The Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Government and the Yukon government have signed a deal to co-govern education for “life-long learning” on the First Nation’s territory, according to Jody Beaumont, education director for Trʼondëk Hwëchʼin Government, during a signing ceremony.
The Letter of Agreement on Education marks a formal deal on co-governance to build an education system that better reflects the values and culture of the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in, as noted in a joint press release from the two governments.
It's the first agreement of its kind in the Yukon.
Eleven years on, the deal is set, although there’s a long way to go, Beaumont said.
The signing ceremony was co-hosted by the Yukon and Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in governments in Dawson City, which is on Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in traditional territory. The News witnessed the ceremony via livestream on Facebook. Children could be heard playing in the background as songs welcomed participants to the event outside the brightly coloured Robert Service School on Aug. 30.
In a Facebook post, Education Minister Jeanie McLean said the signing ceremony was a highlight of her career as minister.
“This agreement will ensure education in Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in traditional territory is shaped to reflect the culture, language, and values of the community, fostering a sense of belonging and pride among students,” McLean wrote.
“By working together, we aim to improve educational outcomes for all students and create a more inclusive, community-centred education system.”
At the signing ceremony, McLean noted the importance of students learning about the people and the land because education here is rooted in the land. She said no one talked about co-governance in 2016, when she first took government as MLA.
An invitation to the event notes why this agreement is important:
“For too long, education systems across Canada have not fully supported Indigenous students. Some of the messages, built into these systems, often quietly tell Indigenous children they don’t belong.”
In 2013, Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in and Yukon governments agreed through a section of the Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Self Government Agreement to negotiate regarding sharing and dividing responsibility for designing, delivering and administering education in Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in territory.
“Our co-governing relationship is demonstrated daily in our shared operational and programming decisions and responsibilities at Robert Service School,” reads the event invitation.
The invitation also says the agreement will aim to change education by improving outcomes for all students; ensuring programs fully integrate Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in culture, history and language; sharing decision-making, responsibility and budget; and creating a truly collaborative approach to education.
At the ceremony, Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in Coun. Kyrie Nagano said thousands of years of passing down knowledge across generations has "taught us" that positive education systems understand the learner’s world.
“Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in has experienced firsthand the harms of colonial education systems that disregard its learners, and we are committed to ensuring that no one is subjected to such a system again,” Nagano said.
Nagano added that’s why the historical document Together Today for Our Children Tomorrow is a fundamental part of government, and why they fought so hard for co-governance.
A joint statement from the Department of Education and Tr'ondëk Hwëch'in in response to the News’ questions indicates the deal represents embedding Tr’ondëk Hwëch’in, or TH, culture, history and language into the education system.
For example, this deal formalizes the principal and the TH education manager making decisions together about Robert Service School staffing, school operations and programming.
The deal doesn’t shift financial responsibilities between the governments; the Yukon government remains the primary funder of public education across the territory.
“The LOA (letter of agreement) creates a framework where YG (Yukon government) and TH set goals together and allocate resources effectively to meet these goals,” reads the joint statement.
“The Education Oversight Committee, made up of representatives from both YG and TH, ensures that the necessary resources, whether they come from YG or TH, are available to deliver a well-rounded, culturally responsive, and inclusive education for all students.”
Contact Dana Hatherly at dana.hatherly@yukon-news.com
