Education budget in Pic River about half that provided to urban schools, community short millions

Dear Canada:
As I write this letter my heart is breaking. I do not understand why Aboriginal children continue to be devalued in this beautiful rich country called Canada. I do not understand why all Canadians continue to let this happen. You have a responsibility.
Canada is not listening to the National Chief or all of the Chiefs across Canada, if their voices were being heard, then it is obvious that the implementation of the HST would not be happening. Resolutions regarding education underfunding have been passed at many Chiefs in Assembly; with no results. Our children need every person in Canada to tell the current Prime Minister and the Government of Canada to make the changes needed to provide equality in education, health and child welfare.
Currently Pic River First Nation receives a grand total of $660,663.00 to operate our education system; this includes everything, the daily classroom instruction, salaries and benefits, special education, minor capital, operation and maintenance. If we simply divide this amount by our total number of student units which is 81 (58 elementary plus 23 secondary), this works out to $8,156.32 per student. If we were to have our children attend school in town, Canada would provide $15,211.53 per elementary student and $17,131.88 per secondary student. If this same money was provided to Pic River, we would see a budget of $1,276,301.98, I do not understand why Canada will give the money to pay a school board, (which is not Native) to educate our children but will not provide the same rate of funding for a First Nation operated education system.
Pic River First Nation has spent in excess of $1.1 million of Own Source Revenue to keep our school operating; in essence Pic River is bailing Canada out. This means there are fewer dollars for other First Nation initiatives like roads, recreation, a new school, administration building, economic ventures, etc. Even with this investment of more than a million dollars, we continue to see an accumulated deficit and this has placed us in the position where we have had to make drastic education staff reductions and programming cuts.
These cuts will have a detrimental effect on the education of our children and ultimately an effect on the future of Canada.
I recall reading a report which stated an additional $71 billion dollars would be injected into Canada’s economy, if the education gap for Aboriginals is closed by 2017. If we continue to cut our education programs, the education gap will only continue to widen and then where will we all be. If needed, Canada can view education in our young as an investment to benefit all of Canada.
“Where are our SMART boards; where are our literacy and numeracy programs; where is our early years learning program; where are our libraries, where are our shop and music programs; where are our specialized teachers; where are our gymnasiums; where are our second level services.”
The government of Canada provides nothing for First Nation education in these areas.
The education budget for province of Ontario is in excess of $20 billion; the total budget for Indian and Northern Affairs Canada is $7 billion, for all of Canada.
Only 55 per cent of this budget makes it to First Nations, the rest stays with Canada to operate the bureaucracy known as INAC. With the money that does make it to First Nations, we are to operate all programs.
Please write a letter to the Prime Minister and copy it to your MP. Send a copy of this letter.
Cindy Fisher
education director
Pic River First Nation.