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Call to Action # 62 : Education for Reconciliation (62-65)

Launch of Voices from the Land–An Educational Web Portal that Reflects the Realities of First Nations and Inuit across Quebec

September 12, 2024

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NationTalk: WENDAKE, QC – The First Nations Education Council (FNEC) is thrilled to announce the launch of its exciting new web portal, Voices from the Land, offering authentic content that reflects the realities and perspectives of First Nations and Inuit of Quebec.

Voices from the Land is designed to engage non-Indigenous educators and provide them with reliable resources about the First Nations and the Inuit—empowering them to enrich their classrooms by transmitting Indigenous knowledge in the provincial curriculum. The portal features:

  • Informational tools and lesson plans for organizing land-based learning activities.
  • Teaching tips on the cultures, values, and languages of the First Nations and Inuit across Quebec, including which communities and schools are nearest to theirs.
  • Educational guides and videos to support teachers in welcoming and integrating First Nations and Inuit students into their classrooms in a culturally safe way.
  • Pedagogical material tailored to different grade levels in elementary and secondary school that reflect the history and realities of First Nations and Inuit communities across Quebec.
  • The opportunity to create connections with First Nations and Inuit Knowledge Keepers.

The Voices from the Land web portal stems from the Quebec government’s commitment to finally give Indigenous history and perspectives their rightful place in provincial school programming. The initiative targets three key areas: direct student support, new instructional material, and program review. The Provincial Round Table on the Educational Success of Indigenous Students was tasked with fostering collaboration between Indigenous and non-Indigenous organizations working with First Nations and Inuit students throughout Quebec.

The Voices from the Land web portal was made possible thanks to the FNEC’s partnership with La Boîte Rouge VIF and CREO, who contributed to the development of relevant Indigenous-based learning material for all schools across Quebec.

Voices from the Land can be accessed at: https://lesvoixduterritoire.ca/en/.

“The creation of the Voices from the Land web portal attests to the FNEC’s dedication to raising awareness about the realities of First Nations, while honouring and respecting their identity, culture and traditions. Developed from the perspective of First Nations, Voices from the Land provides trusted resources to facilitate the integration of First Nations content into the provincial curriculum and will be a powerful tool for non-Indigenous teachers and educators to bring Indigenous culture into their classrooms,” stated Denis Gros-Louis, FNEC Director General.

About the FNEC

The FNEC is an association of 22 First Nations of Quebec that has been working for more than 38 years to realize the right of First Nations to exercise their full jurisdiction over education through the establishment of a comprehensive and adequately resourced education system designed and managed according to their values and culture. For more information, visit www.cepn-fnec.com

Mona Belleau, Government Relations and Communications Services Director, First Nations Education Council, 418 842-7672, ext. 3001, mbelleau@cepn-fnec.com.