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Emphasis on ICT runs up against internet availability restrictions in First Nations communities.

"Across Canada, many of the more than 600 First Nation (Indigenous) communities are in rural areas, and also remote places accessible only by air." These communities have either limited, or possibly no, internet availability at all. Because of this, entire communities are falling behind their counterparts in an area of the Manitoba Education Curriculum that is now mandatory, ICT.

According to Tim Whiteduck and other members of the First Nations Education Council, "The Canadian government has not lived up to the requirements outlined in its own constitution."

In a study called Democratic Ideals Meet Reality: Developing Locally Owned and Managed Broadband Networks and ICT Services in Rural and Remote First Nations in Quebec and Canada, the Council writes that, "Historically First Nations have been using whatever means available to rebuild and revitalize their communities - entailing a constant cycle of having to find and fight for the resources to effectively deliver essential community services and activities. This includes the ongoing struggle to develop and maintain an adequate level of information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure, applications, training, and ongoing support and maintenance so that the communities can use these technologies effectively to reach their development and economic goals."

Before ICT became as prominent in the Manitoba Curriculum as it is now, reliable and fast internet connections were important in education, but not necessary. Now, one could argue that the Manitoba government has put the cart before the horse, by placing such an emphasis on ICT, while not accounting for the limited internet availability in some communities.

The Council states that, "Canada has a universal service requirement for telephone service but not for internet service and the required broadband infrastructure. Commercial telecommunication service providers are reluctant, slow or refuse to develop infrastructure without significant government investment; consequently it is always very challenging to build the partnerships necessary to develop broadband infrastructure and provide equitable and affordable internet services in many remote and rural regions of the country."

These struggles have precedents. "Historically First Nations have been using whatever means available to rebuild and revitalize their communities - entailing a constant cycle of having to find and fight for the resources to effectively deliver essential community services and activities. This includes the ongoing struggle to develop and maintain an adequate level of information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure."

The First Nations Education Council (FNEC) is the primary force working to correct the poor broadband conditions in First Nations communities. They work with a budget of $1.4M from 2003 to 2006 and $850,000 from 2007 to 2011. On the issue of implementing ICT in the classroom, FNEC faces a lot of the same challenges urban communities face (teacher education, teacher reluctance, computer availability); however, they deal with the additional challenge of broadband availability.

Essentially, broadband is a complete bottleneck in the implementation of ICT in Manitoba First Nations communities. If a person expanded outward into the future of education, you can see the lack of reliable broadband access further setting behind kids in rural/poorer communities.

"First Nations and their citizens want equitable and affordable services and opportunities for their children and their future...Adequate and appropriate ICT tools is an essential utility for all First Nations today."