SIIT makes position for “auntie-in-residence” to mentor Indigenous students

The Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies has created a new position for an “auntie-in-residence” who will mentor Indigenous students who are interested in entrepreneurship. The auntie-in-residence position will be similar to that of an elder-in-residence, and will provide students with a safe space to come receive support. “We have a strong emphasis on community and kinship amongst our students and so by having this auntie-in-residence, it’s one of our ways to nurture our students,” said SIIT’s co-ordinator of Strategic Initiatives, Academics Samantha Ouellette, who is Cree. “You don’t always get that at postsecondary institutes or educational institutes at all, and so even within this program, we have our Indigenous knowledge systems embedded within the curriculum.” CBC Note: Archived stories may contain dead links or be missing source links.