May 31, 2024
(Press release from the Province of NS)
Mi’kmaw students who attend Nova Scotia’s public schools will continue to receive programs and services they need to learn, grow and thrive with the signing of the most recent Mi’kmaq Education Agreement.
Becky Druhan, Minister of Education and Early Childhood Development, and Chief Leroy Denny, Chair, Mi’kmaw Kina’matnewey, signed the agreement May 30.
“For more than 25 years, we have had exceptional partners in education with Mi’kmaw Kina’matnewey. We have worked together to enhance the education experience for Mi’kmaw students and enrich public schools by increasing the knowledge and understanding of L’nu ways of being and knowing, culture, language and history,” said Minister Druhan. “We look forward to our continued partnership, which is helping to build a more inclusive education system that meets the needs of all Nova Scotian students.”
The five-year agreement helps guide public school programs and services to support Mi’kmaw students who are members of Mi’kmaw Kina’matnewey communities. It ensures there are opportunities for Mi’kmaw Kina’matnewey to participate in decisions that impact Nova Scotia’s education system.
The agreement also provides guidelines for improved information sharing between the Mi’kmaw Kina’matnewey on-reserve education system and the public school system to help smooth the transition for students from one to the other.
Nova Scotia was the first jurisdiction in Canada to adopt a provincial structure that supports Mi’kmaw leadership in Mi’kmaw education.
“I want to thank our provincial counterparts for their co-operation and long-standing partnership with our communities over the years. When the previous agreement expired, both sides saw the need to modernize and worked together to implement some key changes that we are excited to see. We look forward to our continued collaboration to ensure the educational success of Mi’kmaw students in the province.”
— Chief Leroy Denny, Chair, Mi’kmaw Kina’matnewey
“The signing of the Mi’kmaq Education Agreement is very exciting. The MEA helps to make sure I have a stronger sense of culture and community while at school. I have benefited from having language lessons available in Mi’kmaq, as well as teachers and workers who have helped support me in many ways, including to be a part of the Minister’s student advisory council and to organize cultural events at my school.”
— Dru Paul-Martin, Millbrook First Nation, Grade 11 student, Cobequid Education Centre, Truro