Elders and young members of the Dogrib Indian Tribe of Canada met in November 1990 to redefine the mission of their schools. In April 1989 the Dogrib Divisional Board of Education was established, giving local control of the schools back to the Dogrib people. Previously the schools were run by the government and staffed by teachers from the south, who used traditional Anglo teaching techniques. These meetings were conducted in the Dogrib language and later transcribed into English. The Dogrib people explain that the schools have failed to incorporate the Dene culture (the Indian nation of which Dogrib is a tribe). Young members can read and write but do not have survival skills, and do not know the history, language, and culture of their people. Members advocate an educational system that is built upon a foundation of Dogrib values, that integrates the knowledge and skills of both the Dogrib and English, and that recognizes parents as the first teachers of their children. The Dogrib Divisional Board of Education is committed to providing: (1) high expectations for knowledge and learning; (2) skills for work; (3) values to live by; (4) skills to live from the land; (5) respect for God; (6) respect for elders and community service; and (7) training in the Dogrib language. Appendices provide: (1) a transcript of Chief Jimmy Bruneau's (1881-1975) speech when the new school opened in 1972; (2) a diagram of the historical process of Indian education moving away from traditional culture; and (3) Dogrib Board of Education mission statement. (KS)