THUNDER BAY—Ontario Regional Chief Stan Beardy is calling the launch of the First Nations Regional Early Childhood Education and Employment Survey (FNREEES) a step in the right direction and is confident that vital data collected from First Nation communities in Ontario will provide more support for developing First Nation policy and increasing advocacy efforts.
“This program will provide us with invaluable information that will contribute to a better understanding of our needs and priorities in our communities,” Regional Chief Beardy said. “This confidential information will focus on First Nations early childhood education and employment needs. This valuable data will support policy and program development and inform decision making.”
The FNREEES is a nationally mandated First Nations Information Governance Centre survey respecting the principle of ownership, control, access and possession (OCAP). The survey is designed to generate evidence-based results to support First Nation policy, program development and advocacy efforts in these priority areas at the local, regional and national levels. The First Nations Education Coordination Unit and regional coordinator will work in partnership with First Nations communities and organizations to support implementation of the survey in Ontario.
The FNREEES is a national First Nation research project. It is being implemented by regional First Nation partners to produce on reserve First Nation population estimates at a national, regional and territorial level including select large First Nation communities.
The study is being conducted in 10 regions across Canada. The regions are the Yukon, Northwest Territories, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Newfoundland. In Ontario, a sample of communities from each of the five political-territorial organizations will be identified for inclusion in this study.
Wikwemikong First Nation is the first community to agree to participate in the FNREEES and a FNREEES survey team is preparing to begin community visits to conduct the survey over the next few weeks.
“We look forward to the collection of quality information about our community using principles of ownership, control, access and possession—done by Wikwemikong for Wikwemikong,” Ogimaa Duke Peltier of Wikwemikong First Nation said. “We can only benefit by having more complete information about early childhood development, education and employment and a better understanding of the opportunities and challenges that can lead to success.”
The FNREEES will provide community-based culturally relevant research information about Ontario First Nations in order to support collective priorities and strategic directions for building healthy strong Nations. This research project is being completed by First Nations for First Nations.
