FIRST NATIONS EDUCATION: FINANCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY AND EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT

First Nations people have both a Constitutional and a Treaty right to education; however, the Crown’s jurisdictional obligations to provide educational services have not lead to similar educational opportunities and attainment achievement for First Nations students as compared to Canadian students in provincial schools. Canada’s Auditor General, in 2000, stated that Indian and Northern Affairs Canada could not demonstrate that it reached the objective to assist First Nations students on reserve in achieving their educational needs and aspirations. In 2004, the Auditor General noted a widening achievement gap.. Using statistical information from the Department of Indian Affairs and the Auditor General to consider educational financial accountability, the author argues that equitable financial resources are required to support First Nations students in band‐managed schools. Key words: educational administration, fiduciary responsibility, educational equity, school achievement Les Premières nations ont un droit constitutionnel et à la fois au plan constitutionnel et conféré par traité. Toutefois, les obligations de la Couronne en cette matière n’ont pas eu pour effet de susciter chez les élèves autochtones des possibilités éducatives et un rendement scolaire semblables à ceux des élèves canadiens dans les écoles provinciales. En 2002, la vérificatrice générale du Canada signalait que le ministère des Affaires indiennes et du Nord canadien ne pouvait démontrer qu’il avait atteint son objectif d’aider les élèves autochtones dans les réserves à combler leurs besoins et réaliser leurs aspirations en matière d’éducation. En 2004, la vérificatrice générale notait que l’écart en matière de réussite scolaire entre autochtones et allochtones allait en grandissant. Se servant de données statistiques provenant du ministère des Affaires indiennes et du Nord canadien et de la vérificatrice générale en vue d’analyser la responsabilité financière du gouvernement fédéral en éducation, l’auteure soutient qu’il faut des ressources financières équitables pour soutenir le travail des les Premières nations dans les écoles gérées par des bandes. Mots clés: administration scolaire, responsabilité fiduciaire, équité en matière d’éducation, rendement scolaire

Mythic Landscapes of the Boom and Bust Weedon Island, Florida

The Weedon Island Preserve is a 3,164-acre nature park situated on the shores of Old Tampa Bay in northeast St. Petersburg.1 A mosaic of mangrove forest, tidal marshes, pine flatwoods, and remnants of hammocks, the preserve also encompasses a famous prehistoric archaeological site, which was excavated by the Smithsonian Institution in the 1920s and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1972. Of national, state, and regional significance, Weedon Island\u27s wild landscape carries a strong sense of place for the citizens of Pinellas County and in the last thirty years has captured community support for the conservation of the cultural remains and natural resources there

FIRST NATIONS EDUCATIONAL GOVERNANCE: A FRACTURED MIRROR

The Constitutional Act 1867 established a dual system of education in Canada – provincial authority and federal responsibility for First Nations‟ education. As a part of its treaty obligations, Canada agreed to provide western schools and services equitable with that provided by provincial systems (Morris 1880/1991). The authors argue that the federal system of education for First Nations children has only a surface similarity with the provincial systems. The fractured federal approach to First Nations education – lack of a governance system, educational policy, limited second level services and funding inequities – contributes to dissimilar educational services and inhibits First Nations‟ student learning and effective educational outcomes.