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Overview of GDI

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 Métis 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 Service Canada

 

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.  

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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:

  • Programs are, for the most part, community based.
  • Most programs offer a preparatory phase of training or run concurrent update courses with regular programming when the course begins.
  • All courses offer Métis Studies programming and are sensitive to Métis culture.
  • Programs provide comprehensive academic and personal counseling support to students.
  • Whenever possible an applied practicum phase is included as an integral part of all programs.
  • All training and professional education is fully accredited and recognized.
  • Instruction and programming is of the highest quality.

 

GDI provides the following programs and services to the province's Métis and non-Aboriginal communities:             

 

  • Gabriel Dumont College (GDC): Delivers the first two years of a Bachelor of Arts and Science degree to both Métis and non-Métis and is offered in Saskatoon and in Prince Albert. 
  • Dumont Technical Institute (DTI): Is GDI's largest component and is responsible for the design, development and delivery of Adult Basic Education, skills training, vocational and cultural programs. DTI's main office is in Saskatoon, with programming province-wide.
  • Library Information Services : GDI has its own Métis-specific library system – one of the most extensive owned by any Métis educational or cultural institution – with branches in Regina, Saskatoon, and Prince Albert.
  • Curriculum and Publishing Department : Since 1985, GDI has developed more than 75 Métis-specific literary, cultural and educational resources. The Publishing Department is based in Saskatoon.
  • Finance and Administration : GDI's Department of Finance and Administration oversees the Institute's financial and personnel management.
  • Museum and Archives : In its Saskatoon centre, the Institute has a museum and archives, which includes traditional arts and crafts, oral histories, and a print, video and audio archival collection.
  • Métis Cultural Development Fund : In partnership with SaskCulture Inc., GDI administers the Métis Cultural Development Fund, which provides funding to the province's Métis community for activities that preserve, strengthen and transmit Métis culture and traditions.      
  • Gabriel Dumont Institute Scholarship Foundation - Napoleon LaFontaine Scholarships and SaskEnergy Scholarships : GDI provides scholarships to Métis applicants, living in Saskatchewan, enrolled or planning to enroll in an accredited post-secondary institution in Saskatchewan.