Shannen's Dream Timeline & Documents

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.