Late Teen’s Advocacy For Native Schools Carries On
Thursday, November 18, 2010 at 13:04
A Member of Parliament is joining forces with Aboriginal, education and labour leaders to fulfill the dreams of a 15-year-old James Bay Cree girl.
Shannen Koostachin believed all First Nations students should have clean and comfortable schools like the rest of Canadian children.
She died in a car accident last May, but now others have taken up her fight.
The MP for the area, the NDP’s Charlie Angus, says the federal government has gotten away with a double standard, because he says Indian Affairs feels the average Canadian wouldn’t believe First Nations students go to school in such deplorable conditions.
Angus says things started to change when the federal government didn’t pay attention to Koostachin and fellow students from her reserve of Attawapisikat.
He says she didn’t take no for an answer, and eventually organized a campaign across Canada among young people through new media.
Angus introduced a motion into Parliament yesterday, so there will now be a debate — but he believes the public awareness campaign will accomplish more.
He invites people to visit www.shannensdream.ca.