Four First Nations celebrate conclusion of education self-government agreements

Four First Nations recently celebrated the conclusion of self-government agreements that will give them authority over their K-12 education systems. The Cowichan Tribes, Lil’wat Nation, ʔaq’am, and Seabird Island now have law-making authority regarding teacher and school certification, graduation requirements, curriculum, and course approvals. The First Nations Education Authority (FNEA) has also been established, which will help the First Nations to expand their capacity to offer education on their land. “It has been a long journey to assert our own governance in education,” said FNEA President Stephanie Atleo. “With the achievement of education jurisdiction and our new law-making authority, we are fundamentally changing the system and taking an important step to asserting our rights as Indigenous peoples.”