Shannen's Dream Timeline & Documents

Minister Chuck Strahl announces to First Nations chiefs that negotiations for a new school would begin immediately.

Parliamentary Budget Officer releases report on First Nations schools. Read the report.

First Nations Education Council releases Background paper on First Nations Education Funding. Read the report.

School is demolished and toxic debris is dumped one kilometer away from Attawapiskat homes.

The Attawapiskat First Nation Education Authority creates a pamphlet outlining the History of the J.R. Nakogee Elementary School, with a timeline. 

Prime Minister Stephen Harper apologizes for the Government of Canada’s role in the residential school system to which over 150 000 First Nations, Métis, and Inuit were sent against their will and consent of their families. There are approximately three times as many First Nations children in care than during the height of the residential schools era, and receive $2000-3000 less per child in education funding. Watch a video of the apology. 

Shannen met with Minister Chuck Strahl to ask for a new school. The minister said the Government of Canada could not afford it. Shannen then does a presentation on the steps of the House of Commons saying she "will never give up" until every First Nations child has a proper education. This is the picture featured on the Shannen's Dream poster.

The Attawapiskat First Nation is told that the school is not in the Long Term Five-Year Capital Plan due to other priorities, and that Minister Chuck Strahl does not have the authority to provide a guarantee for infrastructure projects.

Attempts to spread the cost for the school over a number of years are rejected by INAC. INAC maintains publicly that there are no risks to the health and safety of the students. At this time, INAC was aware that the portables were overcrowded and in need of extensive repair. Read the documents obtained through Access to Information requests.

The School Planning Capital Study is completed, and the Attawapiskat First Nation seeks a Ministerial Guarantee on a $30 million bank loan to build the school.

Minister Jim Prentice approves plans to build the new school, but does not deliver on this commitment.

Assembly of First Nations (AFN) and the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society (Caring Society) file complaint with the Canadian Human Rights Commission (CHRC) alleging that Canada is racially discriminating against First Nations children by providing less child welfare funding, and thus benefit, on reserves. Read the complaint.

INAC builds an addition to the secondary school.

Attawapiskat begins to prepare a School Capital Planning Study with funding from INAC.

Minister Andy Scott promises to build a new school but nothing is done.

The Auditor General of Canada releases a report on First Nations education, noting that limited progress had been made on the recommendations outlined in the previous report in 2000. Read the report.

INAC (Indian and Northern Affairs Canada) erects 14 portable classrooms to be used as “temporary” classrooms between the contaminated property of the former school and an airstrip. These portables were still being up until 2014 and were in unacceptable condition.

The Attawapiskat First Nation Education Authority closes the elementary school due to health and safety concerns related to fuel contamination.

The Auditor General of Canada releases a report on First Nations education. The report raises concerns over the wide gap in First Nations education, and provides recommendations to the Government of Canada. Read the report.

Additional environmental consultants assess the property and recommend “Class 1, Action Required.” In addition to the contamination related to the fuel spillage, five species of mould were found.

Minister Robert Nault promises to build a new school but nothing is done.

With approval from INAC, a partial clean-up of the contaminated soil on the school property was completed.

Report on the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (RCAP) is published. The report notes that funding is “basic” for on-reserve education, and regulations permit little, if any, leeway for culture-based curriculum. Read the Volume 3 Chapter 5 of the RCAP report.

Consultants recommend removing toxic soil from the school property.

More environmental investigations are conducted finding the school to be contaminated with toxins harmful to human exposure. The school property is rated as a “Level 1, High Sensitive Site.”

Attawapiskat children and teachers continue to suffer illness from exposure to carcinogen-laden fumes.

INAC (Indian and Northern Affairs Canada) hires consultants to investigate and clean up measures are recommended. No subsequent action is taken.

Evidence of oil in school foundation and petroleum odour in classrooms.

The Charter of Rights and Freedoms (The Constitution Act, 1982) is signed. From the Section 35 of the Charter: “(1) The existing aboriginal and treaty rights of the aboriginal peoples of Canada are hereby recognized and affirmed. (2) In this Act, ‘aboriginal peoples of Canada’ includes the Indian, Inuit, and Metis peoples of Canada.” Read the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, 1982.

Children of Attawapiskat and teachers get sick from exposure to carcinogen-laden fumes.

25 000 Gallons of oil leaks into the soil near the school.