Overview of the Curriculum and Publishing Department
Overview of the Gabriel Dumont Institute Publishing Department
Publications and Resources
GDI is committed to the publication and development of Métis-specific cultural, literary, and educational resources for Métis children, youth, adults and the non-Aboriginal community. Through this focus, the Institute is also able to produce Michif-language resources for the K-12 system and the Métis community. These include print, audio, visual, and multimedia resources. To date over 90 publications have been produced.
To order any of our current resources, please call our order desk at 306-934-4941 or email us at support@gdins.org to leave your contact information and we will telephone you to take your order. You may view our current catalogue of resources here.
Museum and Archives/Artefact Repatriation Program
To ensure the repatriation, preservation, and promotion of traditional Métis art forms, GDI has developed what is perhaps the largest Métis artefact collection held by a Métis organization. This collection of artefacts, which includes numerous fine examples of Métis artistic expression, can now be viewed by the public at our museum located at 2—604 22nd Street West, Saskatoon. A large portion of this collection can also be viewed at www.metismuseum.ca.
Community Involvement
The Publishing Department prides itself on its active community involvement. We continue to participate in committees that support our publishing program and GDI's mandate. These committees include the Saskatchewan Publishers Group, the Saskatchewan Archives Board, and the Museums Association of Saskatchewan, Heritage Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan Writers’ Guild.
The Publishing Department believes that its success is due to being a community-based publisher. This has led us to increase the amount of time and energy that we spend within Métis communities and at community events. We sincerely believe, through the support we receive, that we often serve as a liaison for the Métis community. To date, the Publishing Department has had a presence at over seventy Métis cultural events across Saskatchewan, and occasionally nationally.
The Publishing Department has maintained a partnership with the Batoche National Historic Site (BNHS) and Parks Canada for many years. Through the partnership, GDI and BNHS have co-hosted numerous events to promote and preserve Métis culture including National Aboriginal Day Celebrations, Honouring Métis Veterans, Back to Batoche events, storytelling circles, remembrances of the Battle of Tourond’s Coulee and the Battle of Batoche, and many more. This partnership was recognized as the 2009 Corporate Partner of the Year at the Saskatchewan Tourism Awards of Excellence.
Web Development and Museum and Archives
GDI maintains three websites, which collectively showcase Métis education, culture, and history. These websites contain the most comprehensive collection of Métis-specific resources on the World Wide Web. These websites are:
The Virtual Museum of Métis History and Culture (www.metismuseum.ca)
Released in 2003, The Virtual Museum of Métis History and Cultureremains the most thorough and authoritative website relating to Métis history and culture. Containing thousands of images, hundreds of oral histories, dozens of learning resources, this website was produced to demonstrate the Métis’ role in building Canada. Included are more than 1,100 Métis-specific images from the Saskatchewan Archives Board, a near complete run of New Breed Magazine, Métis folklore and political activist interviews, and the inclusion of more than 100 images from The Canadian Pictorial and Illustrated War News’ coverage of the 1885 Resistance. Rare and out of print books relating to Métis history and culture have also been added.
Back to Batoche Interactive Website (www.virtualmuseum.ca/Exhibitions/Batoche/index.html)
Back to Batoche is the only website dedicated exclusively to the role of Batoche in the formation of Métis identity through time and place. This fully bilingual website brings Batoche’s vibrant socioeconomic and cultural life together through a variety of interactive activities including games, music, quizzes, personalized virtual tours, videos, and photo albums. Both entertaining and informative, this website is bolstered by hundreds of pages of background text relating to the 1885 Resistance, as well as Elders’ interviews, photographs and video clips from the annual “Back to Batocheˮ celebration. This website is in both Flash and HTML formats which allows both high-speed and dial-up users access to its many useful resources. It was designed primarily for middle-years students, but is suitable for all ages.
This website was funded by The Virtual Museum of Canada (www.virtualmuseum.ca).
GDI’s Home Website/E-Commerce Site (www.gdins.org)
The GDI homepage has information about the Institute and its many programs and services to the Métis and larger communities. Potential applicants and students can download registration forms for the Dumont Technical Institute, the Saskatchewan Urban Native Teacher Education Program, Gabriel Dumont College, Gabriel Dumont Institute Training and Employment, the Gabriel Dumont Institute Scholarship Foundation and the Métis Cultural Development Fund.
Michif Curriculum
The Department strives to produce Michif resources for the community and schools. To this end, we have worked with numerous Michif speakers, language translators and validators. We also continue to identify and interview Michif speakers. As well, we have produced many Michif-based resources which include but are not limited to:
Kitaskinaw i pi Kiskinohamakoya: The Land Gives Us Our Knowledge , a documentary video in Michif with English subtitles
The Story of the Crescent Lake Métis: Our Life on the Road Allowance , a documentary video in Michif with English subtitles
Michif: The Language of Our Families - Li Michif: Kakee-Payshee-Peekishkwaywuk-Oma, a video documentary that includes an overview of the Michif language, and interviews with Michif speakers largely from southeast Saskatchewan .
The Alfred Reading Series , a series of five children's books written in English, Cree, French and Michif, complete with Come Read With Us a narration component for the Alfred Reading Series in all four languages
Expressing Our Heritage: Métis Artistic Designs Resource Manual includes a Michif component in the Teacher's Resources Section of the manual. Commonly used Michif words relating to clothing and material culture are listed in two dialects of Michif-Cree.
The Virtual Museum of Métis History and Culture has a large amount of Michif content in video, and audio and print forms, including an historical overview of the language and detailed bibiliography.
View Michif resources on www.metismuseum.ca.
Award Winning Department
Over the years, the publications created by the GDI Publishing Department have been honoured with many awards.
The Giving Tree: A Retelling of a Traditional Métis Story
2010 Willow Award Nomination
Dancing in My Bones
2010 Moonbeam Gold Medal Spirit Award for Native Folklore
2009 Saskatchewan Book Awards
Award for Publishing – Winner
First Peoples Publishing Award – Winner
First Peoples Writing Award – Winner
Readers’ Choice Award – Nomination
Publishing in Education – Nomination
2009 Corporate Partner of the Year
Recognizing the partnership between GDI and the Batoche National Historic Park
Saskatchewan Tourism Award of Excellence
Stories of Our People: A Métis Graphic Novel Anthology
2008 Saskatchewan Book Awards
First Peoples Publishing Award – Nomination
Medicines to Help Us
2008 Saskatchewan Book Awards
First Peoples Publishing Award – Nomination
Book of the Year Award – Nomination
Publishing Award – Nomination
The Story of the Rabbit Dance
2008 Saskatchewan Book Awards
First Book Award – Nomination
Better That Way
2008 Saskatchewan Book Awards
Saskatoon Book Award – Nomination
Fiddle Dancer
2007 Saskatchewan Book Awards
Children’s Literature Award – Nomination
First Book Award – Nomination
Regina Book Award – Nomination
2009 Willow Award Nomination
Métis Legacy II
2007 Saskatchewan Book Awards
First Peoples Publishing Award – Nomination
Non-Fiction Award – Nomination
The Métis Alphabet Book
2006 Saskatchewan Book Awards
First Peoples Publishing Award – Winner
Howard Adams: Otapawy!
2006 Saskatchewan Book Awards
First Peoples Publishing Award – Nomination
Scholarly Writing Award – Nomination
The Beavers’ Big House
2004 Saskatchewan Book Awards
First Peoples Publishing Award – Nomination
Publishing in Education Award – Nomination
Expressing Our Heritage:Métis Artistic Design
2003 Saskatchewan Book Awards
First Peoples Publishing Award – Winner
Publishing in Education Award – Winner
Métis Legacy
2002 Saskatchewan Book Awards
Publishing in Education Award – Winner
The Bulrush Helps the Pond
2002 Saskatchewan Book Awards
First Peoples Publishing Award – Winner
Publishing in Education Award – Nomination