Empowering Yukon First Nations Through Controlled Education for a Bright Future

1. YUKON FIRSTNATIONS CONTROL OF FIRST NATIONEDUCATION The EpicJourney

3. Contacts Daryn Lease –daryn.leas@me.com Rose Sellars – rose.sellars@cyfn.net Melanie Bennett –melanie.bennett@cyfn.net Jenn Wykes – Jennifer.wykes@cyfn.net Bill Bennett – bill.bennett@cyfn.net Tracy Bruce –tracy.bruce@cyfn.net

4. 14 Yukon First Nations & 8 LanguageGroups • Ta’an Kwach’anCouncil • First Nation of Nacho NayakDun • Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in FirstNation • Kluane FirstNation • Carcross Tagish FirstNation • Champagne Aishihik FirstNation • Teslin TlingitCouncil • Vun Tut Gwich’in FirstNation • Selkirk FirstNation • Little Salmon Carmacks FirstNation • Kwanlin Dun FirstNation • Ross River DeneCouncil • Liard FirstNation • White River FirstNation

5. Yukon’s foundational document Together Todayfor our Children Tomorrow, was presented to PM Pierre Trudeau in 1973. The document initiated modern land claim processes leading to the Umbrella Final Agreement (1990) and Land Claims Agreements with 11of 14 YFNs.

6. 2/3rds of the document is about the education of ourstudents: Goals: the stimulation of pride inone’s culture andbackground; the development skills and knowledge necessary to competein today’sworld.

7. Despite numerous initiatives, studies and reports, littlehas been done to address Yukon First Nations’ goals and aspirations ineducation. • Canada continues to flow dollars for First Nation educationto the territorial government through the TFF with no accountability measures inplace. • Yukon Education continues to fail First Nation students and communities. 46 yearslater:

8. Master Tuition Agreement • 1964 the federalgovernment gave responsibility of “Indian Education” to the Territorial Government”. • This was done without consultation with any ofthe YFN’s.

9. Old Crow – Chief Zzeh Gittlit Dawson City – Robert Service Pelly Crossing – Eliza Van Bibber Mayo – JVClark Carmacks – Tantalus Faro – Del Van Gorder Ross River – RossRiver Watson Lake – JohnsonElementary & Watson LakeSecondary Teslin - Khàtìnas.àxh Carcross - Ghùch Tlâ Haines Junction – St.Elias Destruction Bay – Kluane Lake Beaver Creek – Nelnah BessieJohn 14 ruralschools:

10. Mainstream: Catholic: Christ the KingElementary Holy Family Elementary VanierSecondary Takhini Elementary Hidden Valley Elementary Grey Mountain Primary Golden HornElementary 16 UrbanSchools Elijah Smith Elementary Jack HullandElementary Porter CreekSecondary French First Language: Emilie Tremblay Elementary Académie ParhélieSecondary Alternate: Individual Learning Center Aurora VirtualSchool French Immersion: WhitehorseElementary DualTrack: Selkirk Elementary FH CollinsElementary *GadzoosdaaStudent Residence

11. All schools in Yukon are publicschools • All funds for schools in Yukon are under the discretion of the Territorial Government- block funds in the Territorial Financing Formula from theFederal Government • There are no reserve schools inYukon • There are 28 schools inYukon • Yukon First Nations make up 1/3 of the total studentpopulation • Both 2009 and 2019 Auditor General Reports give clear recommendationsto • improve YFN education inYukon. • Yukon Education has not addressed the Auditor General’srecommendations from eitherreport Education: CurrentReality

12. In 2016-18, we began to explore First Nation champions of education acrossCanada: • Mi'kmaw Kina'matnewey(MK) • Legislated Sectoral SG Agreement withCanada • Bilateral Provincial Education ServicesAgreement • BC’s First Nation Education Steering Committee(FNESC) • Federal and Provincial legislation recognizing FN jurisdiction over education • Local Education Agreements(LEAs) • Tripartite Education FrameworkAgreement • Anishinabek Nation Education System(AES) • Legislated Sectoral FederalAgreements • Bilateral ProvincialAgreement YFN’s SchoolVisioning

13. DEVELOPING A YUKON PLAN FORFIRST NATION CONTROL OF FIRST NATION EDUCATION Yukon First Nations have a range of tools that could provide asubstantive role to them with respect to the education of theircitizens. Whether these tools are found in the Final or Self-GovernmentAgreements or the Education Act, there must be political will and fundingcommitments from the federal and territorial governments to make those tools work effectively.

14. Frustrated with a long history of government inaction, ongoing racism, jurisdictional issues, lack of accountability and limited collaboration with government, in May of 2018, the Council of Yukon First Nations leadership established the Chiefs Committee on Education (CCOE). The purpose of the CCOE is to develop a path forward. The direction given to the CCOE was twofold anddesigned to evolve insequence: Establish the YUKON FIRST NATION EDUCATION DIRECTORATE, acentral and foundational agency required to address critical capacity gaps and support processes;and, Negotiate the draft FRAMEWORK AGREEMENT, which would lay out the process, timelines and milestones leading to the negotiation of an AGREEMENT whereby Yukon First Nations assume various levels of responsibility for FirstNation citizens in existing schools and/or full control and administration of First Nation school(s).

15. CommunityConsultations Community visits consisted of meeting with Chief & Council andthe community. Each community was different with some being just Chief & Councilpresentation. Resultingin: 9 communities passing resolutions at the Chief & Council tables,to support the direction set by theCCOE Community consultations is an on-going process in our work movingforward

16. Yukon First Nation Control ofFirst NationEducation • Purpose - To provide quality education model First Nation education system that meets the cultural, linguistic and holistic needs of the their studentcitizens. • Process – Using the process document - Framework Agreement-to • subsequently allow each FN negotiate an agreement specific to their FN’sneeds, • YFN’s intend to establish primary and secondary school system in Yukonthe • provides high quality education to Yukon First Nation students premised on First Nations’ cultural values, principles andperspectives. • Path – The formation of the Yukon First Nations Education Directorate as thebody • that would develop the direction set out in Framework Agreement. TheYFNED • would be the entity that would implement the Framework Agreement specific toeach • Yukon First Nation. The YFNED will be guided by the key tasks of Accountability, Support & Advocacy, Research & Assessment, and Program & Initiatives

17. Yukon First Nations Education Directorate (YFNED)Structure CCOE Board ofGovernors Executive Director Corporate Finances Human Resources Policy& Analytics Executive Assistant Communicatio ns Administrative Assistant KeyTasks * Accountability * Support& Advocacy * Research& Assessment *Programs &Initiatives

18. The CCOE is requesting a multi-year commitment for funding from the Government of Canada and the Government of Yukon in order to create a Yukon First Nations Education Directorate (YFNED or “Directorate”) that will take responsibility for the education of First Nations and address the significant gaps in the achievement of theirstudents. • Policy required to ‘hold back’ Yukon First Nation tuition dollars contained within the block funding that is allocated through the Territorial Financing Formula as an interim solution to ensure tripartite discussion and accountability, until the draft Framework Agreement has been negotiated. There is an expectation that we will discuss how money is transferred from Canada for Yukon First Nation education in theterritory. • In consideration of the crises identified in the 2009 and the 2019 Auditor Generals Reports and current achievement results, a multi-year financial agreement must be developed immediately. • Given that the few reserves in the Yukon are managed as settlement land under the Yukon First Nation final agreements, ensure that any criteria for federal funding to be “on reserve” for purposes to “support system transformation to improve education outcomes” includes settlement land retained by Yukon First Nations. This would ensure that the Yukon First Nations are able to meet the criteria and make applications to access this important funding. RECOMMENDATIONS

19. The destiny of a people is intricately bound to the way its children are educated. Education is the transmission of cultural DNA from one generation to the next. It shapesthe language and pathways of thinking, the contours of character and values, the social skills and creative potential ofthe individual. It determines the productive skills of apeople. Royal Commission on AboriginalPeoples

20. Máhsincho Northern Tutchone Mid-east Yukon (Mayo, Stewart Crossing, Pelly Crossing,Faro) Gunałchîsh Tlingit Teslin and Swift Riverarea Gùnèłchīsh Tagish South-east of Carcross and north-westB.C. Sógásénlá’ Kaska South-east Yukon and north-east B.C. (Ross River to WatsonLake) Màhsi’choo Gwich’in Old Crow and northernYukon Mä̀hsi’cho Hän Dawsonarea Tsin’įįchoh Upper Tanana Beaver Creekarea Kwä̀nä̀schis Shäwníthän Southern Tutchone Whitehorse and south-west Yukon (Carmacks, Destruction Bay, Haines Junction,Carcross)