Indigenous and Northern Affairs Committee on March 22nd, 2023

Evidence of meeting #55 for Indigenous and Northern Affairs in the 44th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was learning.

A video is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

Improving Graduation Rates and Successful Outcomes for Indigenous Students

Election of Chair

MPs speaking

Also speaking

Clerk of the Committee Ms. Vanessa Davies

Margaret Moss Professor and Director, First Nations House of Learning, University of British Columbia

Thomas Sierzycki Northern Education Advisor, Saskatchewan Ministry of Education

Suzanne Brant President, First Nations Technical Institute

Michael DeGagné President and Chief Executive Officer, Indspire

Melanie Bennett Executive Director, Yukon First Nation Education Directorate

6:50 p.m.

President, First Nations Technical Institute

Suzanne Brant

The other thing that I think would be beneficial in terms of health outcomes and getting back to the land is.... We have a four-year degree program in indigenous sustainable food systems. Of course, that's going to make a big difference in terms of food sovereignty, food security and getting back to understanding our relationship to the natural world.

An investment from the federal government in program development that can address that capacity development with an indigenous lens will make a huge difference.

We have a program in indigenous language instruction, so we want to be able to graduate our own people to bring those things back to our communities. That kind of investment in programming in an indigenous institute would make a huge difference, especially in FNTI.

Thank you.

6:50 p.m.

Liberal

The Chair Liberal Jenica Atwin

Thank you, Ms. Idlout.

That concludes our rounds for today.

Thank you so much, Ms. Brant, Mr. DeGagné and Ms. Bennett, for your testimony and for spending your time with us. We're very grateful.

Thank you to our committee members.

Is the committee in agreement to adjourn the committee?

6:50 p.m.

Some hon. members

Agreed.