Promote and support the redevelopment of the K-12 curriculum so that it includes appropriate content on Indigenous histories, cultures, stories, and languages as well as a discussion of colonialism and its legacy in the province. This process must be undertaken with the collaboration of all Indigenous groups in the province, including urban Indigenous people.

Minimal progress noted with Department of Education and NL Schools

The Department of Education has had an Indigenous Education Advisory Committee (IEAC) since 2015, yet little has changed with the K-12 curriculum. First Light requested to join the IEAC on multiple occasions, and this has consistently been denied. In 2026, the Department reported to First Light that the committee itself was disbanding in favour of individual partnerships between the Department and Indigenous organizations. First Light’s request to become a partner in this structure was declined.

In the 2025–2026 academic year, NL Studies 2205 was added to the high school curriculum. This course includes some accurate information on Indigenous cultures and histories in Newfoundland and Labrador. However, since the textbook was completed in 2010, some information has become outdated. For instance, members of the NunatuKavut Community Council are referred to as “Métis,” and the 2011–2018 introduction of a “point system” for granting status under the Indian Act with Qalipu First Nation were not described. While this course represents a step toward achieving this Call for Change, much more must be done. The Indigenous Local Course Policy allows Indigenous communities to develop and implement their own materials, yet this places the responsibility for course development on Indigenous communities while leaving schools outside of those communities without accurate information on Indigenous cultures, histories, and current realities. Indigenous children who live outside reserve and land claims areas deserve to see their cultures represented in school. This includes children in urban areas such as St. John’s.

Lack of public knowledge root cause of discrimination

Misinformation about Indigenous Peoples in this province has been regularly identified as a source of discrimination faced by urban Indigenous people in St. John’s. It is essential that all children receive accurate information about Indigenous histories, cultures, and current realities. Doing so will inform the general public about Indigenous Peoples of this province and reduce the discrimination that Indigenous individuals face.

Province of Newfoundland and Labrador uses a “300-year” timeline of Innu Nation

On June 17, 2026, Innu Nation announced that it had made the difficult decision to cancel the much anticipated exhibit Innu Pakassiun (“Innu Tools for Survival”), which had been scheduled to open on National Indigenous Peoples Day at the Labrador Interpretation Centre, a location of The Rooms in Northwest River. “The decision had followed direction conveyed to Innu Nation by The Rooms that the Province of Newfoundland and Labrador requires that the exhibit not claim more than 300 years of Innu habitation in Labrador,” said Innu Nation in a statement. “This version of Innu history is inconsistent with both the accepted archaeological consensus regarding Innu history of Labrador and Innu Nation’s own understanding of its history.” When questioned on the restrictions placed on the exhibit, The Rooms deferred all questions to the provincial government who have yet to provide their reasoning on the matter.

The Provincial Archaeology Office has been acting on the “300-year” stance for several years, including submitting such arguments in a 2023 court case over caribou hunting. Multiple academic researchers continue to argue that this stance is unfounded. A group of eight anthropologists and archaeologists at Memorial University published an open letter on the matter, saying, “The archaeological literature on Labrador does not support the categorical exclusion of long-term Innu presence.” Multiple Indigenous groups, including the Assembly of First Nations, have also shared statements of support for Innu Nation and denounced the Provincial Government’s position on Innu history.

This is an example of how a gap in the K-12 curriculum on Indigenous histories, cultures, and current realities can lead to problems in the larger society. The Government of Newfoundland and Labrador is acting on an interpretation of archeological evidence which is endorsed by only a very small number of researchers. This “fringe theory” fails to account for Indigenous oral histories that challenge its conclusions. Reforming the K-12 curriculum would support better understanding in the general public, including among politicians and public servants. Call for Change 1 is not only an educational reform, but a necessary step to support and affirm the rights of Indigenous Peoples in the policymaking process.

For the Department of Education:

• Expand representation on the Indigenous Education Advisory Committee to include all Indigenous groups in the province, including urban Indigenous Peoples.
• Conduct a full review of the K–12 curriculum to identify the most severe areas of Indigenous misrepresentation and prioritize areas requiring urgent change.
• Ensure full public transparency throughout the curriculum redevelopment process.
• Develop and publish a clear plan with timelines for completing curriculum redevelopment.
• Allocate funding in the upcoming budget cycle to support interim measures, including teacher training and the distribution of Indigenous-developed educational materials.