• Opposition Members: Larry Bagnell (Lib), Anita Neville (Lib), Yvon Lévesque (Bloc), Marc Lemay (Bloc)
• Conservative members: Rob Clarke (Con), Earl Dreeshen (Con), John Duncan (Con), LaVar Payne (Con), Greg Rickford (Con)

The opposition parties, with six members, have an operational majority on the committee – the chair cannot vote.

More information about the committee and members can be found at their web site at: http://www2.parl.gc.ca/CommitteeBusiness/CommitteeHome.aspx?Cmte=AANO&Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=40&Ses=3

There will be two panels of one and a half hours each. Each panelist has been asked to provide a five minute opening statement, then members will ask questions. The questions rotate between parties, starting with one question from the Liberals, then one from the Bloc, then one from the NDP, then one from the Conservatives, then back to the start again. So far, the following people are confirmed for the panels:

• First panel: Diane Adams, Randy Lundy, Chief Guy Lonechild and Dorothy Myo, Vianne Timmons, James Turk, and someone yet to be confirmed for the province.
• Second panel: Christine Cram, INAC, Del Anaquod and others to be confirmed.

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Letter #44: National Council of Women of Canada

March 18, 2010

The Right Hon. Stephen Harper, P.C., M.P
Prime Minister of Canada
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6

Dear Prime Minister:

RE: FUNDING CUTS TO FIRST NATIONS UNIVERSITY

It has come to our attention that funding to the country’s only First Nations University (a federated college of the University of Regina) has been cut, which means that the University will have to close as of March 31, 2010, unless the Federal Government restores $7.2 million in funding.

It is also our understanding that FNUC, FSIN (Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations) and the University of Regina had put together a transitional management arrangement that would allow the University of Regina to oversee financial matters for a period of four years after which full control would revert to FNUC. The Canadian Association of University Teachers is also fully in support of having funding restored to FNUC.

We strongly urge this government to reconsider this decision and restore funding to FNUC immediately.

Sincerely,

Karen Dempsey
NCWC President

cc: Hon. Michael Ignatieff
Hon. Jack Layton
Hon. Gilles Duceppe
Hon. Chuck Strahl

The National Council of Women of Canada is a federation comprised of Local Councils, Provincial Councils, and National Organizations. Founded in 1893, it was incorporated by an Act of Parliament in 1914 and has been designated by the Government of Canada as being of national historic significance for its role in Canadian women’s history. For more information, consult our web site at www.ncwc.ca or contact our national office at #506, 251 Bank Street, Ottawa, Ontario, K2P 1X3.

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House of Commons, March 5-11, 2010

Hansard, March 5, 2010

Hon. Ralph Goodale (Wascana, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, yesterday’s budget mentions post-secondary education for aboriginal people, but there is no mention of funding and no mention of First Nations University in Regina. That institution is working hard with partners to correct its governance problems. The Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations, the University of Regina and the government of Saskatchewan are all pulling together to help.

Will the federal government fully support these combined efforts to first fix and then preserve First Nations University?

Mr. John Duncan (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, CPC): Mr. Speaker, we continue to work on options to ensure the affected students complete their academic year. That is our primary concern. As previously stated, we will not be renewing the funding agreement with First Nations University. In terms of discussions with the province the department continues to look at a wide range of options for the funding.

Hon. Ralph Goodale (Wascana, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, this is about hundreds of aboriginal and non-aboriginal students now at First Nations University and generations yet to come. It is about treaty rights and it is about the federal minister’s fiduciary responsibilities. It is about the proper administration of a genuine university and $8 million in federal funding without which a noble vision will get thrown out with the bath water.

Specifically, is that money in fact in the federal budget for 2010-11? Exactly where is it in the budget and will it be directed to the students at First Nations University?

Mr. John Duncan (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, CPC): Mr. Speaker, the department has been working since 2005 with the university to address longstanding and systematic problems. There have been allegations of mismanagement of funds, audit information handed to the RCMP commercial crimes unit, and politicization of the board on all issues. Meanwhile attendance has been falling. That is why the university was censured by the major teacher’s union and it is why the province withdrew its funds as well. We need to be accountable to Canadians as well as first nations.

Hansard, March 8, 2010

Hon. Ralph Goodale (Wascana, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, last Thursday the Minister of Agriculture said that the federal government supports the concept of First Nations University and will work with the University of Regina on ways to save the institution. However, on Friday the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development suggested there would be no federal support for First Nations University, period.

Could the minister correct any misimpression here and confirm that some $7 million will be available to and through the University of Regina once the U of R and other partners finalize a remedial plan with First Nations University?

Hon. Chuck Strahl (Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians and Minister of the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, CPC): Mr. Speaker, of course we have announced that the funding for First Nations University will not be renewed. The hon. member would know why.

Back in February 2005 when it all started and even before then, senior administrators were suspended from the university. The then Liberal government launched investigations. Forensic audits were done. Those results were handed over to the commercial crime unit of the RCMP. Subsequent to that, we have tried every conceivable way to try to get First Nations University to change the way it does its administration on the board of governance always without success.

For the sake of transparency and accountability, we have had to remove the funding for First Nations University. There will be funding; that money will be put into the university programming generally–

Hansard, March 10, 2010

Ms. Jean Crowder (Nanaimo—Cowichan, NDP): Mr. Speaker, the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations voted yesterday to turn financial control of First Nations University over to the University of Regina.

Will the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development agree now that he should reinstate funding to the university, or will he let a great institution die, just when the Speech from the Throne says that education is a priority?

Hon. Chuck Strahl (Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians and Minister of the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, CPC): Mr. Speaker, there is some dispute about whether it is a great institution or not.

What we have had over the last number of years is an escalating series of problems, starting with investigations, criminal investigations, forensic audits, and there have been reports of trips to Las Vegas and Hawaii. Now the latest one is that $400,000 of money designed to go to student scholarships has been used for other purposes.

How long does one just cut a blank cheque to that kind of organization? We are here to help the students. That is what we are going to do. That is what we promised to do in the throne speech, and we will deliver on that.

Hansard, March 11, 2010

Hon. Ralph Goodale (Wascana, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development met this morning with Chief Lonechild of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations. The chief no doubt informed the minister about the decisive action he has taken to fix the problems at First Nations University.

Chief Lonechild has worked sincerely and successfully with a new interim board of governors and CEO, with faculty and students, with the University of Regina and Premier Wall’s provincial government. A strong remedial plan is in fact in place. Will the federal minister now support that plan?

Hon. Chuck Strahl (Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians and Minister of the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, CPC): Mr. Speaker, I did meet with the First Nations University delegation today. I repeated our position that the current funding formula for First Nations University ends as of March 31. Of course, we will continue to help aboriginal students directly through our post-secondary programming and institutions through our Indian student support program.

Unfortunately, however, repeated and ongoing efforts over the past several years did not bring about the change in accountability that Canadian taxpayers expect and aboriginal students deserve. It is time to focus our attention on those aboriginal students themselves and ensure we have more and continued success for them going forward.

Hon. Ralph Goodale (Wascana, Lib.): Mr. Speaker, if the minister does not reach the March 31 deadline, if certainty is not achieved by then, First Nations University will begin to disintegrate and faculty, staff, and students will need to go elsewhere. Sadly for hundreds of young aboriginal students, there is no elsewhere. Their dream of post-secondary education will simply be over.

Surely the minister will not visit upon these innocent young people the past sins of others. Will the minister ensure the problems are fixed and multi-year federal funding is in place on time?

Hon. Chuck Strahl (Minister of Indian Affairs and Northern Development, Federal Interlocutor for Métis and Non-Status Indians and Minister of the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, CPC): Mr. Speaker, if the hon. member wants to look at the past sins of others, he should start by getting up in the morning and looking in the mirror.

If he had taken action when he was still the finance minister for the former Liberal government, then perhaps we would not be in this position today. However, he did not take action.

After repeated efforts, time and again, we ended up where we had forensic audits, trips to the commercial crime unit. The last chief financial officer is talking about trips to Las Vegas, trips to Hawaii. Now $400,000 is missing from students’ scholarship funds and we do not know where it is.

It is time to be accountable to taxpayers and to students and get this fixed.

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Faculty and Students appeal to Federal Government

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

8 March 2010 (Regina): Representatives from the First Nations University of Canada (FNUniv) faculty and Students’ Association (FNUnivSA), along with Aboriginal leaders, the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT), and the Assembly of First Nations (AFN), will be in Ottawa this week to appeal to the federal government to reverse its decision to end funding – at the end of this month – for the only Aboriginal university in Canada.

Randy Lundy, Head of FNUniv’s Department of English and Academic Council Chair, and Diane Adams, president of FNUnivSA, will meet with opposition leaders Gilles Duceppe, Michael Ignatieff, and Jack Layton, as well as critics for Aboriginal affairs and post-secondary education.

Guy Lonechild, chief of the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations, will also attend the meetings.

CAUT is facilitating the visit to Ottawa.

In addition to the leaders, the delegation will meet with the following MPs and critics to discuss the issue of FNUniv funding:

Ralph Goodale, MP for Wascana and House Leader for the Official Opposition; Larry Bagnell, Yukon MP and Official Opposition Critic for Arctic Issues & Northern Development; Michael Savage, MP for Dartmouth – Cole Harbour and Official Opposition Critic for Human Resources & Skills Development; and, Senator Lillian Eva (Quan) Dyck; Jean Crowder, NDP Caucus Chair and Critic for First Nations, Metis and Inuit Affairs, and Niki Ashton, NDP Critic for Post-Secondary Education.

Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs, Chuck Strahl has yet to respond to a request to meet with the delegation.

At 10:30 am EST on Thursday, March 11, 2010 a Press Conference is scheduled on Parliament Hill.

Both Lundy and Adams will be available for comment on the main floor of the Regina International Airport Tuesday, 9 March 2010 at 10:30 am.

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