Funding cuts protested

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Representatives from the Blue Quills Native Education Centre in St. Paul met with Deputy Prime Minister and local MP Don Mazankowski Saturday to protest funding cuts planned for programs.

Centre president, Joe Dion, and chiefs and Elders of the seven local reserves involved in Blue Quills, met to discuss alternatives to the cuts that would kill the program.

According to Dion, "The meeting went exceptionally well. Mr. Mazankowski was receptive to our group and we covered the main points and gave him a brief that outlined our concerns. He said he'll take the matter to federal Minister of Indian and Northern Affairs Bill McKnight for further discussion. I'm sure he'll have some influence with the minister."

Indian Affairs officials say the high school program is too costly to operate and that students can attend future high schools likely to built on their home reserves.

However, Dion countered that Blue Quills students would not utilize local high schools, especially those from broken or problem homes.

Established for students who have difficulty in regular high school, Blue Quills is sometimes the last resort for students who want to graduate, but cannot continue in regular schools for cultural, social, scholastic or personal reasons.

This year over 200 of the centre's 450 students are enrolled in high school. Thirteen of these will graduate on June 20 and 53 others will receive their diplomas in education, social work, business education and trades training.

Dion says Blue Quills officials felt a meeting with Mazankowski was necessary and drastic action had to be taken, even if it meant going over the heads of local Indian Affairs staff.

"This year we've got the highest number of graduates since the centre was set up in 1971," Dion pointed out. "The idea of shutting down the high school and cutting back program funds in our post-secondary courses doesn't make sense and we believe it would be a big mistake. We can produce more Native graduates than any other institution."

Also included in the brief presented to Mazankowski is a plan to have the 212 acres on which Blue Quills designated as special status which would bring it under the administration of the centre. It would also be owned by the seven bands that govern the institution: Saddle Lake, Goodfish Lake, Beaver Lake, Heart Lake, LeGoff, Frog Lake and Kehewin.

Provincial authorities have already given their approval to this designation, but Dion says the federal government has held out to have it remain as crown land.

Since the centre, located outside St. Paul, opened, funding has been supplied by the Department of Indian and Northern Affairs. Last year, more than $3.6 million has received from the Department, but this year a funding crisis has already resulted in 25 members being laid off. It was made public that the centre was in the red by $1 million and staff cuts were necessary to continue programs.

Mazankowski was unavailable for comment following Saturday's meeting and flew back to Ottawa early Sunday morning.