Northern students need better services

There is a story not often talked about in this province, and it’s one about displacement.

I come from the northern community of Pinehouse. Pinehouse was established due to the Natural Resources Transfer Acts, 1930. People were forced to relocate from their communities to become an amenity for companies seeking to exploit the resources of northern Saskatchewan.

Under the Indian Act, Indigenous people were removed from their land and put onto reserves and unable to leave unless given special permission. Why is this history important? Displacement continues to exist in the education system, even as we trek through Reconciliation.

Students like myself are forced to move from our communities and all that we know to seek post-secondary education. This displacement can be very difficult. Some end up not graduating or take longer to complete their degree because of the lack of support to help them succeed in this new environment.

The closure of programs like the NORTEP/NORPAC, which sustained a high graduation rate, demonstrates how committed to Reconciliation governments are. As the increasing number of Indigenous youth graduate from high school and pursue post-secondary education, the government will have to answer to a growing and thriving population and their needs.

If governments are serious about providing an accessible and quality education for students across this province, they must invest in post-secondary institutions and adequate student services, including for students from the north.

Regan Ratt-misponas, Lac La Ronge Indian Band, Saskatoon