Overview of the Gabriel Dumont Institute

The Gabriel Dumont Institute of Native Studies and Applied Research (GDI) was founded in 1976 in order to serve the educational and cultural needs of Saskatchewan’s Métis. GDI is the official educational affiliate of the Métis Nation – Saskatchewan. GDI offers a variety of accredited educational, vocational and skills training opportunities for the province’s Métis in partnership with the University of Regina, the University of Saskatchewan, the Saskatchewan Institute of Applied Science and Technology, the province’s various regional colleges and the Métis Employment and Training of Saskatchewan Inc. Below is a breakdown of the main programming and services, which GDI provides to the province’s Métis and non-Aboriginal communities:

• Saskatchewan Urban Native Teacher Education Program (SUNTEP): Since 1980, over 800 educators have received a four-year Bachelor of Education degree from the program, which is offered in Prince Albert, Saskatoon and Regina.

• Gabriel Dumont College: Delivers the first two years of a Bachelor of Arts and Science degree to both Métis and non-Métis and is offered in Saskatoon and in Prince Albert.

• Dumont Technical Institute (DTI): Is GDI’s largest component and is responsible for the design, development and delivery of Adult Basic Education, skills training, vocational and cultural programs. DTI’s main office is in Saskatoon, with programming province-wide.

• Library Services: GDI has its own Métis-specific library system – the largest owned by any Métis educational, cultural or political institution – with branches in Regina, Saskatoon, and Prince Albert.

• Publishing Department: Since 1985, GDI has developed more than 75 Métis-specific literary, cultural and educational resources. The Publishing Department is based in Saskatoon.

• Finance and Administration: Based in Regina, GDI’s Department of Finance and Administration oversees the Institute’s financial and personnel management.

• Museum and Archives: In its Saskatoon centre, the Institute has a museum and archives, which includes traditional arts and crafts, oral histories, and a print, video and audio archival collection.

• The Virtual Museum of Métis History and Culture: In May 2003, GDI released The Virtual Museum of Métis History and Culture (www.metismuseum.ca) in order to better share its extensive archival, cultural and learning holdings with the public.

• Métis Cultural Development Fund: In partnership with SaskCulture Inc., GDI administers the Métis Cultural Development Fund, which provides funding to the province’s Métis community for activities that preserve, strengthen and transmit Métis culture and traditions.

• Napoleon LaFontaine/Gabriel Dumont Institute Scholarship Foundation /Saskenergy Scholarships: GDI provides scholarships to Métis applicants, living in Saskatchewan, enrolled or planning to enroll in an accredited post-secondary institution in Saskatchewan.

For further information about GDI visit the Institute’s website at www.gdins.org or call our information desk at 306.934.4941.

Gabriel Dumont Institute Mission Statement: The Gabriel Dumont Institute promotes the renewal and development of Métis culture through research, materials development, collection and the distribution of those materials and the development and delivery of Métis-specific educational programs and services.

GDI Fact Sheet