Photo by J.P. Antonacci, Brant News
Kim Clawsey and Albert Douglas from Six Nations protest the lack of school supplies in Six Nations schools outside the Dalhousie Street post office on Friday morning.
J.P. Antonacci
BRANT NEWS
Where are the school supplies?
More than a month into the school year, five Six Nations schools are without replacement textbooks, notepads, photocopy paper and other essentials usually provided by the federal government.
As happens every year, Six Nations schools ordered about $22,000 worth of school supplies in May, giving Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada plenty of time to ship them to the reserve before the start of the next school year.
Parent Courtney Martin can’t understand what went wrong this time.
“Every year, our supplies come in in June,” said Martin, a member of the home and school committee at Oliver M. Smith School in Ohsweken. “This is the first year they haven’t arrived.”
To cover the shortfall, the committee has used funds earmarked for swimming lessons and special event buses to buy pens and pencils for students.
“We should never have had to dip into those funds,” Martin said. “If we have to continue, we won’t have extra-curricular activities.”
In many cases, teachers and parents bought supplies with money out of their own pockets.
About two dozen parents, residents and Six Nations politicians held placards outside the post office on Dalhousie Street in downtown Brantford on Friday morning, demanding answers from Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development and Brant MP Phil McColeman.
“Why can’t our kids have equal rights as non-native kids?” asked Coun. Carl Hill from Six Nations elected council. “I bet I can go to the schools here (in Brantford) and they all have their supplies. This should not have happened.”
Hill said the government shipped some writing supplies in response to an Oct. 1 protest at the Brantford Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development office. But an explanation as to why the supplies were waylaid in the first place has not been forthcoming.
“We would like some answers,” Hill said. “We’re here today and there’s nobody here to give us an answer. That’s not right.”
During a telephone interview, Brant MP Phil McColeman said an “administrative failure” caused the delivery of supplies to go awry.
“I’m outraged that it’s happened,” McColeman said. “I don’t think there was any conscious decision to hold back the supplies, but somewhere there was a huge administrative gaffe.”
Since Six Nations elected council Chief Bill Montour made him aware of the situation earlier this week, McColeman has been working with Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development staff to get supplies into the classroom. A “large amount” of supplies arrived this week, though students are still sharing textbooks because replacement books have not yet arrived.
“There’s been no lost learning resulting from this as far as the textbooks go…there just aren’t enough for every student,” McColeman said.
McColeman said he is baffled that supplies ordered five months ago have still not arrived and wants to see the purchase orders so he can ask Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development what went wrong. He imagines the department will be “receptive” to reimbursing any out of pocket expenses incurred by parents and teachers.
“I’ll be taking this up to the highest level of Ottawa to make sure this gross error doesn’t happen again,” McColeman said.
I know that I am not a native Canadian although I was born here work here pay taxes here and raised my family here. The issue of shared school books has always been part of the curriculum, and has always been corrected ASAP. As far as buying our own school supplies this has been the norm for some time. The display I witnessed today was embarrassing to say the least. The problems the people of this country are encountering (unemployment being the top issue,gas prices, increased taxes etc..) buying a few pens and a note book at the dollar store is really not a big issue.We all have to make due at some time or other this is one of them.
Am I to understand from your quote that someone deliberately planned to sabotage your children’s education. I think not. The demonstration today was uncalled for and should have been dealt with by your board.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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What lies does Kim Clawsey accuse AANDC of?
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Welcome to the real world, anyone non-native has had to buy school supplies for years and if we cant afford it they go without. No help from government or anyone else. Fact of life.
Hot debate. What do you think?
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Correct me if I’m wrong but don’t I see all kinds of non native parents taking their kids to stores like Walmart, Staples, dollar stores, etc. to buy pencils, erasers, pens, binders, clipboards, paper, etc. for their kids for school?
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If Six Nations of the Grand River people believe in the October 25, 1784 Haldimand announcement, there is nothing in that document that said the Crown had to pay Six Nations people for their schools, for their school supplies or for their education.
So, how come the Canadian federal government (the big Crown) is paying Six Nations of the Grand River people for their schools, for their school supplies or for their education?
The SIx Nations of the Grand River gets millions of dollars each year from Casino Rama. How come some of that money can’t be used for education and school supplies on the reserve?
How come the Six Nations doesn’t tax some of its businesses, like the cigarette industry and others on the reserve, or organize property taxes on the reserve to get money for school supplies?
According to section 5 of the First Nations Fiscal and Statistical Management Act, native Indian band councils can get Indians on reserves to pay fees or taxes to the band council.
So, why doesn’t the Six Nations of the Grand River do that like some other Indian bands are doing to raise money for schools, school supplies and education on the Six Nations of the Grand River reserve?
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Here is something else to think about.
An article called “Area reserves to share Casino Rama revenue” in the Fort Frances Times on line on June 28, 2000 said “The Ontario First Nations Partnership Fund has been formed to handle the disbursement of the funds, and ensure all the communities make risk-free investments or community improvements with the money. The board has outlined five areas in which the money can be spent within the community–economic development, education, health, culture, and community development”.
Notice it includes education.
According to the Six Nations of the Grand River audited financial statement for the year ending March 31, 2012, the reserve got $8,809,768 from the Ontario First Nations Limited Partnership Agreement (i.e. Casino Rama funds), some of which can be used for education.
So, why isn’t the Six Nations of the Grand River reserve using the money it gets from Casino Rama to provide school supplies if the band thinks it needs those supplies quickly?
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Once again many are spewing anti-six nations rhetoric without understanding what the article is really saying. Mainly that the dept of indian and northern affairs(which is responsible for funding education at Six Nations) fell behind in their supplying Six Nations schools with basic teaching materials. For GH look in the Indian Act sections 114 and 115 that outline the feds obligation towards education for ‘indian’ children.
As for what some Six Nations people believe re. the Haldimand proclamation that has no bearing on what the federal government has done to, or at Six Nations. The feds are the ones who installed a band council system, so they are paying the bill.
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Watchesall, I’m not sure why you call people haters when they question the Six Nations.
There is nothing in the October 25, 1784 Haldimand announcement, which some people call the Haldimand Proclamation, that said the Crown had to pay for schools, school supplies or the education of Indians on the Six Nations of the Grand River reserve. That is the truth.
And here is what section 114 of the Indian act says.
114 (1) The Governor in Council may authorize the Minister, in accordance with this Act, to enter into agreements on behalf of Her Majesty for the education in accordance with this Act of Indian children, with
(a) the government of a province;
(b) the Commissioner of Yukon;
(c) the Commissioner of the Northwest Territories;
(c.1) the Commissioner of Nunavut;
(d) a public or separate school board; and
(e) a religious or charitable organization.
Marginal note:Schools
(2) The Minister may, in accordance with this Act, establish, operate and maintain schools for Indian children.
The operative word is “may”, which suggests the government is not necessarliy obliged unless by treaty.
In addition, I mentioed that, according to section 5 of the First Nations Fiscal and Statistical Management Act, native Indian band councils can get Indians on reserves to pay fees or taxes to the band council so the Six Nations could do that to raise money for school supplies and education.
And I mentioned the Six Nations of the Grand River reserve got $8,809,768 from the Ontario First Nations Limited Partnership Agreement (i.e. Casino Rama funds), some of which can be used to buy school supplies and for education.
What’s wrong with that? Why is that hateful?
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Sorry, I should not have said haters. Watchesall said “anti-six nations”.
But why is telling the truth, asking some questions and pointing out some issues and possiblities anti-six nations?
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