Pathway :: HomeIndigenous Issues An Open Letter to Saskatchewan’s Conservative M.P.s
An Open Letter to Saskatchewan’s Conservative M.P.s
Written by Randy Lundy, FNUniv
Monday, 15 March 2010
The Federal Government’s decision to cut $7.2 million in funding to the First Nations
University of Canada is unprecedented in Canadian history. Never before has any government presided over the closure of any publicly funded university or college. Furthermore, the institution is the only First Nations owned and operated University in the country, and it is hard to imagine the government would consider such a cut to
any other university in the country no matter its governance or administrative
difficulties. As such, this decision appears to be motivated primarily by a
political agenda and ideology.
The suggestion that, in principle, this funding cut is based upon similar thinking that led to the creation of residential schools and amounts to a policy of assimilation (the erasure of cultural difference) is valid and appropriate. The federal governmentis acting in the belief that it knows best the educational needs of First Nations students and that they can be better educated in non-First Nations
environments.
In the midst of this
funding cut and the intense public debate that is taking place, the federal
Conservative M.P.s of Saskatchewan have remained almost entirely silent, except
for M.P. Gerry Ritz’s public statement: “Where we had a problem was in the
governance....We’ve given them time to restructure...but the administration
will be handled by the University of Regina” (Regina Leader-Post, March 4,
2010). Mr. Ritz did not repeat these comments when he attended a meeting
between a Canadian Association of University Teachers-sponsored delegation and
Minister Chuck Strahl on March 11, in Ottawa.
Mr. Ritz’s silence
since making those public comments suggests that either he misrepresented the
position of the federal government on the issue or he simply did not know what
he was talking about. Which of those scenarios is the truth remains to be seen.
The Conservative
government, and Saskatchewan M.P.s in particular, must be reminded it presides
over a minority parliament. While this government rests comfortably in the
knowledge it is unlikely to lose seats in Alberta under any circumstances, it
must be reminded this is not necessarily the case in Saskatchewan. While we in
Saskatchewan have come to expect these M.P.s to remain silent on all issues
unless specifically instructed otherwise by the Prime Minister’s Office, it is
unacceptable for them to refuse to defend the interests of the province in this
case.
For five years, there
have been serious governance and administrative concerns with the operations of
the University. However, the Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations, under
the new leadership of Chief Guy Lonechild, has moved boldly to address these
concerns, with the dissolution of the previous Board and the suspension of the
President and Vice-President of the University. An interim Board is much
smaller and depoliticized, with no Chiefs sitting as members. An interim Chief
Operating Officer is now in charge of operations.
Critical changes,
that have been called for by many Faculty members and students for five years
now, have been made and will be permanent. Four days after these changes began,
the federal government made the decision to pull the $7.2 million in funding.
Such a decision is incomprehensible, irresponsible, and unacceptable.
If our politicians,
federal and provincial, allow institutions such as the First Nations University
to fail, the social, economic, and political costs will be enormous. Given the
explosive growth in the young and primarily urban First Nations population in
this province, the University holds unprecedented importance in ensuring that
such youth are educated, productive, and contributing members of the larger
society. The option is to allow this population to go uneducated, to propel the
cycle of poverty, and to enforce continued reliance upon social programs for
generations.
The costs of such a
policy will be disastrous for our three largest cities (Regina, Saskatoon, and
Prince Albert), for Saskatchewan, and for Canada. While the federal government
may have hoped the decision to close the First Nations University of Canada
could be made with little or no political cost, we must make it clear to the
government and to Saskatchewan’s Conservative M.P.s that there will indeed be a
major political cost to their minority position in Parliament.
Rightly, the
Provincial and Federal governments have demanded transparency and accountability
from the First Nations University, and now it is time we as taxpayers demand the
same from our governments.
Randy Lundy, First
Nations University of Canada
Department of
English, Head
Academic Council,
Chair
306.551.5001
Prime Minister Stephen Harper
Minister Chuck Strahl
Saskatchewan M.P.s
Opposition Leader Michael Ignatieff
Hon. Jack Layton
Hon. Gilles Duceppe
Premier Brad Wall
Minister Rob Norris
Mayor Pat Fiacco
Mayor Don Atchison
Mayor Jim Scarrow
Chief Guy Lonechild
Chief Shawn Atleo
COO Del Anaquod, FNUiv.
President Vianne Timmons, U of R
Academic Council, FNUniv.
Students’ Assoc., FNUniv.
Canadian Assoc. of University Teachers
U of R Faculty Assoc.
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