Notes for Remarks by Roberta Jamieson, President and CEO, National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation

Senate Standing Committee on Social Affairs, Science & Technology Ottawa, 10 December 2009

Segon! Tansi! Bon jour,
Best Greetings to each of you!

We are in traditional territory of the Algonquin Nation, and I begin by acknowledging them and thanking them.

The focus of my presentation is the future of our children, the future of Canada.

What are our obligations to the future as we make decisions today?

We must address the question of what steps we will take to enable Canada’s fastest growing demographic group to realize their potential –I am speaking of First Nations, Inuit and Metis youth.

This will not “just happen”.

If we look at the growth in the indigenous population,if we consider the advances that are being madeby the non-aboriginal population, we see that we have really not moved ahead all that much, and there are statistics that the gap is widening, not shrinking.

In 2004, the Auditor General of Canada predicted that at the current rate of improvement, it would take 28 years for First Nations to catch up with the non-aboriginal population.

Then Statistics Canada reported on the 2006 Census data that the aboriginal population graduation rate had increased from 6% in 2001 to 8%, but that the non-aboriginal graduation rate had increased from 20% to 23%.

In other words, the gap had become one point wider. (1)

Earlier this year, the Centre for the Study of Living Standards drew our attention to hard-nosed economic facts that cannot be dodged: unless we do something about education of indigenous youth, hundreds of thousands of youth will not be available to help Canada deal with a shrinking labour force.

Neither will these youth contribute to Canada’s economy.

Instead, neglect will add to a ballooning social deficit – the cost of maintaining entire communities in a state of perpetual poverty –

A heavy price that will be paid in human and economic terms.

The Centre’s report demonstrated a savings of $115-billion on just the expense side of the ledger over the next 15 years if indigenous youth prepare themselves to contribute their potential in Canada’s work force.

The beneficial impact to the economy would also be startingly huge: in the same period there would be an estimated $401-billion cumulative effect on Canada’s GDP if the educational and employment gap can be closed.

Most of the economic activity of the First Nations, Inuit and Metis peoples is integrated into Canada’s economy.

The issues we face (are issues which )impact – economically – not just on our lives, but also on Canada and the lives of Canadians.

Realizing this simple fact of life is, I believe, important in two major ways for any economic analysis, important in this Committee’s deliberations.

The low economic results of aboriginal economic activity is a drag on the whole economy, and the failure to realize the economic potential of First Nations, Inuit and Metis peoples is an expensive loss.

The Centre’s report I believe is a real call to action:

“Investing in Aboriginal education will not only benefit the Aboriginal population itself, but will also benefit . . . the entire Canadian population. . .

“The key to increasing educational attainment is to increase the numbers graduating from high school as this not only increases the potential economic contribution, but it creates a larger pool of potential university graduates.”
 

As declining enrolment of non-aboriginal students reduces the pool of students seeking university, the efforts of post-secondary institutions to recruit and retain aboriginal students is increasingly important.

So there are three challenges:
first, many more aboriginal students must graduate from high school;

second, those aboriginal students who want to pursue post-secondary education must have access to it, both in terms of having the finances to complete their studies successfully, and in terms of removing the barriers that are keeping them away from access.

third, there must be support for those who enter university so they are successful and graduate.

I am ideally positioned as CEO and President of the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation to see both pictures – what happens when there is funding for aboriginal students, and to feel the pain when a student can’t go on.

The Foundation is a nationally-registered charity.

It has a bold mandate to encourage, empower, and provide assistance to First Nations, Metis, and Inuit individuals, groups and communitiesso they can convert their tremendous potential, their aspirations, into solid achievement and brighter futures.

The Foundation provides more scholarship funding to First Nations, Metis, and Inuit youth than any other agency in Canada outside the federal government -- to date 32 million dollars to more than 8,400 recipients— in 2008-2009, we provided $4.6-million to 1,341 recipients.

So I see what First Nations, Inuit and Metis students are doing to realize their potential, to change their lives.

Let me tell you how the Foundation goes about its work.

Our recipients are chosen by a jury system involving representatives of many organizations.

The Foundation has in place policies and procedures to ensure there is sound stewardship of the funds with which it is entrusted – we have a very competent and expert Board of Directors who guide our work.

The Foundation has in place allocation methodologies to ensure there is equitable access across Canada to all potential recipients of bursaries – First Nations, Inuit and Metis.

The Foundation has in place performance measurement procedures to ensure that the objectives of its funding programs are met – the Foundation is willing to be measured on the results of its work.

The Foundation has in place policies and procedures to ensure there is compliance with funding agreements and reporting mechanisms
to donors.

The Foundation engages in its own internal reviews and audits to ensure compliance with its policies and procedures.

That is the accountability regime that we have in place.

Once a scholarship or bursary is awarded, the Foundation tracks and monitors the progress made by students: we have statistics on economic status, needs, age, gender, whether students move to go to school, etc.

There is another way the Foundation works which I commend to this Committee:

the Foundation’s work is supported by federal and provincial governments along with corporate and philanthropic sponsors.

If Canada is going to be successful in graduating greater numbers of indigenous students in post-secondary education, it is going to take all sectors combined, working together to tackle this challenge.

We are proud of the work the Foundation does – but none of us are satisfied with the fact that the Foundation has sufficient funds to provide only 27% of the assistance requested from those who apply.

We know there is a large pool of potential university graduates who will never go to university because they do not have access to the resources to get them there.

The numbers are hard to come by:
It was estimated in 2000 that 9,500 First Nation students were then waiting for Indian Affairs funding, and since then increased education costs has meant a decrease in 7,000 students.  (2)

I know when I was Chief at Six Nations six or so years ago we had over 400 students on our waitlist.

So I also see the tragedy and the loss which happens when the money runs out, when we have no money left for bursaries.

Forgive the personal reference, but we can all think, how many students of the quality of Senator Lillian Dyck will never have the opportunity to make their contribution in the way Dr. Dyck has made hers, for the sole reason that they do not have access to post-secondary education?

I hope this Committee will make a commitment to continue to work toward success in this endeavour so that First Nations, Inuit and Metis peoples will be able to contribute our full share to our own communities, to Canada, and the world.

As indigenous peoples, we know that today, our primary assets are our people, our youth.

We believe their education – both in terms of traditional values and in terms of today’s science and approaches -- holds the key not only to our economy and prosperity in the decades ahead, but to Canada’s as well.

No enterprise can afford to leave that potential idle and unreleased, and Canada is no exception.

The Foundation looks upon each financial contribution it makes as an investment, and I suggest you should see it the same way.

Investment of resources and energy to realize the potential of First Nations, Inuit, and Metis youth is essential if Canada is to have a prosperous future.

The Foundation is an investor in our future, and our future is Canada’s future.

Gitchi miigwetch! Nia:wenkowa! Merci beaucoup.
Ekose.

(1) Statistics Canada, 2008, Educational Portrait of Canada, 2006 Census. Ottawa: Statistics Canada, p. 19.

(2) The internal DIAND audit report, page 7: “The audit also noted that student enrollment in the Program has declined over the past eight years from 27,000 students (1998/99) to 22,000 students.” (2006-2007).” Based on these numbers, a further decrease of 2,000 was calculated for the period 2006 to 2009.