First Nations University of Canada celebrates 50 years with alumni

As sunlight shone through the glass teepee, the centre showpiece of the First Nations University, those that gathered to celebrate 50 years took stock of all it has become.

Founded in 1976 as the Saskatchewan Indian Federated College, the school was created to focus on Indigenous-led teachings. In 2003, it became the First Nations University and continues that commitment of integration through Indigenous perspectives and history.

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That remains the meaning the school held for Milton Tootoosis.

As a FNU alumnus, he attended the 50th anniversary celebrations on Wednesday, sharing in the memories with stories about his time there.

Growing up, Tootoosis said he was a kid who never liked school because of both the learning and classroom environment.

“I experienced a lot of racism in high school, so it wasn’t fun going to school at all, but coming here it felt very welcoming, very warm, and culturally relevant,” he recalled.

Tootoosis said when he arrived at FNU, he knew he had made the right decision, as he had initially enrolled at the University of Saskatchewan (U of S).

“It changed my life, my mindset, and my attitude towards higher learning and to help solve problems that our Indigenous nations are experiencing far and wide.”

He said the university is an important place for students who have experienced mistreatment in their previous education experiences or for those who have struggled academically.

“It is a culturally safe space, and that’s what guys like me needed in order to survive university life, because it’s hard and when you’re living in poverty on top of that, it’s even more difficult,” Tootoosis said.

He added the FNU is a fantastic place for any student, both Indigenous or non-Indigenous, who would like a smaller, more community-driven schooling experience

When discussing the institution’s impact on students, he said it has been huge on alumni like himself.

“I would say 99.9 per cent of them are doing really well as good individuals, giving back, helping rebuild the Indigenous economy, Indigenous cultures systems,” he shared. “It’s just absolutely tremendous what this institution has done for me and many of my alumnus.”

While he was reminiscing fondly on his time spent as a student, he said meeting Dr. Blair Stonechild was one of his favourite memories.

“I thought, ‘Oh my god, if that guy can do it – and he came out of an Indian residential school – then maybe this little Cree from Poundmaker could do it, as well,” Tootoosis said.

Looking ahead to the future, Tootoosis said he would like to help continue to build a strong university.

“The focus is on any way I can to help secure a financial foundation and I want to help with the alumni. We’ve been throwing our own ideas for a few years, an endowment fund, a fund created by the alumni so we can have more financial stability for the institution,” he said.

When sending a message to First Nation’s people in Saskatchewan and across Canada, Tootoosis said this would be a fantastic place to come and that he is thankful for everything the institution has and will give students in the future.

“This place is culturally diverse. I think it’s a safe place and it’s because it’s smaller than, say, U of S or U of R (University of Regina) or any other major university. The small compactness, the true feeling of community is here. It always has been, and I think it’s still here.”