Preamble: The strength, security and wellbeing of both Canadian and First Nations societies is compromised by the lack of Canadian awareness of Aboriginal Peoples' perspectives, histories, cultures and contemporary issues.

Despite considerable efforts by groups and individuals to change Canadian Schools so that Aboriginal-perspective content is a required component across all elementary and secondary curriculum, there have been limited results. With a few notable exceptions, there is an absence of political will and priority at almost all levels of all Canadian governments regarding the need for mandatory Aboriginal Studies learning expectations for all students. Ministers of Indian Affairs and Northern Development have indicated that the federal government is uneasy about directly intervening in education issues. Attempts to get the topic on the agenda of the meetings of the Council of Ministers of Education, Canada have not so far been successful.

Over the five years prior to the birth of the Coalition for the Advancement of Aboriginal Studies, many of its current partners collaborated in a time of learning and setting out available options for achieving positive pedagogical change. As we have attempted to dialogue with Canadian leaders, we have also worked with First Nations leaders. We have assured the Aboriginal education community that we are not attempting to interfere with their jurisdiction; to "that work falls into the purview of First Peoples' teachers, leaders and organizations and it is already ongoing. The work of the CAAS is to initiate advances in provincial and territorial schools that would give all students access to Aboriginal Studies.

Vision: All Canadian students who graduate from secondary schools will have access to Aboriginal Studies, specifically Aboriginal-perspective content integrated at all levels throughout the curriculum. This knowledge and understanding will give all students insight into the historic and contemporary realities of this land. Educators will share knowledge and have access to resources, promoting personal and community wellbeing for students and creating a more equitable society which values the diversity of Peoples in Canada.

The CAAS vision includes the continuing development of research, analysis and policy advice from individual educators and their organizations as they increase in understanding and move to the implementation of excellent Aboriginal Studies teaching strategies, content and specialized programs.

Approach - (2001-2005) : The philosophy of CAAS is to recognize the existing resources and link them in order to promote diverse actions, in support of an expanding integration of appropriate, quality Aboriginal Studies content across the curriculum. As it grows, the CAAS is simultaneously facilitating a national network and encouraging the development of regional clusters of educators.

The formation of a national networking process is already underway, through our newsletters, our Student Awareness Study and our website. A national conference, which will bring together educators and organizers of Native Studies programs, is a goal for 2002. This conference would expand on the mutual mentoring model at the root of the CAAS "Teachers Teach Teachers" project.

Our "Teachers Teach Teachers" (TTT) project is designed to identify teachers who exhibit outstanding practice in their classroom. These exemplary teachers are recognized by their teaching colleagues and by Aboriginal community members to have confidence and success with integrating valid, quality, Aboriginal-perspective materials into their programs.

It is our hope that these teachers will, in turn, agree to work with us - perhaps even becoming the focus of regional clusters.

Each region of Canada is the traditional, original homeland of different cultures and groups of First Peoples. As well, within Canada's consitutional structure, the responsibility for education is mandated to Canadian provinces and territories. Thus, the locus for political decisionmaking and action in the education field is at the regional level. Flowing from these realities about our land, the CAAS has identified the need to strengthen and expand the work that educators have begun in their various regions.

The CAAS realizes that regional cultural and educational issues can only be addressed through a revisiting of our shared histories. The structural model might be referred to as a "small consensus". This concept of "small circles of consensus" connecting to form a "great consensus" will be based on a shared recognition of the value of excellent Aboriginal-perspective content and teaching strategies within the mandatory curriculum for all schools in Canada.

The joining together of regional initiatives will lead us back to the even fuller recognition that there is useful knowledge for all Canadians that can be gained by learning from the Aboriginal Peoples of this land. Through strengthening the learning environment in these ways, educators can enhance respect and community life for future generations.

Appendix