Page 39 - Ontario First Nation, Métis and Inuit Education Policy Framework

First Nation. A term that came into common usage in the 1970s to replace the word “Indian”, which many found offensive. The term “First Nation” has been adopted to replace the word “band” in the names of communities.
First Nation Education Authority. A First Nation Education Authority is comparable to a board of education. Most First Nations have an Education Authority, which is responsible for administering education
for the community. It is responsible for hiring teachers and principals working in the community school(s), determines the curriculum to be used in the school(s), and negotiates tuition agreements with local provin- cially funded school boards when students have to leave the First Nation community to continue their elementary and/or secondary education.
First Nation governance. Refers to negotiated arrangements that enable First Nations to exercise greater decision- and law-making authority than is currently possible under the Indian Act. (The Canadian government refers to this process as “self-government”.) In Ontario, the governance arrangements that are being negotiated by Canada with First Nations
will not be treaties; will not create new rights, such as hunting and fishing rights; and will not expand the reserve land bases of First Nations.
Indian. A term that may have different meanings depending on context. Under the Indian Act, it means “a person who pursuant to this Act is registered as an Indian or is entitled to be registered as an Indian”.
A number of terms include the word “Indian”, such as “Status Indian”, “Non-status Indian”, and “Treaty Indian”. Status Indians are those who
are registered as Indians under the Indian Act, although some would include those who, although not registered, are entitled to be registered. Non-status Indians are those who lost their status or whose ancestors were never registered or lost their status under former or current provisions of the Indian Act. Treaty Indians are those members of a community whose ancestors signed a treaty with the Crown and as a result are entitled to treaty benefits. The term “Indian” was first used by Christopher Columbus in 1492, believing he had reached India.
• Appendix D
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