In February, the First Nations Education Council (FNEC) announced that the House of Knowledge, Quebec's first university by and for Indigenous Peoples, is slowly coming to fruition in partnership with Quebec universities. It's an "historic" milestone, said Denis Gros-Louis, Director General of the FNEC. This partnership strives to offer specially adapted university programs to Indigenous students. A business plan for the House of Knowledge will be submitted to Quebec's department of higher education by 2027. "All Quebec's universities were interested in partnering and contributing knowledge to the new institution from day one," said Mr. Gros-Louis.
Ghislain Picard, former chief of the Assembly of First Nations Quebec-Labrador, noted in a statement: "The House of Knowledge is the result of the tenacity of communities to reaffirm their self-determination in education. It responds to a real need and will contribute to the trend of an increasing number of First Nations graduates observed in recent years. This project embodies the shared vision of First Nations to fully claim control over their education. Fifty years after the national policy Indian Control of Indian Education,' I am delighted to see this initiative take shape."
The project aims to address educational deficits among Indigenous Peoples by improving graduation rates and increasing the number of qualified teachers.
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