Students walk to remind community of funding concerns

From an article by Angela Hill in the Prince Albert Daily Herald of April 21, 2010.

Despite it being exam period the handful of students picked up banners and walked from the main campus at 1501 Central Avenue to the southern city limits. Teachers and other students at the campus gave the walkers a cheering send off.

For more, see the Prince Albert Daily Herald web site.

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Students Produce Play about First Nations University

First Nations University Drama Group
in conjunction with the Student Association
are pleased to present …

“Heartbeat”

an original play

To bring unity and recognition to
First Nations University of Canada

E.A. Rawlinson Centre for the Arts
in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan
7:00 p.m., Thursday, April 15, 2010
admission by donation

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New president assumes post at troubled First Nations University

From an article by Kerry Benjoe published in the Montreal Gazette on April 2, 2010.

“There’s much work to be done in a very short period time,” said Pete. “But I think that the work both the board has done and the interim administration team has done has really paved the way for my role coming in at this point.”

Pete said she wants to remind everyone that the university has a long history in the province and plays an important role in the community.

She plans on focusing the next six months working with others to get federal funding restored to the university.

“I have to commend all the folks that have been involved to date,” said Pete. “They have worked under time crunches and, in some ways, impossible odds. They’ve done it with grace and dignity and they’ve carried forward with a very clear focus, and I hope to assume that very clear focus.”

Read more in the Montreal Gazette.

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Students live-in for their education future

From an article by Angela Hall in the Prince Albert Daily Herald of March 24, 2010.

Hours before the live-in began the province announced that a memorandum of understanding, which will see funds flow to the university through the University of Regina, was signed.

“That makes us happy, we need to hear announcements like that. It’s a relief for us, but it hasn’t solved the whole problem” said Lydia Ross, chief of the northern campus student’s association.

The funding from the MOU with the province only covers a couple of programs including nursing education and dentistry. Other programs, such as Indian Social Work, will be left out, said Rosealee Naumann, the student association’s executive secretary.

“Just one more big announcement from the Feds and we will be happy, back sleeping in our own beds,” she said.

Read more in the Prince Albert Daily Herald.

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Province restores funding to First Nations University

From an article by Murray Wood on the NewsTalk 980 web site, posted March 23, 2010.

With just over one week till the First Nations University of Canada was about to run out of funding arrangements, a reprieve from the Saskatchewan government.

An agreement is being announced that will see the province restore $5.2 million in annual funding for the school. It calls for FNUC to partner with the University of Regina, and as earlier agreed to, the U of R would administer funding.

However there are challenges still to keeping the school going. Ottawa has so far refused to return over 7 million dollars in annual funding. Norris says he’ll do his best to persuade Indian Affairs Minister Chuck Strahl to support the new arrangement.

Read the full article on the NewsTalk 980 site.

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Letter #47: Rosealee Naumann

To: MLA of Prince Albert

Dear Mr. Furber,

The Media has released information that will affect First Nations University of Canada. On Feb 8, 2010 it was released that the federal government was to cut its funding. The amount of funding to be cut is $7.2 million. This non-renewal of $7.2 million in funding is another severe loss in addition to the already withheld $5.2 million dollars in funding from the provincial government.

As a student enrolled in programming facilitated by the FNUniv I am seriously concerned about the future of academic programs being gravely affected by these funding cuts. These funding cuts will have detrimental affects throughout Prince Albert and northern communities. Please understand that these cuts are not just associated with the Regina and Saskatoon campuses but will have serious implications for the Prince Albert Campus.

Currently there are 440 students to date that are enrolled in various programs, at different sites within Prince Albert, and Northern communities such as Ile la Crosse, Black Lake, La Ronge. The dissolution of the FNUniv, primarily in Prince Albert will affect these 440 students and surrounding areas. And this is the largest student body of the FNUniv of Regina campus and Saskatoon. A majority of these students are from northern communities, have traveled great distance to be part of the greater good of educating themselves and have uprooted there families, families which contribute to the downtown core of Prince Albert.

This institution is very important to everyone. We have the only Dental Therapy program offered in Canada, the Nursing Education Program of Saskatchewan is truly unique, the Indian Social Work program is a non transferrable program, where are these students going to go? The impact to Prince Albert is comparable to the loss of Weyerhaeuser.

Please understand that these funding cuts are severing any hopes and dreams of future Native and Non Native students to access quality world class education in Prince Albert Saskatchewan. The funding cuts proposed to FNUniv will negatively impact the core downtown area of Prince Albert. The economic impact will be felt if the FNUniv will have to close its doors.

Please advocate on our behalf to reinstate the funding for FNUniv.

Respectfully Attending student at FNUC

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Action #2: Prince Albert Love-in

Prince Albert Love-in Poster

Join us Tuesday at 4:30 and move into your school.

The students will be occupying `Our’ institution to URGE both governments to reinstate our funding with FNUniv!!

No funding to First Nations University of Canada and the doors will close.

The time for action is now!!

Bring your sleeping bags and your tooth brush and show your support that you Will not let the government keep your dreams of success from becoming a reality

WHERE: Second site on 11th Street

Student Lounge

WHEN: Tuesday, March 23, 2010 at 4:30

HOW LONG?!?

For as long as it takes to get our money back!!!!

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Reason #19: The Wiseman Mathematics Contest

The Wiseman Mathematics Contest is an annual competition for grade 4 and 5 mathematics students in First Nations schools. The purpose of Wiseman Mathematics Contests is to motivate young students in First Nations schools to learn mathematics in competitive environment. It is the first mathematics contest in North America developed especially for Aboriginal students.

Though there is a variety of other mathematics contests in North America, very often Aboriginal students are not encouraged strongly enough to participate in those competitions. Most of the contest organizers require a registration fee from the school; sometimes the schools have to pay a fee for each contestant. That is just one of the factors discouraging First Nations schools to participate in math contests. On the other hand, unlike traditional math contests Wiseman Mathematics Contest is absolutely free of any registration or participation fee.

Traditional math contests do not encourage the teachers; only contestants are awarded. The Wiseman Mathematics contest recognizes the significant role of teachers. The teachers of winners are awarded by books to help them teach and other presents. Furthermore, in contrast to traditional math contests, all of the contestants in the Wiseman Mathematics Contest are recognized. We send participation and merit certificates to all contestants. This approach to awards motivates all students to participate in the competition, even if they are not expecting high results.

Teachers use our preparatory materials as extracurricular activity resources. Some teachers have asked us to extend the age interval of the contest at least up to grade 9. Though the Wiseman Mathematics Contest is addressed to First Nations schools, some public schools with large Aboriginal student contingents have also shown an interest to our contest. We have provided preparatory materials to those schools as well.

The 2008 cycle of the competition was sponsored by the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority (SIGA). Fifteen First Nations schools from Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba participated in the contest. We provided preparatory materials to 460 registered students. The winners were awarded with recognition and cash prizes. The math teachers received gifts of books.

Since 2008 the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) has been supporting The Wiseman Mathematics Contest through the PromoScience program. The 2009 cycle was also sponsored by SIGA and SaskEnergy. In the 2009 cycle we extended geography of the contest; twenty one First Nations schools and one public school from British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Ontario were registered for the Contest. We provided preparatory materials for 504 students. The top winners were invited to the award ceremony in Northern Campus (Prince Albert) of FNUniv. After the award ceremony, the Northern Campus staff organized a campus tour for the winners.

We are now planning to start the cycle 2010 of the contest. Within this cycle we will again extend the geographical range of participating First Nations schools.

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Message from the President of the University of Regina

Message from Vianne Timmons, President of the University of Regina

These have been a difficult few weeks for many of us at the University of Regina – but even more so for our colleagues at First Nations University of Canada. During that time, there has been a lot of uncertainty, and there has been a lot of sadness as well. I have felt it myself on campus and in the larger community, and I have heard it in the words of many of you – particularly in the dialogue sessions held in mid-February at the University of Regina and the First Nations University campuses in Regina, Saskatoon and Prince Albert.

But with that sadness, I have seen a lot of hope and pride – and that’s something we have to remember and build on in the weeks and months ahead. We have all seen First Nations University students doing everything they can to save their beloved institution – meeting with their leaders, holding public demonstrations, and serving as a strong reminder that students must be the first consideration in any academic or administrative decision. To me, that has been so inspiring.

As many of you know, whenever I speak on campus or in the larger community, I always emphasize that “The University of Regina is YOUR university” – and I mean that with all my heart. We all have an active interest in this institution and in all of its Federated Colleges, which have been such an important part of our University for decades. It has been so heartening for me to see your pride of place and your support for your First Nations University colleagues.

I am proud of your support for First Nations University faculty, staff and students, and proud of the respectful discussion that has taken place about this funding crisis. Respectful discussion and engagement are the keys to moving forward – and that’s the spirit in which this challenge will be resolved.

Respectful discussion really came to the fore in the dialogue sessions for faculty and staff which I attended. These sessions were important to me, because while there has been a lot of focus in the past weeks on meeting the educational needs of our students, we must not lose sight of the needs of faculty and staff. Students are our reason for being here, but we must also listen to our faculty and staff because you serve our students so well as you carry out our academic mission.

At those dialogue sessions, I heard your concerns and got a better understanding of how the First Nations University funding crisis is affecting you and others you know – academically, professionally, and personally. That’s what I wanted to hear. For me and for the University as a whole to be an informed, sensitive partner who is advocating for and helping find solutions for First Nations education in the province, I need the best information available – information from you.

I want that dialogue to continue, so if you weren’t able to voice your comments at any of the dialogue sessions, I encourage you to let me know your thoughts. What is important to you? What must we all pay attention to? What can’t we lose sight of? What should we work toward? What shouldn’t we work toward?

Respectful engagement not only characterized the mid-February dialogue sessions with faculty and staff, but was also a key component of the partner meetings held around the same time between the federal and provincial governments, the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations (FSIN), and the University of Regina. From these discussions emerged the idea of a new partnership model with First Nations University, and this was a ray of hope for First Nations education in the province at what seemed like a very dark time.

A working group involving representatives from both governments, FSIN, the University of Regina and First Nations University of Canada has been formed to develop this new partnership model for First Nations University. This new model must be developed, approved and implemented by early March – an indication both of the urgency and the commitment of everyone involved to find a solution.

What form will the new partnership model for First Nations University take? What form CAN it take? Regardless of the structure it might take, the University of Regina is committed to the principle that forms the foundation of First Nations University of Canada – that First Nations people are the ones to define how their education will be provided – and it is important that any new partnership model takes that principle into account.

That’s why respectful engagement between the partners is so crucial – to find a financial and governance model that is acceptable to all. We must work respectfully toward and remain open to a solution that helps move us forward together, and preserves and builds on the First Nations culture, learning, and pride upon which First Nations University of Canada was founded.

I’m optimistic that the working group will find such a solution and begin implementing it in the coming weeks. I will update this message as required over that time in order to keep you up to date on the situation.

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Letter #18: Grandmothers Caring for Grandchildren

Dear Mr. Norris,

We are grandmothers living in Regina that are presently raising some of our grandchildren. We belong to The Grandmothers Caring for Grandchildren organization at the University of Regina’s Center for Continuing Education. We have met and discussed at length the implications of the withdrawal of provincial and federal funding from the First Nations University of Canada.

Collectively speaking, we agree that:

1. It is essential to have funding restored to the First Nations University of Canada as soon as possible. Not only are the needs of students that are midway through their semester in jeopardy of not being able to write their exams in March, but Faculty wages are in jeopardy at the end of this month. Students will also need funding throughout the summer in order to complete their classes. That is just for the short term.
2. It is time that the First Nations University of Canada received stable funding on an ongoing basis. The First Nations University of Canada’s sister colleges, Campion College and Luther College, receive stable funding through transfer payments. So too should the First Nations University of Canada receive stable funding. The late Dr. Oliver Brass always said that the SIFC/FNUniv needed stable funding in order to grow. When he was president of the SIFC/FNUniv he referred to this funding question 20 years ago when he stated, “Now is the time, this is the place, and we are the people.” Stable funding will enable the First Nations University of Canada to become stable and finally, mature.
3. We want our grandchildren to have the opportunity to retain their First Nations languages. The First Nations University of Canada is where the five languages of Saskatchewan’s First Nations are taught. No other university in the world has faculty capable of delivering such a program. Therefore, it is essential to retain the First Nations University of Canada.
4. The faculty of the First Nations University of Canada is of the highest caliber and deserves the stability and assurance of continued employment. The faculty and their families are solid contributing members to the cities of Regina, Saskatoon, and Prince Albert; the province of Saskatchewan; and Canada. We cannot lose the expertise of these professors and their contributions to teaching, research, and community building.

Recently, the University of Regina promised to assist in seeing that the students would not fall through the cracks after your government and the federal government decided to pull funding from the First Nations University of Canada. As of today, your promise to channel the five million dollars in funding through the U of R in order to cover costs thereby ensuring the students and faculty do not suffer because of decisions beyond their control, has not been forthcoming.

In fact, we understand that the province has asked the University of Regina and the University of Saskatchewan to cut their budgets by 5%. How on earth can these universities expect to pick up the pieces of the First Nations University of Canada? There is no doubt that these universities have the best intentions as they themselves recognize the value and uniqueness of the First Nations University. They know, for example, that the linguistics program at the First Nations University of Canada is the only one outside of Ottawa and British Columbia. The three highly qualified professors in the Linguistics Department at the First Nations University of Canada have produced more publications about First Nations languages than any other linguistics program in Canada who, I might add, have more personnel.

The irresponsibility of some uneducated FSIN chiefs, vice-chiefs, and their unqualified collaborators has been taking its toll on the First Nations University of Canada for the past five years. What a shame nothing was done sooner! This does not have to continue. The new chief of the FSIN, Guy Lonechild, has had only three months in office to turn things around. He needs time, as I am sure you can appreciate. The short sightedness of some First Nation politicians need not be exacerbated by the short sightedness of any provincial or federal politicians, as I am sure you can also appreciate. Our children deserve more resolve now from all levels of government than they have ever received in the past!

We the grandmothers do not want our grandchildren to miss out on the First Nations centered education that they deserve! Jails are not an option for the future of our youth, as I am sure you will agree. We also know that education is a Treaty right for First Nation peoples. We recognize that meeting obligations of Treaty is the very basis of our Canadian foundation. Land was exchanged for education and medical coverage. This is a living obligation for today not some obligation past as some would like to believe.

Mr. Norris, at this time in history, your understanding and integrity as a committed public servant gives us hope that you will diligently address this issue with an attitude of cultural cooperation, empathy and patience. We the grandmothers know that education is the key to creating a wise and prudent population that puts Canada in good standing. To enhance the education of our Saskatchewan population, be they aboriginal or non aboriginal, is the wisest decision for any politician to follow. Reinstating funding for the university is an investment that far outweighs the terrible consequences of throwing the baby out with the bath water. Many people’s lives and futures, and the lives of generations to come, depend upon your wisdom in reinstating the provincial funding to the First Nations University of Canada.

Mr. Norris, please do what you can to also have federal funding reinstated to the First Nations University of Canada. The First Nations University of Canada was world renowned prior to the former FNUniv BOG Chairman and FSIN Vice Chief Morley Watson’s inappropriate takeover of the university five years ago. Now is the opportunity to save a dream ensuring your name goes down in history as one who brought sanity back to an insane situation. Saskatchewan has always been a world leader. Let’s continue that leadership by reinstating the funding to another Saskatchewan first, First Nations University.

Respectfully,

Sheila R. Brass
for
The Grandmothers Caring for Grandchildren

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