Following a trip to Ottawa, the Honourable Minister Caitlin Cleveland and the Honourable Minister Lesa Semmler issued a joint statement yesterday on recent changes to Jordan’s Principle, urging swift federal action to protect the program.
Tłı̨chǫ Grand Chief Jackson Lafferty, Ɂek’wahtı̨dǝ́ Danny Gaudet of the Délı̨nę Got’ı̨nę Government, and Chief Ernest Betsina of the Yellowknives Dene First Nation, along with Premier RJ Simpson and other leaders, joined voices to express concerns about the proposed cutbacks to the program.
The proposed changes will see funding cut for educational assistants, learning supports, and culturally relevant programming for Indigenous youth. About 80 educational assistants in Yellowknife alone are facing layoffs. The program has seen graduation rates for Indigenous students in the NWT rise by six per cent over the past three years.
“Across the Northwest Territories, children and families are being impacted by recent administrative changes to Jordan’s Principle. As territorial Ministers—and as Northerners—we are deeply concerned about the unintended consequences of these changes, and we are urging swift federal action to protect the progress that’s been made,” said the Minister of Education, Culture and Employment and Minister Semmler and the minister of Health and Social Services in a joint statement.
“In the North, Jordan’s Principle isn’t just a program—it’s a solution. It has helped close longstanding gaps in services, supported student success, and improved educational outcomes. Graduation rates for Indigenous students in the NWT have risen by six per cent over the past three years. That kind of progress matters—and right now, it’s at risk,” they added.
The restrictions to the program see previous promises rescinded for educational assistants, learning supports, and culturally relevant programming.
The ministers cautioned that the proposed cuts to the program will “deepen inequities” and “dismantle supports” that were showing positive affects for youth in education, early childhood development, child and family services, mental health and addictions, and medical travel.
“The downstream impacts of these changes will be significant and long-lasting,” they warned.
The ministers also said that new administrative requirements, such as mandatory health professional referrals, are creating additional burdens on the health care system.
“These changes risk diverting critical clinical resources away from frontline care, just as we are working to reduce red tape and improve access across the health and social services system,” they said in the joint statement.
Minister Cleveland and Minister Semmlar said that the proposed cuts to the Jordan’s Principle program go beyond a “budget issue.”
The ministers are calling for the government to maintain current funding levels through 2026 while working with Northern and Indigenous partners to “co-develop a regionally tailored model.”
Last week, the ministers made their way to Ottawa to raise these concerns directly with federal Ministers and officials. They were joined by MLA Jane Weyallon-Armstrong, Chair of the Standing Committee on Social Development and a longtime advocate for Indigenous children and families.
“Jordan’s Principle was working in the North. It helped children catch up and, at times, thrive—especially in smaller communities where supports are scarce. Rolling it back now would hurt the very people it was meant to help. I’m encouraged by the early signals from this new federal government, and hopeful that they will act quickly to protect the progress we’ve made and strengthen the supports our children depend on,” said MLA Weyallon-Armstrong.
Premier R.J. Simpson also raised the issue with Prime Minister Carney during their first official one-on-one meeting.
“The ministers say they are “hopeful—and confident”—that federal and Indigenous partners can work together to design a model that works and reflects the unique circumstances of the North, and ensures no child falls through the cracks.
Jordan’s Principle is a human rights principle brought forward by the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal to ensure that Indigenous children do not face barriers in accessing government services because of their Indigenous identity. Jordan’s Principle is named in honour of Jordon River Anderson, who was a young boy from Norway House Cree Nation in Manitoba.
True North FM reached out to school board representatives in Yellowknife for more information on the proposed cutbacks to the Jordan’s Principle program. We will share those insights when they become available.
