SADDLE LAKE CREE NATION— Saddle Lake Education Authority (SLEA) is proud to announce that it is seeking accreditation through the World Indigenous Nations Higher Education Consortium (WINHEC).

In this precedent-setting mandate by SLCN Chief and Council, Onchaminahos Elementary and Kihew Asiniy anticipate becoming the first accredited First Nation K–12 schools in Canada.

Accreditation validates that the education provided by SLEA schools meets all the qualifications assured by an internationally recognized accrediting body. Unlike conventional accreditation, which focuses primarily on academics, WINHEC also considers how an institution’s cultural protocols, educational philosophy and knowledge systems reflect the values and traditions of the Indigenous community it serves.

WINHEC is an Indigenous-led international organization created in 2002. Its mandate includes protecting and strengthening the continued teaching of Indigenous knowledge within school curricula while fostering a global network of Indigenous Nations through education.

“Accreditation assigns quality assurance so that learners and parents have confidence in the school. What is unique about WINHEC accreditation is that schools are reviewed to reflect the identity of the community it serves. In the case of Saddle Lake, the schools are assessed with the addition of these indicators: nehiyaw language, culture and addressing intergenerational harms our people have suffered as a result of the colonial project,” says Diana Stainhauer of Saddle Lake.

“The accreditation process consists of five key steps, of which three have been completed,” stated Debra Cardinal, Superintendent of the Saddle Lake Education Authority.

The Nation is now preparing for one of the final steps, a visitation by the WINHEC accreditation team from October 18–23. This visit is a rigorous review consisting of interviews and observations that will be compiled in a final report and presented to Nation members on Friday, October 23.

Currently, because Indigenous Services Canada lacks the capacity to provide accreditation in education, there are no accredited First Nation schools in Canada, making this journey all the more historic for Saddle Lake Cree Nation.