Fund First Nations University Now! Spring Equinox Edition Posts from the blog fnuniv.wordpress.com Edward Doolittle and many others Published by FastPencil, Inc. Copyright © 2010 Edward Doolittle Published by FastPencil, Inc. 3131 Bascom Ave. Suite 150 Campbell CA 95008 USA (408) 540-7571 (408) 540-7572 (Fax) [email protected] http://www.fastpencil.com First Edition Contents CHAPTER 1: CAUT Letter to Rob Norris 1 CHAPTER 2: Statement from University of Regina President and Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Vianne Timmons 3 CHAPTER 3: University of Regina Faculty Association (URFA) Statement 5 CHAPTER 4: CAUT Press Release, February 5 6 CHAPTER 5: First Nations University needs to stay 7 CHAPTER 6: Faculty Press Release 8 CHAPTER 7: University of Regina Faculty Association 10 CHAPTER 8: Reason #1: Government accountability 11 CHAPTER 9: Stand-alone FNUC uncertain 12 CHAPTER 10: U of R linguistics students attempt to save program 13 CHAPTER 11: The human costs of First Nations University’s failure 14 CHAPTER 12: Letter #1: Appeal from Wes Heber 15 CHAPTER 13: Reason #2: The Students 16 CHAPTER 14: Letter #2: Appeal from Joan Sanderson 17 CHAPTER 15: Students’ Voices on the Importance of the First Nations University of Canada 18 CHAPTER 16: Lesley Bear, Alumna 21 CHAPTER 17: Letter #3: Appeal from Carrie Bourassa 22 CHAPTER 18: Liberals call on Harper government to help keep First Nations University open 23 CHAPTER 19: Reason #3: Indian Education is a Treaty Right 24 CHAPTER 20: Thursday, February 11 Events 25 CHAPTER 21: Reason #4: First Nations University Northern Campus 26 CHAPTER 22: Event: Rally in Prince Albert 27 CHAPTER 23: Rallies Today! Thursday, February 11 at 1 pm 28 CHAPTER 24: Statement by Ralph Goodale 29 CHAPTER 25: Reminder: Rallies Today, February 11, 2010 31 CHAPTER 26: CAUT Condemns Federal Government Decision 32 CHAPTER 27: Letter #4: Student Counselor in Prince Albert 33 CHAPTER 28: Letter #5, to the Provincial NDP 34 iv Contents CHAPTER 29: Saskatchewan NDP press release 35 CHAPTER 30: Lorena Lynn Cote, alumna 37 CHAPTER 31: Letter #6: The Canadian Association of University Teachers 38 CHAPTER 32: Letter #7: Ben Schenstead to the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation 40 CHAPTER 33: Letter #8: Federal NDP Aboriginal Affairs Critic 42 CHAPTER 34: Reason #5: The Centre for International Academic Exchange 44 CHAPTER 35: Letter #9 from Darlene Juschka 47 CHAPTER 36: Letter #10: Open Statement to Premier Wall and Prime Minister Harper to Restore Funding to the First Nations University of Canada 48 CHAPTER 37: Governments clearly colluded to torpedo FNUC 52 CHAPTER 38: Faculty Profile #1: Alfred Young Man 53 CHAPTER 39: Reason #6: The Economics of Aboriginal Higher Education in Saskatchewan 54 CHAPTER 40: Faculty Profile #2: Arok Wolvengrey 56 CHAPTER 41: Letter #11: Roy Kwiatkowski 57 CHAPTER 42: Reason #7: Indigenous linguistics 59 CHAPTER 43: Reason #8: The First Nations University art collection 60 CHAPTER 44: Letter #12: Carmen Robertson, Native Heritage Foundation 62 CHAPTER 45: Faculty Profile #3: Jan van Eijk 64 CHAPTER 46: Uncertainty of FNUniv like ‘death of a dream’ 65 CHAPTER 47: Reason #9: The Indigenous Garden project 66 CHAPTER 48: Faculty Profile #4: Bettina Schneider 67 CHAPTER 49: Letter #13: Jacqueline Marie Heber 68 CHAPTER 50: FNUC as we know it is over 69 CHAPTER 51: Faculty Profile #5: Arzu Sardarli 70 CHAPTER 52: FNUniv needs careful rebuilding, not some hasty repair job 71 CHAPTER 53: Busy week at FNUniv 72 CHAPTER 54: Faculty Profile #6: Joan Sanderson 73 CHAPTER 55: Faculty Profile #7: Olga Lovick 74 CHAPTER 56: Reason #10: Our Donors 75 CHAPTER 57: Faculty Profile #8: Wes Heber 76 CHAPTER 58: Faculty Profile #9: Linda Goulet 77 CHAPTER 59: Reason #11: The Faculty 78 CHAPTER 60: Faculty Profile #10: Fidji Gendron 79 CHAPTER 61: Faculty Profile #11: Willie Ermine 80 CHAPTER 62: Reason #12: Our Mission 81 CHAPTER 63: Faculty Profile #12: Jo-Ann Episkenew 82 CHAPTER 64: Faculty Profile #13: Edward Doolittle 83 Fund First Nations University Now! Spring Equinox Edition v CHAPTER 65: Reason #13: Our Vision 84 CHAPTER 66: Native university pulled back from brink 85 CHAPTER 67: UofR President Vianne Timmons to meet with First Nations University faculty and staff 86 CHAPTER 68: Statement from the University of Regina 87 CHAPTER 69: Faculty Profile #14: Anthony de Padua 88 CHAPTER 70: Group has 2 weeks to fix First Nations University 89 CHAPTER 71: Reason #14: Our Graduates 90 CHAPTER 72: Faculty Profile #15: Margaret Cote 91 CHAPTER 73: Letter #14: Harley Weston 92 CHAPTER 74: Back from the brink: making FNUniv work 93 CHAPTER 75: Faculty Profile #16: Lorena Lynn Cote 94 CHAPTER 76: Letter #15: Cam Broten, Provincial NDP Critic for Advanced Education, Employment, and Immigration 95 CHAPTER 77: Reason #15: Indigenous language education 96 CHAPTER 78: Faculty Profile #17: Carrie Bourassa 97 CHAPTER 79: Faculty Profile #18: Carl Beal 98 CHAPTER 80: Canada’s only First Nations college likely to close after losing funding from both provincial and federal gov- ernments 99 CHAPTER 81: “On guard for taxpayers”: Chuck Strahl responds to the Globe and Mail 100 CHAPTER 82: Letter #16: Restore FNUC Funding by Norlane Jensen 101 CHAPTER 83: Faculty Profile #19: Del Anaquod, Chief Operating Officer 102 CHAPTER 84: Professor assigned COO at First Nations University 105 CHAPTER 85: First Nations University of Canada Governance Plan (Begay Report) released 106 CHAPTER 86: Begay Report Completed, Will Be Addressed in Chiefs Assembly 108 CHAPTER 87: First Nations University in ‘precarious’ state 109 CHAPTER 88: Letter #17: Suzie Nilson 110 CHAPTER 89: Report urges small board, no chiefs 111 CHAPTER 90: Faculty Profile #20: Janice Acoose 112 CHAPTER 91: Milton Tootoosis, Alumnus 113 CHAPTER 92: University talent pool runs deep 114 CHAPTER 93: Winds of change blow through FNUniv 115 CHAPTER 94: Education is the key to aboriginal (and Canadian) potential 116 CHAPTER 95: Reason #16: The Indian Communication Arts Program 117 CHAPTER 96: Letter #18: Grandmothers Caring for Grandchildren 118 CHAPTER 97: High school students plan to attend FNUC 120 CHAPTER 98: Sweeping changes coming for First Nations University 121 CHAPTER 99: Message from the President of the University of Regina 122 CHAPTER 100: Faculty Profile #21: Angelina Weenie 124 vi Contents CHAPTER 101: Too little, too late for the Tories to forgive First Nations U 125 CHAPTER 102: Canadian government ‘strangely silent’ on future of FNUniv: Ralph Goodale 126 CHAPTER 103: Faculty Profile #22: Blair Stonechild 127 CHAPTER 104: Reason #17: Our relationship with the Crown 129 CHAPTER 105: Action #1: Write Your Saskatchewan MP 130 CHAPTER 106: Letter #19: Association for Canadian Studies in the German Speaking Countries 132 CHAPTER 107: Reason #18: The Indigenous Teacher Education Program 134 CHAPTER 108: Research and Scholarship #1: Jan van Eijk 136 CHAPTER 109: Faculty Profile #23: Herman Michell 139 CHAPTER 110: Letter #20: University of Regina Faculty Association 140 CHAPTER 111: Leaders need to shed egos, work to save FNUC 142 CHAPTER 112: Faculty Profile #24: Shannon Avison 143 CHAPTER 113: Letter #21: Intercultural Grandmothers Uniting 144 CHAPTER 114: Letter #22: Della Anaquod 146 CHAPTER 115: Reason #19: The Wiseman Mathematics Contest 149 CHAPTER 116: First Nations University of Canada’s $1.2M art collection in jeopardy 151 CHAPTER 117: Letter #23: Saskatchewan Aboriginal Literacy Network 152 CHAPTER 118: Letter #24: Regional Centre of Expertise on Education for Sustainable Development in Saskatchewan 154 CHAPTER 119: Faculty Profile #25: Sharon Acoose 156 CHAPTER 120: Letter #25: Linda Goulet 157 CHAPTER 121: Letter #26: Edward Doolittle 159 CHAPTER 122: Letter #27: Arzu Sardarli 162 CHAPTER 123: Speech from the Throne, March 3, 2010 164 CHAPTER 124: Letter #28: Wes Heber 165 CHAPTER 125: Faculty Profile #26: Esther-Kathleen Segal 167 CHAPTER 126: Letter #29: Vincent Twardzik Ching 168 CHAPTER 127: Three segments from The Morning Edition, one month later 169 CHAPTER 128: Letter #30: Sandra Morin, MLA 170 CHAPTER 129: Watson’s Legacy 172 CHAPTER 130: Letter #31: Joanne Arnott 173 CHAPTER 131: Tories target wheat board monopoly 175 CHAPTER 132: Proposed Model for New Relationship between FNUniv and the University of Regina 176 CHAPTER 133: Sask Justice investigates whether scholarship fund at native university misused 177 CHAPTER 134: NDP calls for reinstatement of money to First Nations University 178 CHAPTER 135: Update on First Nations University 179 CHAPTER 136: Faculty and Students appeal to Federal Government 180 CHAPTER 137: Government eyes FNUC fund 182 Fund First Nations University Now! Spring Equinox Edition vii CHAPTER 138: Chiefs agree to new FNUC structure 183 CHAPTER 139: Michael Ignatieff calls for restoration of federal funding to First Nations University of Canada 184 CHAPTER 140: Aboriginals in desperate fight to save university 185 CHAPTER 141: Strahl turns down students’ plea to restore First Nations University funding 186 CHAPTER 142: Letter #32: Lionel Peyachew 187 CHAPTER 143: Q&A with Guy Lonechild 190 CHAPTER 144: The clock ticking for First Nations University 191 CHAPTER 145: First Nations University: making a fresh start 192 CHAPTER 146: Chronology of Events 193 CHAPTER 147: Town Hall meeting with Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff, Tuesday March 16 at 7:30 pm, Royal Canadian Legion Hall 195 CHAPTER 148: Letter #33: Rob Norris responds to Lionel Peyachew 197 CHAPTER 149: Letter #34: Chuck Strahl responds to Joanne Arnott 198 CHAPTER