New Jordan's Principle co-ordinator will help First Nations students in Brandon find success: superintendent

A southwestern Manitoba school division and the Southern Chiefs' Organization say they're working together to improve outcomes for its First Nation students by hiring a Jordan's Principle co-ordinator for the Brandon School Division.

Jordan's Principle, which was adopted by the House of Commons in 2007, says that all First Nations children, living on or off reserve, must have equitable access to all public services, such as education.

Mathew Gustafson, the superintendent for Brandon School Division, said a partnership with Southern Chiefs' to hire a Jordan's Principle co-ordinator was a natural fit, given the division's strong relationships with Sioux Valley Dakota Nation, the Manitoba Métis Federation, the Brandon Urban Aboriginal Peoples' Council and the Brandon Friendship Centre.

"This became an opportunity to support the western part of the province," Gustafson said.

"I think the First Nations children who live in urban centres such as Brandon may not have the same access to support just because of the separation from their local governments, and so this just becomes a way for us to provide that additional support."

The role will involve "working with children and families and educators to identify resources that are needed to address gaps," Gustafson said. 

Sheryl Playford, a member of Pimicikamak Cree Nation who has worked for the division as a counsellor and as a teacher, has been hired as the division's Jordan's Principle co-ordinator, the SCO said in a Thursday news release.

Her work will include providing a culturally safe drop-in or meeting space for families with service providers, and working with those providers or programs to provide wrap-around services for children, Gustafson said.

"Anything that supports our families is a benefit," he said. "We take that seriously, that we have a leadership role that we can play as part of that work towards … true and meaningful reconciliation with our First Nations partners."

The division currently has just over 9,200 students, Gustafson said, and he estimates about 18 per cent are Indigenous — but not all of these students would be status First Nations.

Gaps in education system

The Southern Chiefs' Organization is building a network of Jordan's Principle co-ordinators to improve outcomes for First Nations children. Earlier this year, the SCO announced it was partnering with the Winnipeg School Division to hire a co-ordinator there. Co-ordinators have been placed in other facilities, like the Children's Hospital of Winnipeg.

Jordan's Principle is named for Jordan River Anderson, a five-year-old boy from Norway House Cree Nation who was born with a rare medical condition that required extensive medical treatment in Winnipeg. He died in hospital in 2005, while federal and provincial governments argued over who should pay for his home care. 

Joni Wilson is the Jordan's Principle and wellness services lead with the Southern Chiefs' Organization. She says the goal is to keep expanding the program across the province.

"We've identified that there are certainly gaps when it comes to services and supports available for First Nations children in the education system," Wilson said. "We want to be able to support them and support the communities that they are part of as well."

Graduation rates point to those gaps. For non-Indigenous students in Manitoba, the four-year high school graduation rate was 91 per cent in 2021, according to provincial data. For Indigenous students, it was 51 per cent.

Wilson said there are a variety of ways a co-ordinator can help children and families directly. That can be anything from helping out with school supplies to making sure they have connections with support resources.

"Having extra supports for success in place … would help any student," Wilson said.

The organization is "playing it by ear" for now, Wilson said, but may expand the Jordan's Principle program within Brandon School Division "when word spreads and … more people are aware and more people see that it can help."

More supports needed for urban Indigenous students

The new Jordan's Principle position is a welcome addition in Brandon and has been long needed, said Debbie Huntinghawk, the Sixties Scoop co-ordinator for the Brandon Friendship Centre.

But more supports are needed for urban Indigenous youth, she says, especially when it comes to helping with their education. 

"I feel a lot of our youth are living on the edge of between ... poverty not having both parents at home," Huntinghawk said.

The division's new co-ordinator position is part of a bigger picture of community support for families, she said, and is an opportunity to grow a community based on cultural understanding.

"It's a start to have one, but we do need more [co-ordinators] in each school," she said.

"How is one person going to represent all the schools? Her phone is going to be ringing off the hook."