Highway renamed for Louis Riel

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Travellers along Highway 11 between Regina and Prince Albert will see new signage along the route, following the official renaming of the 364 km stretch of roadway.

The highway was officially renamed the Louis Riel Trail at a ceremony held June 20 at the Duck Lake Regional Interpretive Centre.

Don Wilkins is chair of the Louis Riel Trail Association, a conglomeration of groups and individuals that since the spring of 1999 have been working to have the Highway renamed in honor the 19th century Metis leader.

"The initial effort came from a coalition of volunteers . . . just people who volunteered for community service, an organized group called the Midlakes Community Coalition, and at that time they were comprised of people from in between the towns of Hanley and Chamberlain," Wilkins said.

Wilkins said Highway 11 was selected for renaming for a number of reasons.

"Highway 11 connects Regina, where the final days of Riel were spent, and the Prince Albert/Duck Lake/ Batoche area, where the major activity in Saskatchewan took place. That's one reason. The other reason is that Riel is such a prominent person, it was only fitting that a prominent highway in Saskatchewan to fit his fame be selected to represent his name."

The renaming will also give communities in the area an opportunity to promote the region's rich history.

"There were communities and organizations that felt that 19th century history in this area is under promoted, and so we said that this would at least in part be an economic endeavor for us," he said.

Signs identifying the renamed highway were installed the day the announcement was made.

About 110 signs have been placed along the highway, featuring a graphic of a Red River cart and the roadway's new name. The department of highways will eventually place overhead signs at the entrances to the highway as well, Wilkins said.

"I guess I've got to give credit to the new minister-of course she represents her government-the Honourable Pat Atkinson, because she is the Minister of Rural Revitalization as well. We're quite pleased, our core group is quite pleased that they followed through with our recommendation. We had a lot of support from many organizations, including the Metis Nations of Saskatchewan, Saskatchewan History and Folklore Society, and our regional economic development authority. And there were many individuals too, not collected with organizations, prominent individuals that had supported us, and helped us in our petition to government members," Wilkins said.

The Saskatchewan Metis community, in particular, was very involved in bringing the name change about, Wilkins said, and that involvement won't end now that the renaming has taken place.

"We worked with them to bring this endeavor about. We had official documentation supporting the effort. And when we form our association, there will definitely be Metis representation on the association," Wilkins said.

"It's primarily, but not solely, but primarily a Metis story, and we respect that. We undertook this endeavor with sensitivity to that, and its just been a tremendous accomplishment.

"Actual signage to this date have not cost much over $6,000. And for that little investment, to have seen the look on the faces of the Metis people that were at the Duck Lake opening, it just overwhelmed me, actually. I think for so little we did so much, and I'm just very pleased about that."

SIIT celebrates 25 years of instruction

Ross Kimble, Sage Writer, Saskatoon

Staff and past graduates of the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technology (SIIT) gathered at the Saskatoon campus on June 14 to celebrate the school's 25th anniversary.

The gathering gave those in attendance a chance to reflect on the institution's history, celebrate past triumphs, and identify the opportunities and requirements that will shape SIIT over its next 25 years of existence.

Opened in 1976, SIIT has constantly worked to improve the quality and availability of First Naions education.

"We have always firmly believed that education is a treaty right," stressed Joe Quewezance, Saskatoon Tribal Council chief and former chairman of the SIIT board of directors.

When originally established, SIIT was known as the Saskatchewan Indian Community College.

"We offered skills training and basic education programs on reserves," said Quewezance. "It was Canada's first First Nations controlled community college. We had 232 students in July of 1976."

It was a truly innovative concept. The college provided instruction on-site, and worked directly with First Nations communities to determine what courses to offer. Demand for the college's services grew quickly, and trade, vocational and technical training were soon added to compliment the skills and adult education programs initially offered.

"That era is also noted because we worked without core funding for education," Quewezance pointed out.

Lack of funding and lack of accreditation for its courses were, in fact, the primary problems that the institution faced during most of its existence. This gradually changed during the 1980s, as the college responded to the needs of the 69 First Nations communities it then served by developing accredited course offerings such as the Indian Diploma Nursing program. Satellite colleges also began to be established in larger centres across the province.

In 1985, the Indian Governments of Saskatchewan enacted the Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies (SIIT) Act, formally recognizing the institution for its tireless efforts to improve Aboriginal education, and necessitating a name change.

Though SIIT was now recognized as a full post-secondary institution by Indian government, it was still a community college to the provincial government, and thus not qualified for much of the funding it so desperately needed. Unaffected by the political battles being fought, the institute's popularity continued to grow, with enrolment reaching 800 by the end of the dcade.

Program developments continued throughout the 1990's, with new courses offered both at the satellite college level and through partnerships with other, provincially-recognized post-secondary institutions. In 1996, enrolment had reached 1,285, and by 2000 the figure stood at 1,639.

Finally, after years of pushing, the Saskatchewan provincial government in 2000 enacted its own Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies Act, acknowledging the school as a full post-secondary institution in the eyes of all people, not just First Nations communities. It was a victory for everyone who had fought for so many years for quality Indian education, and it paves the way for even greater growth in the new century.

"This institution has really contributed to the push for Indian control of Indian education," said Greg Ahenakew, first vice-chief of the FSIN and a SIIT graduate. "It is a role model for the rest of the country."

The numbers certainly support these sentiments. Since its inception, SIIT has graduated more than 6,000 students from 75 diverse programs.