Funding shortages delay implementing recommendations from Thunder Bay student deaths inquest

The Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) says more funding is needed if it is going to implement in a timely fashion the recommendations of the inquest into the deaths of seven First Nations students in Thunder Bay, Ontario.

The jury in the inquest into the deaths of the Indigenous teens, who all left their homes in remote First Nations to attend school in Thunder Bay, delivered their recommendations in June 2016 and directed 24 of them at NAN, or at NAN  and other parties.

NAN's annual progress report on implementing the recommendations identified at least 11 places where it said more funding is either necessary or might be necessary.

For example, the NAN report states the federal government requires a work plan before issuing funding to develop a leadership training program for young people. However, NAN said it needs funding to develop a framework for such a program to ensure it would meet the needs of the community and the youth.

NAN also said it needs funding to develop a comprehensive information package for students and parents to inform them of their educational options. 

Some progress made

In addition, Deputy Grand Chief Anna Betty Achneepineskum blamed funding shortages for the fact that NAN and the Canadian government have failed to meet a recommended six month deadline for establishing a working group to consider boarding home standards for students travelling to the city.  

"I'm not making excuses, but we have very few human resources to be able to work on these," Achneepineskum said. 

However, NAN has made progress on implementing some recommendations in the absence of funding, according to its report.  

It worked with the provincial air ambulance service Ornge to obtain a donation of emergency response training for staff and boarding parents associated with First Nations schools.  It says it would welcome other donations from community partners with necessary expertise. 

NAN has created two roundtables to help implement the recommendations, it said in a news release:  a political roundtable made up of representatives from all named parties and an education committee made up of all First Nations partners and government representatives, which focuses on the education-related recommendations. 

It did so in order to create "a simple but efficient process" for working on the recommendations, it said, adding, "Even with this aim ... NAN's resources are being taxed."  

Emergency chief's assembly

"Given the evidence heard at the inquest regarding overtaxed organizations and individuals, and the chronic lack of funding and support in capacity building, it is of no surprise that the effort required to respond to the recommendations is only exacerbating the burnout already experienced by the staff of these organizations," NAN wrote in its report. 

NAN also blamed implementation delays on a revolving door of representatives sent by some parties, particularly the federal government, to participate in the political and education tables.

"Each time when you send someone in that's not familiar with the file, then we're having to explain the work that we're doing, what the recommendations mean, and the whole history of how our students came to be students," Achneepineskum explained.  

NAN is holding an emergency Chief's Assembly in early July to address parents' and students' fears for students attending school in September. 

"We need to advocate for those resources," Achneepineskum said, "whether it's building more residences in Pelican or providing distance education, or having another facility to increase the grades in the community. So those are the things that are going to be discussed."