GOALS

• To implement a comprehensive communications strategy to create an awareness and understanding of, and to implement the COO Manifesto
• Determine a First Nations champion – someone from the Ontario First Nations leadership who will be consistently seen as the major voice of the education file, First Nations jurisdiction and high standards.
• Find an elected government-side MP, a Federal Cabinet and an opposition party champion; find similar person(s) attached to the provincial legislature and government.
• Be seen as the leader amongst AFN regions in advancing education
• Use the opposition parties and their position in Parliament under a minority government situation to extract government commitments.
• To be as high profile and assertive as possible & promote win-win outcomes

CORE STRATEGIES

• Private meetings; (decision makers; those who influence decision makers; in Ottawa and in regions; small teams to communicate directly with selected audiences)
• Public activities: (news media; advertising; education raised in Parliament,)
• Letter campaign
• Support activities: (analysis; planning; information gathering; material production; convening of meetings)
• Pre-federal election (2006) and election strategy development

KEY DATES/MILESTONES

May 31, 2005 Cabinet Committee on Aboriginal Affairs retreat with NAO’s
June 2005 All Ontario Chiefs Assembly
July 2005 AFN annual General Assembly Yellowknife
Fall 2005 First Ministers Meeting on Aboriginal matters
January–March, 2006 Federal election

INVOLVING THE PTOS AND THE INDIVIDUAL FIRST NATIONS

Selected Chiefs and PTO leaders will be asked to be engaged periodically to share the work, assist the main First Nations spokesperson and show solidarity.

KEY FEDERAL TARGET AUDIENCES

Federal decision-makers are categorized as: Level 1 - the key political decision–makers (Ministers Scott and Goodale) and their key assistants; Level 2 - the key Federal non-elected officials; Level 3 - other political officials who will have a secondary role to play; See Appendix 4 for list of others

KEY ONTARIO TARGETS

Hon. Gerard Kennedy, Minister of Education
Hon. Mary Anne Chambers, Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities
Hon. Michael Bryant, Minister Responsible for Native Affairs
Others listed in Appendix 5

SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES ( some require new funds)
June-July-August, 2005; Letters to Chiefs, Ministers, MPs, education workers; Newsletter, CDROMs, fact sheets; Seek additional expert advice; Monitoring AFN and Federal opportunities for influence; Research/Attend existing mainstream education conference(s) and First Nations lecturers; Guidebooks; Monthly exposé of each First Nation’s education efforts

September: Meetings with Parliamentarians and key government officials; New forum to negotiate new system; Advertising; Website; Data base and annual report on success factors and current status

October - New team to generate third party support

November – December - on-going meetings with Parliamentarians, Federal pre-election strategy development

January – March, 2006: New Ontario First Nations Education conference; implement Federal election strategy

KEY FIRST NATIONS MESSAGES

• An increase in First Nations control of education equals an increase in educational success by First Nations students;
• The First Nations child is the centre of each First Nation surrounded by concentric circles of support and learning throughout a lifelong learning process from early childhood, elementary, secondary, post-secondary and adult training.
• First Nations’ unique languages and cultures are foundational elements to life long learning.
• First Nations must be and will be in full control of life long learning systems in all respects, including planning, delivery, evaluation, professional teacher development and training, institutional governance, and education systems development.
• The Federal Government has fiduciary and other obligations flowing from Aboriginal and Treaty rights to fully fund high quality education systems for Ontario First Nations and that funding must be based on needs and not on proposals based on capped budgets. First Nations are currently developing their systems (schools, post-secondary institutions, school boards) without consistent or secure funding support.
• The Ontario Government must recognize and harmonize its education system with an Ontario First Nations education system, and make room for First Nations cultures and standards in its system.

COMMUNICATIONS CAMPAIGN

DRAFT WORK PLAN – June 2005 to March 2006