OTTAWA - The federal government says it has reached a self-governance agreement with 23 Ontario First Nations, the largest such deal of its kind in Canada.
The agreement with Anishinabek Nation First Nations, the culmination of more than 20 years of negotiations, grants communities greater control over education on reserve from junior kindergarten to Grade 12.
It also allows First Nations to wield more administrative control of funding for post-secondary education.
Indigenous Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett says the deal shows the federal government's commitment to advancing self-determination for First Nations, and sets the stage to inspire change in other communities.
Anishinabek Nation Grand Council Chief Patrick Wedaseh Madahbee says First Nation communities have long sought the authority to educate their own children.
Ottawa says the agreement also allows other Anishinabek Nation First Nations and other communities in the province to sign on to the deal in the future.