New FNUC Board Announced
Tuesday, February 09, 2010 at 15:22
The FSIN announced the new board of governors today for the First Nations University of Canada.
The 11-member board is made up of academics and professionals.
It includes Dr. Bonita Beatty, former teacher Sidney Fiddler, Yorkton Tribal Council director of education Don Pinay, alumni Joely Big Eagle and FNUC Students’ Association president Diane Adams.
There are still members from the File Hills Qu’Appelle Tribal Council and the Battlefords Agency Tribal Chiefs that have yet to be named, as well as Nakoda elder.
Lawyer Don Worme will act as the board’s legal counsel.
Both the FSIN and the FNUC Students’ Association are now calling for funding to be reinstated to the school.
Yesterday, Indian Affairs announced it is cutting its funding to the school following the same announcement last week from the province.
Students’ association vice-president Cadmus Delorme says he can’t understand how Indian Affairs Minister Chuck Strahl can overlook education as a treaty right.
As of yesterday, six senior administrators from FNUC were placed on leave with pay, including president Charles Pratt and vice-president of administration Al Ducharme.
FSIN Chief Guy Lonechild says the new board will appoint an interim president, and one of its first orders of business will be to review the Meyers Norris Penny audit into alleged financial misspending.
Meantime, NDP First Nations and Metis Relations Critic Warren McCall is questioning the motives of the province, as well as the federal government.
McCall wonders if either government really believes the FNUC should exist, noting that the federal Conservatives pulled the plug on the Kelowna Accord.
McCall worries how the institution will continue to run when it has lost nearly half of its operating budget.
That concern is being echoed by the students.
Cheryl Morin notes some students are even talking about switching schools — but she is urging them not to lose faith that the university will survive.
She adds the thought of losing the cultural and bilingual component offered by the FNUC is frightening.
Brandy-Lee Maxie is a single mother majoring in English.
She says the First Nations University provides support like nowhere else — noting that she was able to resume classes a week after having a baby.
Maxie says she’s concerned not only for her future, but for her children’s, as well.
The federal government’s withdrawal of funding also has alumni reacting.
One former student, who didn’t want to be named, says she is “very saddened” and “very defeated” by the news.
She says “education is the new buffalo . . . but our buffalo has been shot”.
A Facebook group has been established to urge the provincial government to return funding to the FNUC.
At last word, the group — called “Demand the Sask Government Reinstate First Nations University Funding” — had roughly 2,000 members.
The creators of the page say they believe the provincial government is trying to make up for lost potash revenues by cutting the $5.2 million from its budget.
The creators are inviting anyone to write to their MLA or MP in the hopes of having the funding restored.