Groups hope to halt E-12

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The Canadian government needs to learn it can't deny Native people the right to post-secondary education, says a political advisor for the Indian Association of Alberta.

During a meeting with Indian Affairs officials in Ottawa recently. Walter Janvier says he found that the government needs an education in human rights issues.

He says the federal government is proposing to cut back on the post-secondary program (E-12) policy which gives Indians and Inuits the opportunity to attend university, college or technical school. "This directly contravenes our treaty and human rights."

Indian Affairs officials told Janvier and other Native representatives during a conference Feb. 20-22 in Ottawa the decision to cut back funding was final and will be in place April 1, 1989. Janvier says it's not stopping there.

He feels the government will cut back more on Indian programs in an attempt to reduce the federal deficit.

The federal government has no intention of proceeding with post-secondary rollbacks April 1, according to the Indian Affairs regional director of education.

Sheila Carr-Stewart says the final say will come from "headquarters" in Ottawa. Until she hears otherwise, Carr-Stewart says the current E-12 guidelines will be in effect for the

1989-1990 school year.

She says the government is recognizing the Assembly of First Nations and their concerns.

A nationwide rally is being planned in all major Canadian cities for March 22 to protest the policy changes. In Edmonton, a rally will begin at noon at Sir Winston Churchill Square to organize a march on the regional Indian Affairs office.

Janvier says Native organizations want a moratorium called on the changes so the government can better understand they're seriously violating Aboriginal rights.

"All Indian nations across the country will unite to ensure our right to education is not violate. We want to get a moratorium out to extend the deadline and make sure Indian people are consulted more thoroughly than the way Indian Affairs first did it."

Janvier says the government based the E-12 changes on a study that was conducted on Indian communities. "But it was unfair, incomplete and all one-sided. They never consulted grassroots people to find out how they felt."

The E-12 guideline changes include a reduction in the number of months education will be funded, dropping from 96 to 48. "If they don't have the time they can't get a degree (students)."

Janvier says the student allowance is already under the standard of living rates, and fears it will be slashed even more.

An Alberta all-chiefs meeting will be held March 18 at the Enoch recreation centre to review what will be discussed at the special chiefs meeting in Ottawa March 21-22.

Janvier says an assembly of chiefs will then approach Indian Affairs Minister Pierre Cadieux to express their opposition. " We will be made aware," he warned.

He says chiefs are also calling on band schools nationwide to voice their support for the protest using a letter-writing campaign.

"We want students to write letters to their local MPs and even to the Prime Minister and Mr. Cadieux." These are decisions that will affect them, he says.