I'll be a little more specific and repeat that an investment in early years education has statistical proof to support the fact that it is one of the greatest determinants of moving children out of poverty, and hence generations out of poverty.
I know that education is a provincial designation in terms of responsibility, but some of the ways the federal government could help is to target specific funding to support aboriginal students in their success. We certainly have seen some successful programs in partnerships we have initiated in Ontario and one the previous lieutenant-governor, James Bartleman, began in terms of the summer of hope literacy programs for summer camps in the north. Our organization has supported one, as OTF has, over the past three years to support the success of those programs.
We're also beginning a new initiative working with the Red Cross to bring in anti-violence work in aboriginal communities. It's called Walking the Prevention Circle, and it trains aboriginal facilitators to bring the programs into those communities. Clearly aboriginal education is a place where the federal government does have responsibility.
I pulled a news report out of the Timmins Daily Press that was published on Saturday, May 30. It references a parliamentary budget report by Kevin Page, who indicates that Indian and Northern Affairs Canada is currently drastically underfunding infrastructure for first nations schools. His report recommends $287 million to $308 million annually, while the current amount being expended is only $118 million to $123 million.
I come from northern Ontario. I live just on the edge of Charlie Angus's riding. I'm directly aware of the struggle that's been going on in the community of Atawapaskat to try to have a new school built. That school was condemned in 1979 because of a diesel spill. That's a long time ago, but those students are still sitting in portables waiting for a school to be built. That's a place where the federal government could certainly move. If you talk about it being a human rights issue, I think there is no better example than the plight of our aboriginal students.