The Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD) and Sustainability Education in First Nations Schools in Manitoba

The report assesses the integration of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in Manitoba's First Nations schools, highlighting a disconnect between federal funding bodies and the UN DESD framework. While there is strong local interest and provincial leadership from Manitoba Education, the lack of federal policy and funding from Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC) results in sporadic implementation. The report recommends a federal strategy for ESD in First Nations schools, using Manitoba as a pilot province.

• First Nations education faces significant capacity and structural challenges, as on-reserve schools must often perform the roles of both a provincial Department of Education and a school board without equivalent funding parity to the public system.
• There is a notable lack of communication and consultation between the federal leads for the DESD (such as CMEC, Environment Canada, and CCUNESCO) and the department responsible for funding First Nations education (INAC).
• Sustainability education in Manitoba's First Nations schools is currently sporadic and lacks province-wide directives, depending largely on the initiative of individual educators and communities.
• Despite the lack of formal policy, there is strong interest and willingness among First Nations education leadership and INAC representatives in Manitoba to adopt sustainability education.
• A 'bottom-up' approach has emerged in Manitoba, where provincial leadership and local champions are filling the gap left by the absence of a federal implementation scheme for the DESD in First Nations education.
• Stakeholders agree that a broad federal strategy and dedicated funding are essential to sustain and empower sustainability initiatives in First Nations schools, as current support is insufficient.
• The Manitoba First Nations Education Resource Centre (MFNERC) has begun advancing ESD through partnerships with Manitoba Education, including a pilot program approved by INAC's Education Partnership Program (EPP).

APA

Swayze, N. (2010). The Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD) and Sustainability Education in First Nations Schools in Manitoba. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/decade_education_sd_first_nations_mb.pdf

Chicago

Swayze, Natalie. The Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD) and Sustainability Education in First Nations Schools in Manitoba. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2010. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/decade_education_sd_first_nations_mb.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Swayze |first1=Natalie |title=The Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD) and Sustainability Education in First Nations Schools in Manitoba |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=March 2010 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/decade_education_sd_first_nations_mb.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{swayze2010decade, author = {Swayze, Natalie}, title = {{The Decade of Education for Sustainable Development (DESD) and Sustainability Education in First Nations Schools in Manitoba}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2010}, month = mar, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/decade_education_sd_first_nations_mb.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }