August 27, 2025

Shingwauk Kinoomaage Gamig has received 10-year approval from the Indigenous Advanced Education Skills Council (IAESC). With this approval, SKG will be able to submit new program proposals directly to IAESC for stand-alone accreditation. This approval is a step towards the institution’s full accreditation. “This achievement reflects the vision of Chief Shingwaukoonse to establish a Teaching Lodge where Anishinaabe people could learn in ways that honour their identity, culture, and knowledge systems,” said SKG President/Chief Academic Officer Mary Wabano-McKay. “It is a moment of pride, not only for SKG, but for our students, graduates, and the communities we serve.”

The Deninu School in Fort Resolution has started classes several weeks before other schools in the South Slave Divisional Education Council in an effort to increase attendance. By adjusting the class schedule, the school year will end on June 3, 2026, which will enable students to finish their classes before cultural and seasonal family activities such as hunting and fishing begin. CBC explains that the idea came from Deninu Principal Simone De Gannes, who noticed a drop in attendance during the last month of school. “We are hindering the traditional aspect of children’s lives where they want to go out and fish, they want to go out and hunt, they want to be out on the land,” she said. The adjustment will also avoid keeping students in class during the hot month of June. Council Superintendent Souhail Soujah noted that the other schools in the board are welcome to explore alternative academic calendars or schedules that suit to the communities they serve. “We have five communities that are very different, so having a school calendar that’s one-size-fits-all makes no sense,” he said. Attendance has already improved at Deninu compared to last year.

Yukon University and the House of Wolf & Associates have partnered to launch the Community Safety Guardian Training Program. Learners in the program will develop their skills and earn certifications in areas such as trauma-informed care, mental health first aid, legal literacy, and service navigation. When they enter the workforce as Guardians, they will focus on assisting people through healing, wellness, and connection instead of enforcement or punishment. Learner candidates are nominated by their First Nation to ensure they are trusted, supported, and well-positioned to serve their own communities. “This program empowers communities to take safety into their own hands in a way that builds trust, prevents harm, and strengthens cultural connection,” said House of Wolf & Associates CEO Gina Nagano, who is a Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in First Nation citizen of the Wolf Clan from Dawson.

CUPE Saskatchewan is warning that the termination of 80 Jordan’s Principle educational assistants (EAs) in Saskatoon is placing students at risk and leaving schools understaffed. SaskToday explains that, after the cuts to Jordan’s Principle funding, Saskatoon Public Schools terminated the contracts of 80 temporary EAs. “It’s heartbreaking to see education assistants losing their jobs because of the funding cuts to Jordan’s Principle, while Indigenous students struggle without the support they need,” said Shandell McLeod, Vice-chairperson of CUPE SK’s Educational Workers Steering Committee. SK Education Shadow Minister Matt Love added that the province’s school divisions are trying to offer regular contracts this Fall but are struggling to do so with limited resources. CUPE is calling on the Government of Saskatchewan to backfill the funding cuts to Jordan’s Principle.

Rupertsland Institute and the Métis Education Foundation (MEF) have launched a web platform for Métis students called En Roo. En Roo—which means “the wheel” in heritage Michif—is intended to symbolize the student journey with its many spokes and milestones. The platform offers a curated database of scholarships for Métis students, tools and storage space to support their applications, and community events and mentorship opportunities. “I remembered how lost I felt searching for resources, so when I saw a project dedicated to fixing that, I knew I had to contribute,” said En Roo Co-developer Rowan Blackbeard. “As a Métis student in tech, the chance to help build a resource for my own community was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.” The program was funded by the Otipemisiwak Métis Government and is available to all Otipemisiwak Métis Students’ & Alumni Association.

The Métis Nation of Ontario (MNO) has launched the MNO School Food Program to ensure Métis families and children enrolled in K-12 education across the province can access nutritious food. Through the program, Métis parents, caregivers, and independent youth can apply for grocery gift cards. MNO is also providing access to an educational course that offers practical guidance on developing healthy eating habits. “Families are struggling with rising costs of food, housing, and other essentials,” said Mitch Case, PCMNO Councillor for the Huron-Superior Regional Métis Community. “[The program is] about caring for our children, strengthening our families, and building the kind of future our ancestors dreamed of.”

The Vancouver Fire Rescue Services (VFRS) recently hosted more than a dozen Indigenous high school students for a firefighter bootcamp. The bootcamp is offered through a partnership between the First Nations’ Emergency Services Society, VFRS, Musqueam First Nation, and ACCESS. Students wore jumpsuits, boots, helmets, and gloves as they learned about handling the hose, hydrant tagging, and how to conduct a search-and-rescue in a smoke-filled building. “Keeping control of the hose is tough work,” said Burnaby North Secondary Grade 11 student Kyle Peters, who is from the Lilʼwat First Nation. “The water pressure pushes you back. We worked hard just to hold ourselves down so we didn’t go flying back.” Matthias Ballantyne, a VFRS firefighter and a member of Misipawistik Cree Nation, emphasized the importance of representation in shaping career aspirations and shared that the program is intended to help increase First Nations representation within the fire service.

The Government of Canada has announced a $5.9M investment through Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan) into projects across Alberta that will support rural and Indigenous communities, entrepreneurs, and businesses. The Northern Alberta Institute of Technology has received $1M to create Indigenous-led Community Atlases, which will be used to support industry consultations, decision-making, and land reclamation efforts. The Siksika Nation and the AKSIS – Edmonton Indigenous Business and Professional Association are among those that received funds to create dedicated resource centres for Indigenous entrepreneurs. “From arts and cultural venues to agribusinesses and tourism, rural and Indigenous communities across the Prairies are home to a multitude of businesses and initiatives that fuel Canada’s economy and advance economic reconciliation,” said PrairiesCan Minister Eleanor Olszewski.

CBC reporter Jessica Wong offers a look at the community-based training programs at the University of Manitoba and University of New Brunswick—that are helping Indigenous educators develop their skills and attain their certifications. UNB Associate Professor Juan Rodriquez explained that Western models for teacher education are not always responsive to Indigenous needs and challenges. However, by introducing flexible learning opportunities, Rodriquez explained that universities can create a way for “Indigenous [teachers] not to leave their families, their communities, their obligations.” Culturally relevant training and supports are hoped to help alleviate a shortage of teachers in Indigenous communities, explained University of Manitoba Associate Dean Marti Ford. Additionally, Ford emphasized the impact on Indigenous students when a teacher “understands them, understands where they’re coming from … their life, their culture, their teachings.” Wong also highlights the recent Rideau Hall Foundation funding to support the training and certification of Indigenous teachers across Canada.

The Mohawk Council of Kahnawake, Kahnawake Education Center, and Onkwata’karihtatshera have announced that the council will cover private tuition for 25 special needs students at the education center who are no longer supported through Jordan’s Principle. “We didn’t want them to fall through the cracks,” said Council Chief Jeffrey Diabo. “That’s why we stepped up and said we’re going to do this.” The council will provide $326K to cover some of the costs for the students for the 2025-26 school year. It will then seek reimbursement for the cost and lobby Indigenous Services Canada to renew this funding for students who need it. Diabo added that the collaboration is “based on the core principle of Jordan’s Principle anyway, which is do not argue about who’s going to pay for it.”