NATIONAL CHIEF SHAWN ATLEO INVITED TO ATTEND EDUCATION RALLY

Chief Lyle Sayers of Garden River First Nation issued the following announcement today. The Anishinabek Grand Council will be meeting in Garden River First Nation on Monday, November 8th for their Fall Assembly. National Chief Shawn Atleo will be the key note speaker at the Assembly and has been invited to participate in the Education Rally together with Regional and local First Nation leadership. Together, we will join to support a two-hour highway slowdown in a united response to the Federal Government’s attempts to impose drastic changes to Post-secondary Education without First Nation consultation.

We will slow down the highway traffic from 10am to 12pm on Monday, November 8, 2010 on Highway 17 and 17 B. This is a peaceful rally and we will allow all emergency traffic to proceed through. We encourage anyone with appointments in the city to leave early so that you will not be delayed.

We understand that the general public may not agree with our actions, however, we need government and all good Canadian citizens to hear and understand our important message regarding access to post-secondary funding.

This is rally is about the future of our Nation and giving opportunity and hope to our young people. Too many of our young people feel powerless over their own futures as they are caught in the ditches of welfare dependency and despair. The current education system is failing our youth. Quality culture-based education is the key to addressing the educational achievement gap. Changes to First Nations education require meaningful First Nation consultation.

Short changing First Nations education affects us all. We are the fastest growing population in the country. Statistics Canada has predicted that Canada will face a labour shortage by 2017. With more than half of First Nations people under the age of 23, our youth will need to fill this gap. Access to a university degree will triple ones’ earning potential, therefore creating an opportunity for prosperity among First Nation people that will eliminate the employment gap and inject billions of dollars into the Canadian economy.

National Chief Shawn A-in-chut Atleo of the Assembly of First Nations, Regional Vice-Chief Angus Toulouse of the Chiefs of Ontario, Grand Council Chief Patrick Madahbee of the Anishinabek Nation, Grand Chief Randal Phillips of the Association of Iroquois and Allied Indians, Chief Dean Sayers of Batchewana First Nation, and Chief Lyle Sayers of Garden River First Nation are scheduled to speak.

We invite everyone to come and support this peaceful effort. For further information you can contact Darrell Boissoneau, Councillor, Garden River First Nation @ 705-542-0123 or 705-946-6300.