There are things that can be practised before [ESA] meetings. Perhaps having an Elder support some of the work, perhaps some engagement, for example, leadership going to the First Nation prior to sitting down. There are a lot of things we can do to set up the relationship. (Auger, at a meeting of the CASS First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Education Committee, March 20, 2023)

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada defines reconciliation as “an ongoing process of establishing and sustaining respectful relationships” (Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, 2015, p. 16. The Honourable Murray Sinclair has reminded the Canadian public often that there are no shortcuts.)

Building respectful and reciprocal relationships takes time. The Guide to Relationships and Learning With the Indigenous Peoples of Alberta (CASS, n.d.-b) provides guidance to system education leaders about how to build respectful and reciprocal relationships with Indigenous peoples. Crystal Clark, Indigenous Education Consultant of Nehiwayak/Denesuline and Métis ancestry, and one of the key developers of the Guide, has described it as an initial support for system education leaders. “The real work,” she said, “is connecting and working with Indigenous Peoples and building respectful relationships over time. That is what requires effort and ongoing commitment.” (CASS, 2023d, 22:22).

In Episode 4 (White, 2023), Superintendent Bill Shade cautioned that beginning ESA discussions and negotiations by talking about funding can easily derail the conversation and take the focus away from young people’s success and positive steps that may already have been taken. Bill Shade’s advice is to talk about funding last. He highlighted how important it is for First Nations and provincial school authorities to reflect on all of the positive work they have already accomplished. This is a good place to determine where to strengthen the work further, where any weaknesses might be and what steps you might take next. As part of reviewing and building on collaborative efforts, he emphasized how important it is for the parties involved to establish that everybody has an equal say and the negotiations will be 50/50, regardless of the size of each school authority.

Before coming to the negotiating table, it is important for system education leaders to begin the process of establishing respectful relationships. This may include, for example, getting together for an informal visit/s over coffee or a meal, learning/following protocol, visiting/learning about the First Nation and, reviewing and celebrating collaborative efforts over time between the First Nation and the provincial school authorities. Building relationships initially in ways that might be described as informal is a key part of the process.

Building Respectful Relationships Over Time

Establishing mutually respectful relationships takes time and provides a strong foundation on which to build ESA discussions. In Episode 5 (White, 2023), Superintendent Bill Shade talked about working with one school division for over a year before ESA discussions began. Because of that work, they already had a good relationship in place even though it had not been formalized into an agreement. They had established mutual respect by the time they began conversations about ESAs, and perhaps most significantly, they could already see the positive impact of their relationship with students.

Seeing the Impact/Strength of the Relationship

In Episode 6 (White, 2023), Superintendent Bill Shade emphasized that when school districts are working together in mutually respectful ways, it becomes evident with the students. Some of the ways it shows up are that students want to be part of the school community, are willing to step beyond their comfort zone and enjoy participating in school events, including cultural events. When students are comfortable in their school, Bill said that Elders are more willing to go into the schools because they see the benefit for students. This leads to parents feeling more comfortable as well. Bill talked about the work required to rekindle that trust in light of the legacy of residential schools. He said Elders and parents should feel as comfortable walking into an off-reserve school as an on-reserve school and that when we have achieved that step, we will know trust is being nurtured.

“When you enter into negotiation with a First Nation, come to the table with a blank sheet and an open heart” (Auger, at a meeting of the CASS First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Education Committee, March 20, 2023).

We have learned this over time. Initially, we would go in and say, sign here. Now we ask, what would you like? We are also learning to listen. There is some deep hurt and harm, some stories of horror. You’ve got to listen to those stories and prevent them from happening again. (Poloz, at a meeting of the CASS First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Education Committee, March 20, 2023)

Reconciliation must become a way of life … [and] begins with each and every one of us … non-Aboriginal children and youth need to comprehend how their own identities and family histories have been shaped by a version of Canadian history that has marginalized Aboriginal peoples’ history and experience. They need to know how notions of European superiority and Aboriginal inferiority have tainted mainstream society’s ideas about, and attitudes towards, Aboriginal peoples in ways that have been profoundly disrespectful and damaging … this knowledge and understanding will lay the groundwork for establishing mutually respectful relationships. (Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, 2015, pp. 184–185)

The Ministerial Order (#015/2022) on Standards for Education Services Agreements (Alberta Education, 2022c) offers some guidance and a starting point when two parties meet. There is no reference, however, to the ongoing work that is required to acknowledge, challenge and, prevent systemic racism. Making assumptions about what is best for First Nations students, without asking First Nations communities and students themselves, and listening respectfully to what they have to say, is part of what must change.

In her keynote address at the 2023 CASS First Nations, Métis, and Inuit Education Gathering, Dr. Verna St. Denis stated,

I have a point of contention with how we identify educational problems. Because how we define the problem, who and what the problem is, shapes and influences who and what we think needs to change … And so what we define as the problem impacts the solutions we pursue. In other words, who and what needs to change.

Instead of focussing on changing and fixing children, what would it mean and what does it take to shift the perspective of school personnel? (CASS, 2023b, 16:10)

A common thread, in the guidance offered from First Nations education leaders in relation to ESAs, is the importance of provincial system education leaders being willing to unpack assumptions and bias. Asking what the First Nation community wants for their children, listening respectfully to what they say and establishing a collective vision for student success are good initial steps. It is also important to ask young people about their experience in school and what they need to achieve their hopes and dreams.

Patty Krawec, an Anishinaabe and Ukrainian writer from Lac Seul Fist Nation and author of, Becoming Kin: An Indigenous Call to Unforgetting the Past and Reimagining the Future said:

The trick is to get those assumptions from where they rest inside you or inside our broader society out to a place where you can articulate them. To move those unspoken things from implicit to explicit so they can be challenged or reconsidered … We are all related … what does it mean to be good relatives—to not only recognize our kinship but to be good kin? … If we are going to be kin, then we must accept that these relationships come with responsibility. (Krawec, 2022, pp. 17–19)

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