| GABRIEL DUMONT
INSTITUTE |
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| of Native Studies and Applied Research | ||
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About GDI
Gabriel Dumont Institute Mission Statement: To promote the renewal and the development of Métis culture through research, materials development, collections and the distribution of those materials and the development and delivery of Métis-specific educational programs and services.
The 1996 Census of Canada estimated that 11% of Saskatchewan's population, or 109,540 people, were Aboriginal. Of this number at least 35,885 are identified as Metis (1999, Women's Secretariat). While non-Aboriginal society tends to be aging, the aboriginal population is extremely young in comparison with more than half of the population under 25 years of age. When one combines the fact that the bulk of the Aboriginal population is either currently in, or soon to enter, their childbearing years, with the fact that the birth rate among the Aboriginal population is three times greater than that of non-Aboriginal society, it is clear that the demographics of Saskatchewan will change dramatically in the near future (Aboriginal Workforce Participation Initiative, 1998). The Role of the School Interim Report (2000) stresses the significance of this changing demographic, "by 2016 a full one-third of Saskatchewan's population will be of Aboriginal descent and nearly half of the children ages 5 to 17 will be Aboriginal: already today, in some medium-sized urban centers, the student population of Aboriginal descent is estimated to be 40% and even higher. (p.55)" Once these projections become reality, they will present a number of challenges for the province. Studies and statistics clearly indicate that the province's Aboriginal population experience higher levels of poverty and its accompanying social problems. It is also a well-known fact that Aboriginal people have not been able to access the benefits of post-secondary education to the same extent as the non-Aboriginal community. These social issues present a challenge for the province's future. If Aboriginal people are to become full participants in the provincial economy, we must find creative avenues to allow for the redistribution of wealth and work towards a new economic reality in which Aboriginal people are fully contributing participants. As a major constituent of Saskatchewan 's work force in the twenty-first century, Aboriginal people need greater access, input and participation into post-secondary educational institutions. To efficiently address these challenges, education and training must work in tandem with social, economic and employment strategies.
The Gabriel Dumont Institute of Native Studies and Applied Research Inc. (GDI) was formally incorporated as a non-profit corporation in 1980, to serve the educational and cultural needs of the Saskatchewan Métis and Non-Status Indian community. The Institute is designated as the official educational arm of the Metis Nation-Saskatchewan (MN-S). GDI offers a variety of accredited educational, vocational and skills training opportunities for the province's Métis in partnership with the University of Regina, the University of Saskatchewan, the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology, the province's various regional colleges and the Metis Employment and Training of Saskatchewan Inc.
As a completely Métis-directed educational and cultural entity, GDI is unique in Canada. At its inception, GDI focused on education through cultural research as a means to renew and strengthen the heritage and achievements of Saskatchewan's Métis. It soon became apparent, however, that the Institute would need to become more directly involved in education if it were to fully serve the multifaceted needs, including the employment needs, of Saskatchewan's Métis community.
As a result, the Institute began developing Métis-specific curriculum and historical publications. It also began to train Aboriginal teachers and to deliver programming contracted from the province's universities, colleges and technical institutes. The first and, perhaps the best known of these efforts, was the Saskatchewan Urban Native Teacher Education Program (SUNTEP). In essence, SUNTEP trains Métis and First Nations teachers to meet the needs of the province's Aboriginal students in the K-12 system. SUNTEP also serves as a model for Aboriginal adult education programs across Canada. Special Features of GDI Programs All programs offered by the Gabriel Dumont Institute, the Dumont Technical Institute, and Gabriel Dumont College are designed with a number of special features:
GDI provides the following programs and services to the province's Métis and non-Aboriginal communities:
1976 Métis Cultural Conference initiated planning for a Métis Educational Institute.
1980 The Gabriel Dumont Institute is formed and SUNTEP began operations. The Institute hosts first Annual Cultural Conference.
1983 Initiation of federally sponsored preparatory, credit skills training, and university programs.
1985 The Napoleon LaFontaine Scholarship Foundation is established.
1989 The Institute begins publication of the Journal of Indigenous Studies. Saskatchewan Justice and the Institute establish the first residential Community Training Residence (CTR) for female offenders in Saskatchewan.
1991 Dumont Technical Institute was established as a federated institute of the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology.
1992 Master Agreement between the Institute and Saskatchewan Education providing for the operation of DTI. DTI delivers technical and Adult Basic Education (ABE) programming within all provincial community colleges and SIAST institutions.
1993 The Institute signs an Affiliation Agreement with the University of Saskatchewan creating the GDC.
1995 A two-year Métis Teacher Associate Certificate Program was developed by the Institute and the University of Saskatchewan.
1996 GDC began offering Arts and Science classes.
2001 DTI purchases a central administration building in Saskatoon.
2002 GDI receives a Saskatchewan Book Award for Ken Carriere's The Bulrush Helps the Pond and Metis Legacy.
2003 GDI receives two Saskatchewan Book Awards for Cheryl Troupe's Expressing Our Heritage: Métis Artistic Designs.
2003 GDI moves into new centres in Saskatoon and Regina.
2003 GDI launches The Virtual Museum of Métis History and Culture 2004 GDI Publishing moves into a new centre in Saskatoon. 2005 GDI celebrates 25 years of excellence and achievement.
GDI is the educational arm of the MN–S. The Institute is the only wholly Métis owned and controlled educational institution of its kind in Canada. The Institute is responsible for the design, development and delivery of specific education and cultural programs and services. While the Institute is affiliated with the University of Saskatchewan and the University of Regina and is federated with the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology, it has maintained its independence and Métis identity.
Through its network of learning centers across Saskatchewan, the Institute maintains a close contact with the people it serves. The programs and activities of the Institute are determined by the identified needs of the Métis and are implemented according to the decisions of its Board of Governors.
The GDI Board of Governors is responsible for the development of Institute policies and programs, for the development and approval of programs and for the general administration of the Institute. As such, the GDI Board of Governors oversee the policies and operations of:
The GDI Board of Governors is comprised of twelve members, representing the twelve regions of the MN–S. As well, the Minister of Education for the MN–S serves as Board of Governors Chairperson.
The Current GDI Board of Governors is as follows:
Gabe Lafond – Chairperson, Minister of Education – Metis Nation – Saskatchewan
GDI offers university-accredited educational programming in three main centres across Saskatchewan – Regina, Saskatoon and Prince Albert. Through DTI, GDI offers Adult Basic Education and Skills Training at centres across the province.
GDI Main Campuses:
Gabriel Dumont Institute University of Regina Rm. 227 College West 3737 Wascana Parkway Regina, SK S4S 0A2
Gabriel Dumont Institute 2 – 604 22 nd Street West Saskatoon, SK S7M 5W1
Gabriel Dumont Institute 48 – 12 th Street East Prince Albert, SK S6V 1B2
Dumont Technical Institute 917 – 22 ND Street West Saskatoon, SK S7M 0R9 |
2007-2008 Annual Report