Canadian Council on Learning | Conseil Canadien sur l'Apprentissage

National conference to highlight vital role of indigenous knowledge in Canada’s educational system

February 28, 2008 Vancouver—Prominent educators, leaders, elders and politicians from across the country are gathering in Vancouver today for a three-day conference that will explore the role indigenous knowledge plays in strengthening the learning outcomes of First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples.

The Honourable Steven L. Point, the Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia, will be on hand tonight to deliver the opening address at Vancouver’s Westin Bayshore hotel, while B.C.’s Representative for Children and Youth, Mary Ellen Turpel-Lafond, will deliver the event’s keynote speech on Friday Feb. 29.

Organized by the Canadian Council on Learning’s Aboriginal Learning Knowledge Centre (ABLKC), the 2nd annual conference will feature a wide range of sessions and workshops with cultural experts, community leaders and educators, all dedicated to discussing the state of Aboriginal education in the 21st century.

“Gatherings such as these, which bring together leaders and thinkers to exchange ideas and identify effective approaches to learning, have the ability to enhance opportunities for all Aboriginal people,” said Dr. Marie Battiste, co-lead of the ABLKC and Academic Director of the Aboriginal Education Research Centre at the University of Saskatchewan. “They also offer us an opportunity to pause and celebrate the progress that the Aboriginal Learning Knowledge Centre and its members have made in advancing the cause of Aboriginal learning,” added Dr. Vivian Ayoungman, co-lead of the ABLKC and Executive Director of the First Nations Adult and Higher Education Consortium.

The conference, titled “Seeing Ourselves in the Mirror: Giving Life to Learning”, begins Thursday Feb. 28 at 7:00 a.m. with an opening ceremony and prayers, followed by a day-long showcase dedicated to holistic learning.

The next two days will offer 40 unique and varied workshops on education with presentations by a number of esteemed Aboriginals Elders and educators, including Dr. Herman Michell, Dr. Manu Meyer, and Dr. Lorna Williams. The conference will wrap up on Saturday afternoon with a town hall featuring ABLKC consortium members and Dr. Paul Cappon, President and CEO of the Canadian Council on Learning.

“This event supports the kind of quality education opportunities that Aboriginal people require to meet their economic, social, political and cultural goals,” said Tyrone McNeil, President of the First Nations Education Steering Committee.

The conference is a joint effort of the Aboriginal Learning Knowledge Centre, the Aboriginal Education Research Centre, College of Education, University of Saskatchewan and the First Nations Adult and Higher Education Consortium, in cooperation with the First Nations Education Steering Committee.

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The Canadian Council on Learning is an independent, not-for-profit corporation funded through an agreement with Human Resources and Social Development Canada. Its mandate is to promote and support evidence-based decisions about learning throughout all stages of life, from early childhood through to the senior years.

The First Nations Education Steering Committee is an independent, non-profit body directed by B.C. First Nations community representatives and is based in Vancouver. 

To arrange an interview or for registration information, please contact:

Jennifer White
First Nations Education Steering Committee
West Vancouver, B.C.
Office: 604.925.6087
Cell: 604.417.8349
www.fnesc.ca

Rita Bouvier, Co-Coordinator
Aboriginal Learning Knowledge Centre
College of Education, University of Saskatchewan
Cell: 604.834.0669
www.ccl-cca.ca/aboriginallearning

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