(CUP) About 1 tive Canadians marched to Parliament Hill last week to protest formula funding of native schools and new gov- ernment limitations on fund-

0 na-

ing for post-secondary edu- cation:

Carrying signs which read,“Save our future generations — stop for- mula funding,” and “Canada is afraid of educated Onkwe- honwe”, natives marched to the hill to present a petition on native education to mem- bers of parliament. Native leaders addressed the crowd.

“We have not come here as beggars,” said Gilbert Whiteduck, director of the First Nations Educa- tion Council of Quebec, “In our treaties, the government promised to fund Indian ed- ucation for all our people, for all levels (of education), but they haven’t lived up to that promise.”

Until 1986-87, all natives who a applied to a post-secondary institution received full fund- ing through the Post Sec- ondary Education Assistance

OTTAWA (CUP) — Canada’s community’s lack of commit- ment to education is “ap- palling,” says Ontario NDP leader Bob Rae.

He said panies shouldn’t gripe about the quality of graduates if they aren’t prepared to make a contribution to the educa- tional system.

“When you look at their record of charitable dona- tions, it’s appalling in com- parison to most other parts of the world,” he said.

The issue of cutbacks in university funding isn’t fully understood by the govern- ment, according to Rae.

When universities are underfunded, “People don't go to university, people drop out, and faculty and _ re- searchers go,” said Rae.

Rae said that the pub- lic supports the concept of education as an investment, “even if it means going into debt.”

business

com-

= Page |) SS EEE

Programme. In 1986, for the first time a limit was put on the programme’s bud- get and in May 1987, fur- ther restrictions to eligibility were announced. This fall, many native students found themselves enrolled in pro- grammes they could not af- ford.

The march, organized by the Assembly of First Nations, brought busloads of natives, many of them schoolchildren, from as far away as British Columbia.

George Erasmus, Na- tional Chief of..the AFN, questioned the rationale of the federal government in limiting funds for native ed- ucation.

“Just at a time when our young people are decid- ing to stay in school, and slowly they are starting to come back to their commu- nities to properly represent themselves, to become em- ployed, to carry out their dreams, the government is cutting them off.”

“The cost to keep some- one on social assistance is higher than the cost of giv-

Rae chides

“My view is that this no- tion (of education as an in- vestment) has been seriously underplayed and underesti- mated,” he said.

Increases in the deficit wouldn’t allow for immediate free tuition, remarked Rae. “J can’t promise you that we will eliminate tuition fees in four years.” he said.

Government intervention is also needed to help address the lack of affordable housing for stu- dents, Rae said.

“The only way to deal with the housing crisis is for the public sector to get into the business of building houses again.” He added the government does not spend or invest money in housing because it’s afraid of interfer- ing with the private sector.

Reflecting - on the changes on campus since he was involved in student government, Rae said there’s now an “atmosphere of ’me

ormawa = 1500 § demand education funds at the Hill»

ing them a university educa- tion. Whether we had treaty rights or not, it doesn’t make any kind of sense for Canada not to enthusiastically en- courage young people to go to university,” he said.

Jo Norton, chief of the Mohawks of Kahnawaki was less diplomatic.

“We are angry and we won’t stand for what this government is trying to do, ” he said. “Our community is tired of being told that yes, you have the right to develop and plan and become edu- cated and then a‘new gov- ernment or a new minister of Indian Affairs comes along and takes the money away,” said Norton, who brought 11 busloads (500 people) to the rally from Quebec.

“We demand more re- sources now, and if that means someone else is going to have to do without, so what? And if it means some- one else has to suffer, well so what? We have been suffer- ing for centuries.

“And if we have to be- come physical and if we have to create confrontations then

maybe that’s what we'll have to do,” he added.

Whiteduck said the AFN had asked Prime Minister Brian Mulroney to receive the petition, which outlined native rights to education and to control over their own education and was signed by 5000 native people from Que- bec. The Prime Minister de- clined.

“I guess we just aren't important enough,” said Whiteduck. _

Liberal MPs Keith Pen- ner and Warren Allmand received the petition and promised to raise the issue in the House of Commons.

“Unemployment. among ~

Inuit and Indian people is many times higher than the national average,” said Pen- ner. “Welfare is debilitating and insulting. This govern- ment is restricting and limit- ing funding for education and at the same time it is spend- ing millions to sell the Cana- dian people on a trade deal to the United States and it is prepared to spend billions on nuclear powered submarines. I say to the: prime minister:

business community

WELFAR & VARIOUS OTHER : OBLIVIONS &

too.”” Students aren’t as in- terested in rebelling against the establishment, he said.

As opposition leader, Rae said he'll do all he can to influence the Liber- als to implement policies on post-secondary education.

‘Rae said he views the NDP’s role as constructive even when other parties bor- row NDP ideas.

_ “I’m just as interested in seeing good things happen as anyone else,”

said Rae. Ss

~ chimed

wake up. Get your priorities straight.”

After the presentation of the petition, the demonstra. tors formed a huge circle on the lawn in front of the cen. tre block. Some played tradi. tional drums and sang while the bells in the clock tower in disharmony he. hind them.

“TI want to study transla. tion so I can go back to my community and teach,” said a young high school student from Restigouche, Quebec, explaining why she wants to go on to university.“I hope we'll be able to afford it.”

Another teenage boy from Weymontachie, also in Quebec, said he didn’t know if he would go to university, “I’m going to try,” “It depends on this (pointing to his head) and it depends on them (pointing to the par- liament buildings).” '

he said,

poe

te