A generation ago, the typical Métis citizen who wanted to pursue higher learning or attend college or university had almost nowhere to turn for financial support, even though Métis leaders since Louis Riel and Gabriel Dumont have embraced the power of education to lift their people. Even those who managed to graduate from high school often went no further because the cost of higher education was a barrier to the Métis people. Things have a come long way since then, thanks in no small part to the Rupertsland Institute Métis Centre of Excellence. To learn more about the importance of education, host David Wylynko speaks in this episode with the founder of the Rupertsland Institute.
Lorne Gladu understands the value of an education as much as anyone, having been raised in a “one-room shack” at the Fishing Lake Métis Settlement, and delaying his post-secondary education until he was 36 years old due to the lack of suitable funding. Today, Lorne is an Indspire laureate and the recipient of three honorary doctorates while he continues to serve the Métis Nation through the Rupertsland Institute and the Métis Education Foundation. These publicly funded entities provide millions of dollars in financial support to Métis students and help make it easier for Métis students to get through their post-secondary education, with many going as far as professional studies and PhD programs. Lorne notes that, due to colonial policies suppressing the Métis Nation, Métis citizens are one to two generations behind mainstream populations. But now, Métis citizens have the opportunity to pursue excellence in their education and career choices and can proudly give back to the community.
Notes
The Rupertsland Institute
The True Canadians website
Intro and outro music by Métis musician Alex Kusturok
Opening quote from an address by Métis leader Jim Sinclair during the 1987 Canadian constitutional talks
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