The Government of Saskatchewan has announced new funding to enable the First Nations University of Canada to deliver the Dene Teacher Education Program (DTEP) in northern communities. The funding will cover the cost of instruction, as well as tuition and books for students. Students will have access to childcare and family support while they study, and graduates will be able to teach the provincial K-12 curriculum in Dene. At the announcement, program graduate Heather Piche reflected on the benefits of the program. “They made it possible for me to get an education at home and helped me succeed because it has our values, the cultural values, our traditions, and our customs,” said Piche. The program is expected to improve teacher recruitment and retention; increase student participation and graduation; and make the transition to postsecondary, training, and the workforce easier. “We have a collective responsibility, as demonstrated in this collaboration, to ensure that Indigenous languages survive as valuable Indigenous knowledges are embedded within them,” FNU President Dr Jacqueline Ottmann.
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