Shannen's Dream is a Canadian youth-driven
movement
Movement may refer to:
Common uses
* Movement (clockwork), the internal mechanism of a timepiece
* Motion, commonly referred to as movement
Arts, entertainment, and media
Literature
* "Movement" (short story), a short story by Nancy Fu ...
advocating for equitable education funding for
First Nations children. Education on-
reserve is funded by the
Government of Canada, while off-reserve education is funded by
provincial or territorial governments. Several reports by the
Auditor General of Canada, the Parliamentary Budget Officer, and other authorities have indicated an urgent need for improved funding for on-reserve education. Shannen's Dream advocates for the building of ''safe and comfy'' schools on reserves, and culturally based education for all First Nations children and youth. The movement was named in honour of Shannen Koostachin, a young activist from the
Attawapiskat First Nation
The Attawapiskat First Nation ( Cree: , "People of the parting of the rocks"; unpointed: ) is an isolated First Nation located in Kenora District in northern Ontario, Canada, at the mouth of the Attawapiskat River on James Bay. The traditional ...
and a nominee for the 2008
International Children's Peace Prize
The International Children's Peace Prize is awarded annually to a child who has made a significant contribution to advocating children's rights and improving the situation of vulnerable children such as orphans, child labourers and children with ...
The campaign is the subject of
Alanis Obomsawin's 2013 documentary film ''
Hi-Ho Mistahey!.''
Shannen Koostachin
Shannen Noella Jane Koostachin was born on 12 July 1994 in
Attawapiskat Attawapiskat may refer to:
* Attawapiskat Airport, an airport adjacent to the Attawapiskat First Nation in Ontario, Canada
* Attawapiskat First Nation, a First Nation located in Kenora District in northern Ontario, Canada
** Attawapiskat 91, form ...
First Nation on
James Bay coast
Ontario to Andrew Koostachin and Jenny Nakogee.
She attended J. R. Nakogee Elementary School, which had been housed in makeshift portables since 2000, when it had been condemned and closed due to a decades-old fuel leak. Shannen then realized that the government was not giving proper funding to First Nations Aboriginal schooling systems around Canada, and that's when her dream/movement came to be. By 2007, the federal government had backed away from a third commitment to building a new school for Attawapiskat. In response, Koostachin and others turned to
YouTube and
Facebook to launch the Students Helping Students campaign for a school for Attawapiskat. Koostachin spoke out about the experiences of her community in newspapers, at conferences, and on the steps of Parliament Hill in 2008. In 2009, at the age of 14, she was nominated for the International Children’s Peace Prize.
Koostachin and her older sister, Serena, moved hundreds of kilometres away from Attawapiskat to
New Liskeard
New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created.
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz (South Korean band), The Boyz
Albums and EPs
* New (album), ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartn ...
, Ontario, for high school. On June 1, 2010, Shannen died as a result of a car accident.
In 2014, DC Comics developed Equinox, a new superhero character inspired by Shannen. Equinox, a sixteen year old First Nations superhero, appeared in a five-issue story in the Justice League Canada comic book series.
A monument to Shannen Koostachin, with a statue depicting her dressed in regalia, was unveiled in New Liskeard in 2015. In 2017, Shannen was named one of 150 greatest Canadians. The list—which also includes names like Terry Fox and Emily Carr—was created to help celebrate Canada's 150th birthday.
Shannen's Dream campaign
After Koostachin's death, those who had participated in the Students Helping Students campaign wanted to continue her fight. Shannen's Dream was formed, and is one of many social justice campaigns carried out by the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society. Shannen's Dream is a student- and youth-focused campaign designed to raise awareness about inequitable funding for First Nations children. It encourages supporters to write letters to their
Member of Parliament, the
Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada, and the
Prime Minister of Canada. To accompany this movement,
Timmins-James Bay MP
Charlie Angus reintroduced Shannen's Dream as Motion 201 to the
House of Commons of Canada
The House of Commons of Canada (french: Chambre des communes du Canada) is the lower house of the Parliament of Canada. Together with the Crown and the Senate of Canada, they comprise the bicameral legislature of Canada.
The House of Common ...
on September 26, 2011. On February 27, 2012, the House of Commons unanimously voted in favour of the motion.
On June 22, 2012, the day that Shannen would have graduated, construction started on a new school in Attawapiskat, the Kattawapiskak Elementary School. It opened on September 8, 2014.
References
External links
*{{Official website, http://www.shannensdream.ca
Indigenous rights organizations in Canada
Educational organizations based in Canada
Lobbying organizations in Canada
First Nations education