University of Sudbury Indigenous courses cut at James Bay satellite sites

The 40 to 50 students who are part of the University of Sudbury's James Bay initiative received some disappointing news this past weekend. Federal funding from Indigenous Northern Affairs Canada [INAC]will bediscontinued oncethe current courses are completed in April.

Nine courses in Indigenous studies are currently offered at sites in Moose Factory, Fort Albany, Attawapiskat and Kashechewan.

The students couldfinish their degrees if they moved away from their home communities says EmilyFaries,the professor who provides courses in Moose Factory.

"That means uprooting, not only themselves, but most of the students have families," she said.

Thestudents don't have the same options as post secondary students who live near urban communities.

"We're isolated. All our communities are remote. There are no highways up here," Faries said.

She says that, by theuniversity providing education to residents along the James Bay coast, it has helped withpersonal advancement and self-sufficiency.

'Devastating' news

She says education also allows students to contributeto their community.

"Like any other people, they have a right to an education."

The University of Sudbury partners with MushkegowukTribal Council for the program. The twosigned a memorandum of understanding when the first courses began in Moose Factory in 2013.

Grand ChiefJonathon Solomon only heard about the cut to the funding late last week.

"This is devastating," he said.

Solomon says he plans to get more information before seeing if there is anything he can do politically to help.

In an email to CBC News, a spokespersonfor the University of Sudbury say the explanation they were given fromINAC was that the government agency's 2017-2018 funding would go towards what INACconsidersmulti-year projects or 2016-2017 proposals which had notpreviously been funded.

CBC News attempted to reach someone atINAC for comment, but no one responded in time for our deadline.