October 2005

National Review Indian and Northern Affairs Post-Secondary Education Policy

The Assembly of First Nations (AFN) and Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC), with representatives from the National Association of Indigenous Institutes of Higher Learning (NAIIHL) and the Inuit of Labrador are undergoing formal review of the Post-Secondary Education (PSE) Program for First Nation and Inuit students. The joint review examines both the Post-secondary Student Support Program (PSSSP) and the Indian Studies Support Program (ISSP) and provides an opportunity to identify ways the PSE program can be improved and enhanced so that it better meets the current and future needs of First Nation and Inuit students and First Nation post-secondary education institutions. The overall objective of the program review is to ultimately increase student participation and success in post-secondary education.

As part of the review, the PSE Working Group developed a national survey instrument to obtain community-level input. Regions were then asked to host regional consultation sessions to obtain information that would feed into a national AFN report.

In Ontario, a one-day consultation session was held with 75 participants in Toronto at the Doubletree International Plaza Hotel on September 27, 2005 in order to obtain community-level input. In addition to the one-day consultation that was held, community members were encouraged to provide input through the use of the Post-Secondary Education Ontario Workbook (survey instrument) that was communicated widely via email.

Materials distributed to inform First Nations community members of the review and to encourage their input included:
1. Power Point Presentation on PSE Program
2. INAC PSE Guidelines
3. Post-Secondary Review Ontario Work Book

This report is a compilation of responses that were formulated at the one-day consultation session and includes individual survey responses that were submitted to the Aboriginal Institutes’ Consortium office. As mentioned previously, reports from each region of Canada are being forwarded to the Assembly of First Nations for the creation of a national roll up report. The national roll up report will help to ensure that the joint INAC/AFN PSE Working Group is as well informed as possible about the interests and concerns of First Nations as works through the renewal of the PSE program.

This Ontario region consultation was coordinated by the Aboriginal Institutes’ Consortium. The author/editor of this report is Lu Ann Hill. Special thanks goes out to Karihwakeron Tim Thompson, Chiefs of Ontario, Murray Maracle and to Dawn Maracle, Assembly of First Nations for their support and assistance in facilitating at the consultation session. Thank you to Indian and Northern Affairs for sponsoring this event.