Funding Restored To First Nations University

Funding Restored To First Nations University

Wednesday, June 02, 2010 at 15:11

 

 

The federal government has announced it will restore $4 million worth of funding to the First Nations University of Canada.

 

The money will cover the period from September 1st to March 31st.

 

The government says the funding is subject to the school meeting certain milestones in accountability and governance.

 

Indian Affairs Minister Chuck Strahl says he is encouraged by the university’s progress so far and he looks forward to seeing it become increasingly stable.

 

Strahl is also singling out Federation of Saskatchewan Indian Nations Chief Guy Lonechild as one of the key players who made the restoration of funding possible.

 

Lonechild says there is a huge sense of relief with today’s announcement, noting the FNUC’s future was in peril.

 

He says the FNUC board will likely be scaled down to seven to nine people in continued efforts to depoliticize it.

 

Lonechild isn’t sure what will happen with the Saskatoon campus, which has been put up for sale — but suspects it will be discussed at next week’s FSIN legislative assembly.

 

Meanwhile, students’ association spokesman Cadmus Delorme says he never wants students to go through the uncertainty of the past few months ever again.

 

Delorme says the students now have a voice at FSIN assemblies to make sure their leaders are transparent.

 

Liberal MP Ralph Goodale says the issue of sustainable funding still needs to be addressed.

 

Goodale says it would be a travesty if the federal government’s funding of the university was to end next spring.