Provincial-territorial ministers want action on aboriginal education, violence against women

Nunavut Premier Eva Aariak (second to right, first row) and Elisapie Sheutiapik, president of Pauktuutit, were among the provincial and territorial ministers of aboriginal affairs and leaders from national aboriginal organizations, who met April 11 in Toronto. (PHOTO COURTESY OF THE AWG)

A call for improving educational results and reducing violence against women — that’s what provincial and territorial ministers of aboriginal affairs and leaders from the Assembly of First Nations, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, the Métis National Council, the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples and the Native Women’s Association of Canada, who met April 11 in Toronto, say they want following a one-day meeting April 11.

Since 2009, members of this aboriginal affairs working group have collaborated on three priorities — to increase graduation rates about youth, close the income gap between aboriginal people and non-aboriginals, and end violence against aboriginal women and girls.

The members now want a first ministers’ meeting on aboriginal education with national aboriginal leaders, along with more federal support for projects and programs that increase graduation rates and the development of a joint work plan with the Council of Ministers of Education.

They also want to see a National Aboriginal Women’s Summit to be hosted by Manitoba in 2012 and more education and awareness about violence experienced by aboriginal women and girls.

“Addressing the education issue will be critical to closing the income gap for Inuit,” said Elisapie Sheutiapik, the president of Pauktuutit Inuit Women of Canada, who represented ITK at the meeting.

“Pauktuutit, in collaboration with the other Inuit organizations, also invites all Canadians to support population-specific actions being taken to end violence against Inuit, First Nations, and Métis women and girls, and to tackle the problems underlining all forms of family violence.”

Nunavut Premier Eva Aariak represented Nunavut at the April 11 meeting.