First Nations fed up with underfunding of on-reserve schools

First Nations people are fed up with Ottawa's underfunding of on-reserve education said one Saskatchewan Indian leader.

“Once people really start knowing about the issues they will rally behind anything to make sure that Ottawa stands up, pays attention and does some action to make sure the level of services are delivered on and off the reserve,” said Simon Bird, the vice-chief in charge of education for the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations.

One of the ways to get that message out could be the closing of those on-reserve schools, Bird said.

“It will definitely come to a point where civil disobedience will have to happen. I don’t think closing schools will be impossible when that frustration level will happen one of these days,” he said.

While money was announced last week as part of the federal budget, it is only a drop in the bucket of what is needed, Bird said.

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He added that Ottawa has known for years about the discrepancy between on- and off-reserve funding, but is still moving too slow. Even with the new money, the budget falls short of ensuring on-reserve students receive the same as others in the province, Bird said.

Government funding for on-reserve students is about $4,500 a year less than government funds for provincial schools, he said.

To make his point, closing some of the on-reserve schools is an idea he's been thinking about.

“That’s not impossible, that’s an idea I’ve had, but I haven’t shared it with our leadership, but of course that message, the message of how real the problem is on our First Nations,” he said.

dkirton@rawlco.com