The Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations spring legislative assembly wrapped up on Thursday afternoon.
The topic of education dominated much of the afternoon discussion as a number of First Nations leaders voiced their displeasure over the federal government’s new education act, which seeks to overhaul on-reserve education.
Several delegates complained the new legislation has been drafted by the Harper government with no consultation with Indigenous communities.
Shoal Lake First Nation Chief Marcel Head says Aboriginal communities have been running their education systems quite well on their own for many years and they don’t need the interference of the federal government.
“We don’t need the white people, the white government, to tell us what to do in our own First Nations, the way we provide education to our own youth,” he says.
FSIN Senator Sol Sanderson urged First Nations to stand up to the federal government’s education act by drafting their own legislation in response.
“You’re one of the parties to treaty and implementing treaty rights, inherent rights, treaty rights under our own jurisdiction and law,” he says. “So, you construct an act for education.”
Recently reinstated vice-chief Kimberley Jonathan also addressed the FSIN assembly on Thursday.
The previous day, delegates voted overwhelmingly to overturn an election appeals tribunal ruling and permanently re-instate Jonathan.
She says it is now important for the organization to move beyond the issue.
Jonathan also says the challenge, led by fellow candidate Sheldon Wuttunee, has not affected the relationship between the two of them.
“I want to reiterate what the elders tell us and that’s unity,” she says. “And yesterday, and I do want to pay respect to those people, who had that discussion yesterday on a very hard issue and through the whole campaign and throughout the time Sheldon and I have remained friends.”
The appeals tribunal had ruled Jonathan’s 2012 election invalid as the result of an electronic ballot counting machine error.
The FSIN’s spring assembly was held on the Whitecap Dakota First Nation, near Saskatoon.