The Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technology celebrated the academic achievement of several students at their annual convocation ceremony on Thursday.
The graduates included students from all three SIIT campuses and satellite locations.
The celebrations didn’t stop at the students with two prominent community leaders honoured as well.
Chief Marie-Anne DayWalker-Pelletier was given an honourary diploma. Daywalker-Pelletier is the longest serving chief in Canada, originally elected chief of the Okanese First Nation in 1981. She was previously an employee of SIIT before becoming chief.
“Chief Marie-Anne DayWalker-Pelletier is a wonderful advocate for Indigenous education and our young people. She has done so much for Indigenous people across Saskatchewan and the excellence she has shown reflects the passion and values of SIIT,” expressed Chief Darcy Bear, Board Chair of SIIT, in a media release.
The post-secondary instituation also recognized Hunter McLean with the 2nd annual President’s Award for Leadership. This award is given to a graduating student who has shown exemplary leadership skills.
2018 also marks the first-ever graduating class of the Mental Health and Wellness program. This two-year diploma replaced the Community Services and Addictions program with a focus on a holistic approach to addictions and introducing both Indigenous and Western-based approaches to healing.
(Photo by Jarrett Crowe.)