Grand Council Treaty #3, Canada and Ontario sign a Memorandum of Understanding to improve education for First Nations students
Grand Council Treaty #3, Canada and Ontario successfully concluded the negotiation of a tripartite education Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The MOU will foster mutual understanding and respect, and will help preserve, support and revitalize the language, culture and identity of Treaty #3 First Nations by supporting First Nations control of education to improve student success for First Nations youth in Northwestern Ontario.
Today, Ogichidaa Francis Kavanaugh, Grand Chief of Grand Council Treaty #3, the Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Indigenous Services, the Honourable Stephen Lecce, Ontario’s Minister of Education, and the Honourable Greg Rickford, Ontario’s Minster of Indigenous Affairs gathered in a virtual ceremony to sign the MOU, which will enrich the quality of education for First Nations youth in Treaty #3. The MOU intends to create a forum for the three parties to work collaboratively to help students reach their full learning potential and achieve educational success.
The federal and provincial governments have invested $1.16 million and $300,000, respectively, to support Grand Council Treaty #3 with the implementation of the MOU and will continue to assist the process as the parties establish a joint action plan that will guide the work and progress of the MOU.
Today’s ceremony is an opportunity to celebrate and highlight the important trilateral partnership that will pave the way for a better educational system for over 1,300 First Nations students who live in Treaty #3 territory. Currently, 17 First Nations in Ontario have signed the agreement. The MOU is flexible and allows other First Nations in Treaty #3 to join in the future should they choose to do so.
“This tripartite agreement to work together to advance education in the Treaty #3 territory is a major step toward creating a brighter future for the Anishinaabe Nation. Ensuring that our educators and knowledge keepers have the opportunities they need to develop better education systems is essential to revitalizing our language and culture and creating better outcomes for our students.” – Ogichidaa Francis Kavanaugh, Grand Chief of Grand Council Treaty #3