Education Agreements: As a general framework, all public school boards receive transfer payments from INAC for all FN students who reside on-reserve, but are registered/enrolled in a public school off-reserve. There are three FN communities that have formal legal relationships with boards in neighbouring communities according to provincial regulation and one school board that represents several FN on-reserve communities according to its own provincial regulation.

Curriculum Development for mandatory Indigenous History and Culture: Beginning in 2014, in partnership with the Treaty Relations Commission, treaty education has been introduced in early years’ education on a province-wide basis. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Archives have also partnered with the Province to develop important social studies resources and the Department of Education also promotes a speakers bureau (2014-15) so that schools can invite survivors to address students.

In 2015, the Manitoba Métis Federation developed an important historical resource kit for teaching children in early and middle years the history of Manitoba’s first legislative assembly, the Council of Assiniboia. This was the Council led by Louis Riel and the provisional government. We expect that this curriculum will be introduced by the Department of Education on a wider provincial basis starting this year. In Fall, 2015 the Department, in association with Aboriginal Languages Manitoba, introduced our framework for teaching and learning Indigenous languages across the province.

Teacher Education Programs: Starting in 2007, each teacher education program in Manitoba has included a three-credit hour (half year) mandatory course on Aboriginal education. This has been mandated as part of the overall teacher certification requirements in Manitoba. While there is no consistency in terms of content across the faculties of education, typically the course focuses on Aboriginal history, socio-economic and cultural-historical contexts, specialized pedagogies and learning strategies, etc. In the period following release of the TRC report, this course can and will be adapted to feature relevant content concerning the calls to action and importance of teachers to fulfillment of the calls.