Do Native Children have a right to a proper educational environment? Apparently the Government of Canada doesn’t think so.

In the Isolated community of Attawapiskat, Ontario, students have gone through 8 years without a proper building for them to learn in. In 2000, the J.R Nakogee Elementary School was closed when parents found out that it was contaminated by a diesel fuel leak back when it was built, which was in 1979. So for 21 years, children had been attending a school that posed a serious health risks, and the Government had refused to clean it up and in 2000, parents pulled their children out of school and protested.

What is the health risks involved in going to a school contaminated with diesel fuel? Students had reported that they were getting head-aches, and at times, felt nauseous, especially when there is no wind. Other severe health risks include cancer, breathing problems, and even health risks to babies that were born to people who had attended the school.

When the School was closed, for a while, students had to share the High School building, Elementary Students attended School in the morning and afternoon, while High School students had to attend in the afternoon to early evenings. Then the Government stepped in, sending portables as a temporary solution, keyword here being Temporary.

It’s been 8 years since it was closed, they are still using the Portables, which is looking more and more like a permanent fixture for those who attend school, either to learn or to work. We have children attending school right now and haven’t been in an actual school building, and will never get if the Government has its way. This is Canada, where everyone has a right, and this is what we get for just being native.

Three Indian Affairs Ministers have promised a new school to the Children of Attawapiskat, and three of those promises have yet to be fulfilled. Finally, the Government stated that they will fund the building of a new school, parents were ecstatic, the students were happy, the Community of Attawapiskat was finally going to get a new school. Then in December 2007, Chuck Strahl, the current Indian Affairs Minister, issued that the funding for the New School Building had been cancelled, causing uproar in the community of Attawapiskat.

Had this happened in another town, like Toronto or even Sudbury, they wouldn’t have placed their children in portables for a long time and give false promises. Something would’ve been quick to remedy the situation, but apparently the Canadian Government believes that Native People and their children are not a priority.

We’re doing something, children have a right to a proper education and we need a new building to do so. Students and other people of the community have been sending letters to Strahl and other students from other schools have been helping as well. It’s time for promises that were given long ago to be fulfilled.

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-Robin K.