Aboriginal voters ponder policies on education, 'nation-to-nation relationship'
Politicians focus on just a few issues from a wide range of challenges facing First Nations people
While federal politicians talk about the aboriginal education gap, Catherine Pawis lives with this every day.
The principal of Wasauksing-Kinomaugewgamik elementary school in Wasauksing, south of Sudbury, said the $4,500 per pupil she receives from the federal government barely covers the basics at her school in Wasauksing, south of Sudbury.
"It's extremely difficult. I wouldn't say it's possible on the budget that we get," said Pawis.
She said she's fortunate that the Wasuaksing band tops up her budget by about $50,000 every year, while other communities can't afford to do that.
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Pawis said her real concern is not that first nations schools get the same funding as those in the mainstream education system, but that the "achievement gap" be narrowed so that far more Aboriginal youth graduate and finish their schooling.
"The education gap is not just about funding, it's about student achievement and attainment," she said.
"Even if funding were comparable, there needs to be an infusion of additional resources into first nations schools, if that achievement gap is ever going to be corrected."
As for the party promises, the Conservatives say they'll increase funding to first nations education by 25 per cent, while the NDP is promising $1.8 billion over four years. And the Liberals vow $2.68 billion over the same period.
Everyone but the Conservatives are pledging to scrap the two per cent funding cap on social service payments to first nations that currently keeps any social funding to first nations from going up more than two per cent a year.
Crime, social problems
The other aboriginal issue that's gotten a lot of airtime during the campaign are the calls by most of the parties for an inquiry into the hundreds of missing and murdered indigenous women and girls.
It's an issue Norman Beauvais thinks about almost every day in his job as a court support worker for the N'Swakamok Friendship Centre in Sudbury.
"When you see female clients going through the system and either living or working on the street, you think sometimes 'How long will it take before they're another missing or murdered aboriginal woman?'" he said.
Beauvais is a bit disappointed that the parties haven't given much time to other social problems facing First Nations or suggested ways to cut down on the high numbers who are involved with the criminal justice system.
He said he sees a lot of people who continually end up in jail, largely because they don't understand the court system.
'Why are we sending the money back?'
Some aboriginal voters have very specific local concerns they want the candidates to address.
Caroline Meawasige from Serpent River First Nation is quizzing candidates in her riding of Algoma-Manitoulin-Kapuskasing on money her band is being forced to return to the federal government.
A recently-opened water treatment plant came in $600,000 under budget and Aboriginal Affairs is insisting that money be sent back to Ottawa. But Meawasige would rather see it spent in her community on new fire hydrants and firefighting equpment.
"Why are we sending the money back, when we could use it?" said Meawasige, citing this as a good example of why First Nations need more autonomy from the federal government.
Much of the talk of aboriginal issues during the election campaign has been more general with parties promising "nation-to nation relationships" and to "honour the treaties."
University of Sudbury Indigenous studies professor Brock Pitawanakwat said, while it may seem like political platitudes, those big questions surrounding the relationship between aboriginal people and the rest of Canada have to be settled before getting into specifics.
"I think that leads to a more effective, a more productive conversation," he said.