National Indigenous News July 8

Darrell Stranger takes a look at some of the latest Indigenous news making headlines across the country. 

Transcript

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This is a look at your National Indigenous News. I'm Daryl Stranger. Early returns from a review of the Yukon's school system paint a grim picture of relations between the Education Department and frontline educators. The Yukon External Independent Review Panel released its first status report this week, focusing mostly on the working relationship between department officials and schools. In short, the relationship is not good. Monday's report sums up 55 meetings the review panel conducted with department staff, teachers, school councils, and other interest groups. The panel found an education department hamstrung by a complicated organization structure. The department includes five separate branches with numerous sub-branches. The department also provides services to the French and First Nations school boards, though it doesn't manage those schools directly. The report also describes an environment where political considerations outweigh practical decisions and where the department issues heavy-handed orders that have little to do with students' learning. The panel also found relations between the department and schools are so toxic, schools often went out of their way to avoid dealing with civil servants. The overall picture, the panel says, is one of an education system that is failing students, especially ones with special needs. The report also acknowledged the problem of discrimination in schools and promised to address that issue in a subsequent report. Some early recommendations include policy changes to prevent education ministers from interfering in day-to-day school operations, spinning the department's management of schools off into a new school board or education authority, and a more inclusive model for students with behavioral and psychological issues. In a statement, Education Minister Scott Kent didn't address the report's findings directly, but said the government will implement the panel's recommendations as soon as possible. He said a public survey will launch later this year with an interim report from the panel expected in September. A new legal guide was released this week by a community-based nonprofit located in St. John's, Newfoundland that argues indigenous people in provincial custody are likely being denied legal rights to access culturally appropriate programming and services. The guide, released by First Light, outlines several legal avenues through which indigenous individuals, nations, and organizations may challenge those violations. The publication is intended for Indigenous governments and organizations seeking to advance Indigenous rights within the provincial correction system. Its companion booklet is written for current and former Indigenous inmates to help them understand their legal rights and provide more fully informed instructions to their legal representatives. The guide serves as a follow-up to First Light's March of 2026 report. That report found more than four out of every 10 inmates in the province are Indigenous and that Indigenous people are incarcerated at a rate eight times higher than non-Indigenous people. It also documented limited access to Indigenous cultural programming, low awareness and use of GLADU reports, and a high rate of housing insecurity among inmates approaching release. First Light is currently engaged in discussions with the Department of Justice and Public Safety to determine a collaborative path forward. Red River College in Manitoba has released a new report aimed at addressing systemic barriers and improving post-secondary outcomes for Indigenous students. The report, titled Our Road Map Forward, Ensuring the Success of Indigenous Students, was developed through the Overcoming Barriers for Indigenous Students project, which launched in 2022. Through community-guided research and analysis, the project identified 73 root factors that influence Indigenous student success. According to Statistics Canada, 49% of Indigenous people aged 25 to 64 had completed post-secondary education as of 2024, compared to 68% of non-Indigenous people, a gap of nearly 19 percentage points. The report identifies five key priority areas for change: essential life needs, funding and enrollment, academic readiness, student experience, and institutional culture. The college says those priorities will guide work at both the campus and policy levels, including efforts to strengthen support such as housing and childcare, aligning programming with community needs, and creating learning environments focused on belonging and cultural safety. The report also highlights existing programs and initiatives at the college that are already addressing some of the barriers identified through the project while outlining future actions to continue improving student experiences. The college says with this report, it will continue to work with nations, educators, and community partners to reduce barriers and support Indigenous learners. That's a look at your national Indigenous news.