Fact Sheet | 2013 How to Request EDI Data for Aboriginal Children The Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP) recognizes and respects that Aboriginal families, communities and governance have sovereignty and jurisdiction over their children and, therefore, are the owners of data collected for their children. For this reason, HELP does not release Aboriginal specific EDI data for public consumption. Instead, Aboriginal data is presented back to community through Aboriginal Education Council meetings, local Nation gatherings and through invited reporting and briefing presentations. Suppressed Data In most cases HELP is unable to report EDI data for areas that have identified fewer than 50 Aboriginal children in Kindergarten throughout a single wave of data collection. If the data request comes directly from a First Nation Chief and Council, HELP is able to report EDI results for areas that have identified 5 or more Aboriginal children. Who Can Request Data? School Districts and Aboriginal Education Councils(AEC) To request information, please submit a letter on AEC letterhead that includes the following information: • The specific school district; • The purpose of the request; • Confirmation of permission for HELP to create reports and visuals to present Aboriginal specific EDI data to the school district and AEC; and, • Signatures of all members of the group or, if that particular AEC’s protocol permits, the signature of the chair/co-chairs. Templates & Additional Information Template letters for AEC, First Nation Chief and Council, Tribal Council (multiple Nations/ Bands), and School District requests are available from HELP. Please contact HELP’s Aboriginal Community Liaison Coordinator should you require a template. Letters should be sent to HELP’s Aboriginal Community Liaison Coordinator at the address below: Human Early Learning Partnership Suite 440, 2206 East Mall, UBC Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z3 Nations If the request is coming from the Chief and Council of a First Nation or from a Tribal Council, applicants are not required to go through the Aboriginal Education Council. The data sharing process EDI Surveys are completed Other Aboriginal Organizations Other Aboriginal organizations are welcome to submit letters from their appropriate governing body. These requests will be reviewed by the Aboriginal Steering Committee on a case-by-case basis. Aboriginal Data Sharing Process HELP creates visuals and reports summarizing the results Report packages are sent to School Districts and data is made available online Requests for Aboriginal specific data come from Aboriginal Education Committees (AEC) or First Nation Chief & Councils Report compiled and Aboriginal Community Liaison available for presentations Continued support to community to analyze data, develop protocols and programs, etc. Source: The map was developed through accessing publicly held information and with input from Aboriginal community members and HELP’s Aboriginal Steering Committee. BC Ministry of Education, Aboriginal Education Enhancement Branch; First People’s of British Columbia Language Map (maps.fphlcc.ca/ ) The map above shows the province divided into 27 language groups, within those 27 language groups there are more than a hundred different dialects traditionally spoken by over 200 First Nations communities . Aboriginal specific EDI data can be reported both by traditional language territories or by school districts. The boundaries of these land-based language group territories are purposefully fuzzy, as they were never static, but dynamic, and continually shared and contested by the neighboring peoples of the lands. Aboriginal languages and culture are diverse and it is important to promote awareness of Aboriginal children’s unique cultural heritages and connection to their traditional land-based language group territories. Human Early Learning Partnership TEL 604 822 1278 FAX 604 822 0640 web earlylearning.ubc.ca Alano Edzerza, Tahltan Nation Land, language, and culture play an important role in Aboriginal children’s development. Acknowledging and celebrating Aboriginal children’s diverse and unique cultural heritages FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT Elsie Kipp Aboriginal Community Liaison Coordinator Human Early Learning Partnership elsie.kipp@ubc.ca or 604 827 5081 can foster feelings of belonging within schools and communities. It can also support First Nations communities in their efforts to preserve language and cultural traditions and raise children who have a strong sense of identity and are proud of who they are and where they come from. “We are working so hard to maintain our language, to teach our children their language, to let them know what their identity is, to know what their traditional territory is, and to regain sovereignty, having the children identified in the traditional language area [on the EDI] will help us to do that.” Jessie Nyberg HELP Aboriginal Steering Committee Elder representative