Governor General urges universities to work together

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The future of post-secondary education was the topic of discussion Jan. 27 as Gov. Gen. Adrienne Clarkson took part in a roundtable discussion at the Saskatoon Campus of the First Nations University of Canada (FNUC).

Clarkson and her husband John Ralston Saul sponsored the roundtable, one of many stops during their four-day visit to the city.

Outside the mercury hovered around -50 Celsius, but inside the roundtable session heated up with an in-depth discussion about the challenges and opportunities relating to Aboriginal post-secondary education today.

Dr. Winona Wheeler, dean of the FNUC Saskatoon campus, calls the university's facilities "humble."

"We hustled to find 10 tables that were the same size that we could put together in the middle," said Wheeler. "Then my staff went from office to office to find chairs that were the same." The roundtable boardroom was actually the school's largest classroom.

Yet when the Governor General arrived for the grand entry, her party was met with pomp and ceremony, drummed in by the Sweetgrass Drum and danced in by students Donnie Rain, Lloyd Daniels, Lorne Gardippi and Garry Gott and professor Bob Boyer. Gott and Boyer also carried in the FNUC eagle staff and the Treaty 4 eagle staff.

While the purpose of the Governor General's visit was to explore innovative approaches, initiatives and current projects that make Saskatoon a good place to live, Wheeler hoped the visit would improve communication between Saskatchewan's post-secondary institutions and assist FNUC in securing long-term funding.

"I think it was the first time the president from the U of S (University of Saskatchewan) has ever been to our building," she said. "That is important because we do similar things. There is overlap, there's competition, and we don't communicate."

Wheeler said that while communication is ongoing among some post-secondary institutions, FNUC feels disregarded by its neighbour.

"The U of S has a mandate that they want to become the centre of excellence in Aboriginal education in western Canada," said Wheeler. "We are across the river and they haven't even talked to us about their big goal. They have to hire our teachers to teach their language programs. So there is a whole lot of room and opportunity for us to talk. The Governor General did encourage us to get together."

The First Nations University has a lot to offer besides lending out its instructors, Wheeler explained.

"People in the [academic field], just in the past five or 10 years, are talking about the importance of Indigenous knowledge and intellectual copyright. We've been doing that since 1976."

Clarkson and Ralston Saul participated in a social work class and called the experience the most enlightening part of their visit because they heard about the educational experience from the students themselves. One student who had been out of school for 28 years before enrolling at FNUC spoke highly of her experience at the university and of the social, cultural, spiritual and emotional support provided.

Funding presents a major challenge for all post-secondary institutions, but the First Nations University faces a unique challenge because of jurisdictional issues.

"You've got the province saying Indians are a federal responsibility and you've got the feds saying post-secondary is a provincial responsibility. We, as a result, do not get adequate core funding," said Wheeler. "We are expected to provide the same high quality university programming. We are expected to meet all of the responsibilities and obligations of a university for less than what the two provincial universities get, and we do it."

During their visit to Saskatoon, the Governor General also met with Elders and talked with Grade 2 students taking part in a traditional storytelling workshop at the Office of the Treaty Commissioner. She also attended a roundtable discussion on civic engagement at the While Buffalo Youth odge, talked to students at St. Joseph high school about what makes Saskatoon a good city, and paid a visit to the Muskeg Lake urban reserve.