Whitecap-SPS Regional Education Authority

Over 25 Years of Partnership

The Whitecap Dakota Nation (WDN) has a lengthy history of involvement with the Saskatoon Public School Division (SPSD). Students from the WDN began attending schools in the SPSD in the 1960’s. 

In 1995, a Memorandum of Agreement was established to enhance curricula supports and family engagement. This later evolved into an agreement to establish a student transition position to better facilitate student transitions across the two education systems. 

Between 2012 and 2014, WDN, Indian and Northern Affairs Canada (now Indigenous Services Canada) and the SPS worked to develop a more comprehensive arrangement for pre-K to Grade 12 programs and services for WDN students both at Whitecap and in Saskatoon.  

Under the agreement, Whitecap’s Charles Red Hawk Elementary School is operated by SPS and served by SPS teaching staff. The Agreement maintains Whitecap jurisdiction and control of education, including language and culture, while tapping into the resources and expertise of SPS. Programming and budgets are set by a Joint Governance Committee.

Under the Partnership Agreement, Whitecap’s elementary school is now supported by federal funding at a level equal to provincial schools, according to provincial funding formulas. WDN also contributes its own revenues towards language and cultural programming and extra-curricular activities. 

WDFN-SPS Regional Education Authority

In September 2020, the WDN-SPS Partnership Agreement was renewed. At the same time a three-way agreement including the Government of Canada was signed. The new arrangements recognized the WDN-SPS Partnership as a “Regional Education Authority”.  These new arrangements provided more funding to support Whitecap students’ cultural programming.