Anishinabek Nation Education Agreement

Anishinabek Nation Education Agreement is a self-government agreement regarding education.

In Anishinabek News

• November 2013: A draft of this agreement was completed in September 2010. The agreement was scheduled for review by chiefs and education professionals at a special assembly in November 2013. It is part of negotiations for Canada to recognize the inherent jurisdiction of Anishinabek First Nations over education.
• April 2014: The agreement recognizes the jurisdiction of First Nations over primary, elementary, and secondary education. Negotiators expected to initial the agreement at a special assembly in November 2014. First Nations operating under this agreement would be exempt from the proposed First Nations Control of First Nations Education Act.
• April 2015: Negotiations for this agreement between the Anishinabek Nation and Canada concluded in 2015 after more than 20 years. Six First Nations passed resolutions in early 2015 to approve the initialling of the agreement by the education negotiator.
• May 2015: Negotiations for this agreement with Canada reached completion in 2015. Ten member communities of the Anishinabek Nation passed resolutions to approve the initialling of this agreement.
• May 2015: By May 2015, ten First Nations had passed resolutions to approve the initialling of this agreement. The Anishinabek Nation conducted engagement sessions to explain the education structure of the agreement to community leaders.
• May 2015: The agreement follows 18 years of negotiations with Canada to recognize the inherent right of Anishinabek Nation communities to control their own education systems. It consists of the Education Agreement, the Education Fiscal Transfer Agreement, and the Education Implementation Plan. The formal initialling of the document is scheduled for October 2015 after 17 First Nations submitted supporting resolutions.
• July 2015: Eighteen member First Nations have passed resolutions to initial this agreement as of July 2015. The agreement follows more than two decades of negotiations between the Anishinabek Nation and Canada.
• August 2015: This agreement recognizes the jurisdiction of Anishinabek First Nations over primary, elementary, and secondary education. It is a separate but complementary agreement to the proposed Master Education Agreement with Ontario.
• September 2015: Negotiators initialled the agreement on July 30, 2015, marking the end of formal negotiations. A ratification vote for the agreement is scheduled to take place between November 28 and December 2, 2016. As of September 2015, 22 First Nations had passed resolutions in support of holding a vote on the document.
• October 2015: Several communities in Regional Education Council #4 have passed Band Council Resolutions in support of this agreement.
• October 2015: This agreement was negotiated with Canada. The Master Education Framework Agreement with Ontario is designed to enhance this deal. Several communities, including Nipissing First Nation and Magnetawan First Nation, have passed Band Council Resolutions supporting this agreement.
• November 2015: Twenty-five member First Nations passed resolutions to approve the initialling of this agreement with Canada. The agreement is the result of more than two decades of negotiations to recognize First Nation jurisdiction over education.
• March 2016: The agreement took 20 years to negotiate and defines the funding and implementation of the Anishinabek Education System. It removes the authority of the Minister of Indian Affairs over the education of participating First Nations. A ratification vote for the agreement was scheduled to take place between November 28 and December 2, 2016.
• March 2016: The agreement would grant Anishinabek Nation communities full control over education to better meet student needs through culture and language. Ratification requires a yes vote from 25 per cent plus one of all eligible voters in participating communities during a voting period from November 28 to December 2, 2016. The deal is structured to allow other First Nations in Ontario to join the self-government arrangement in the future.
• April 2016: The agreement was scheduled for ratification in the fall of 2016. Under this agreement, the Kinoomaadziwin Education Body in each Regional Education Council will drive the development of curriculum focused on culture, history, and language.
• June 2016: This agreement represents the largest education-related self-government negotiation involving Canada. The negotiation process for this agreement lasted over 20 years. Information sessions regarding the agreement are being held across Anishinabek Nation territory to inform eligible voters.
• August 2016: A ratification vote for this agreement was scheduled to take place from November 28 to December 2, 2016. The agreement requires at least 12 Anishinabek First Nations to ratify it for it to be considered ratified. It provides First Nations with the authority to create their own curriculum and receive core funding for language and libraries.
• September 2016: The agreement reached a conclusion after more than twenty years of negotiations with Canada. A ratification vote for the agreement was scheduled for late November 2016. The agreement is intended to allow communities to move away from the Indian Act and establish their own educational systems.
• October 2016: The agreement aims to provide participating communities with full control over education standards and curriculum from junior kindergarten to Grade 12. It proposes a new fiscal relationship with Canada to increase per-student funding for participating First Nations. A ratification vote for the agreement was scheduled to take place from November 28 to December 2, 2016.
• December 2016: This agreement is the largest self-government arrangement in Canada. A ratification vote held from November 28 to December 2, 2016, required at least 12 communities to say yes to move the proposal forward. The agreement recognizes the jurisdiction of participating First Nations over primary, elementary, and secondary education.
• June 2017: The agreement is set to be signed by Nipissing First Nation and other communities with Canada on August 16, 2017.
• June 2017: A signing ceremony for the agreement was scheduled for August 16, 2017, at Chippewas of Rama First Nation. The agreement is part of the transition to the Anishinabek Education System.
• August 2017: The agreement represents the largest education self-government deal in Canada based on the number of participating communities. It recognizes the control of participating First Nation governments over on-reserve education from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12. Official results released in August 2017 confirmed that 23 communities successfully ratified the agreement through two rounds of voting.
• September 2017: The agreement was signed by 23 First Nations and the government of Canada on August 16, 2017. The signing ceremony took place in Chippewas of Rama First Nation. The agreement established the Anishinabek Education System with an effective date of April 1, 2018.
• October 2017: The agreement recognizes First Nation control over education from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12 on-reserve. It was signed by the participating parties during a ceremony held on August 16, 2017. Under this agreement, certain education-related provisions of the Indian Act will no longer apply to the participating communities.
• December 2017: The agreement is the largest of its kind in Canada and the first to be established in Ontario. It recognizes the authority of participating nations over education both on and off reserve.
• December 2017: The agreement was finalized after 20 years of negotiations and a two-year ratification process. It allows 23 participating First Nations to move out from under the Indian Act regarding education matters. The agreement focuses on improving education outcomes and promoting Anishinaabe culture and language.
• March 2018: The agreement was signed in August 2017 between 23 participating First Nation communities and the federal government. The document is intended to change the landscape of how Anishinabek students receive educational services.
• April 2018: This agreement became effective on April 1, 2018. The agreement serves as a foundation for Anishinabek Nation control over education for participating communities.
• October 2018: The Kinoomaadziwin Education Body is responsible for ensuring the implementation of this federal agreement.
• December 2018: Participating First Nations met in November 2018 to discuss the implementation and ongoing operations of this agreement. The agreement governs the educational programs and services provided through the Anishinabek Education System.
• December 2018: This agreement was recently legislated by the government of Canada. Jide Afolabi provided expertise during the development of this educational framework.
• February 2019: Fiscal analyst Jide Afolabi worked on this agreement for the federal government before his work on the Anishinabek Nation Governance Agreement.
• March 2019: The Anishinabek Nation Education Agreement is being implemented by the Kinoomaadziwin Education Body to support the Anishinabek Education System.
• August 2019: The agreement was concluded in 2018 with 23 Anishinabek Nation member communities. It recognizes law-making authority over on-reserve education from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12 and administrative control over post-secondary funding.
• January 2020: This agreement is the first of its kind in Ontario and represents the largest self-government education agreement in Canada. Helen Bobiwash acted as a fiscal negotiator for the Anishinabek Nation to support this agreement.
• February 2021: This agreement laid the foundation for the creation of the Anishinabek Education System. Muriel Sawyer was a leader in ensuring the passage of this agreement within Nipissing First Nation.
• September 2021: The Anishinabek Nation Education Agreement has been ratified by 23 First Nations to exercise jurisdiction over education. This agreement is supported by federal legislation known as the Anishinabek Nation Education Agreement Act. The agreement takes precedence over federal legislation and recognizes existing inherent rights rather than creating new ones.
• December 2021: This agreement is the largest of its kind in Canada pertaining to the self-governance of education. It provides the foundational support for the operation of the Anishinabek Education System.
• March 2022: The Anishinabek Nation Education Agreement has been ratified by 23 First Nations that are self-governing in education from junior kindergarten to grade 12. This agreement takes precedence over federal legislation and is supported by enabling laws from Canada. The agreement led to the creation of the Anishinabek Education System, which as of March 2022 is entering its fifth year of operations.
• October 2024: New funding announced in 2024 was added to the existing financial arrangements of this agreement.