In a recent opinion piece for the Saskatoon StarPhoenix, First Nations University of Canada President Mizowaykomiguk paypomwayotung (Jacqueline Ottmann) and Mastercard Foundation Senior Director of Canada Programs Jennifer Brennan discuss the need for better postsecondary options for Canada’s Indigenous population. Ottmann and Brennan write that the province’s Indigenous population is young and growing faster than non-Indigenous populations, which makes postsecondary funding and options critical for empowering Indigenous youth. To serve this population, the authors also argue that it is especially important to address the chronic underfunding of Indigenous postsecondary institutions, which have higher graduation rates because they deliver high-quality programming that meets community needs and integrates Indigenous approaches. “Indigenous youth matter; they are drivers of our collective prosperous future,” write the authors. “Canada needs to get behind Indigenous post-secondaries and work with and invest in them with sustainable, equitable funding, full accreditation and academic autonomy.”
