school capital requirements keep pace with this growth could not be more significant. “As is true of every community across North America, our schools reflect a mix of new and older infrastructure. It is very important that we ensure our students and staff continue to learn and work in quality classrooms. It may not seem as significant as the opening of a new school, but school boards, as well as the Manitoba Government, are well aware that fixing roofs, installing ventilation systems and replacing boilers are prime for promoting quality in our classrooms,” stated president Nemeth. Manitoba remains inviting and welcoming to all newcomers and the Manitoba School Boards Association recognizes that according to present estimates, one out of every five students in Manitoba will come from Indigenous ancestry.The association therefore also encourages and provides support to its members as they continue to promote learning spaces and places for all students. “There is a saying that ‘education is the new buffalo.’ For generations, Indigenous Manitobans thrived around the buffalo hunt. It was what gave our people sustenance and life. Education is the new buffalo, for Indigenous and non-Indigenous students alike,” said Nicole Chaske, Chair of the association’s Indigenous Education Committee. To provide this sustenance, the “new buffalo” itself requires nourishment. Investment is vital to support cultural and language programming, to promote authentic understanding of treaties and non-treaty peoples, and to ensure that Manitoba’s schools teach Indigenous ways of knowing, doing and being. In 2022, Manitoba’s government adopted Mamàhtawisiwin: The Wonder We Are Born With— An Indigenous Education Policy Framework, setting down the foundations for the public education system to achieve these objectives. Beginning in 2023, Manitoba also recognized the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, the banner for which is that ‘Every Child Matters.’ Nicole observes, “on so many points, cultural, linguistic, social and economic, every child indeed matters. Manitoba’s public school system is one that 373 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 07, ISSUE 02 MANITOBA SCHOOL BOARDS ASSOCIATION
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