SIX NATIONS OF THE GRAND RIVER -- The Six Nations of the Grand River says that all students in the First Nations territory will finish this school year online.

The Six Nations Council says it will reopen schools in September for in-person learning.

Six Nations, a predominantly Haudenosaunee community, has the largest population of any First Nations reserve in Canada.

It closed its territorial borders to non-band members in the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Kathleen Manderville, director of federal schools, said in a statement last month that the decision is not a reflection on the hard work done to prepare the schools for in-person learning this spring.

Manderville says that school buildings will be accessed for essential work only.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 1, 2021.