A group of students, their families and program staff from the Yellowknives Dene First Nation (YKDFN) made the journey from Yellowknife to Trent University to celebrate a milestone over five years in the making: graduating from a unique university program designed collaboratively between Trent faculty and YKDFN leaders and delivered from two sides of the country. 

Eight of the nine members of the inaugural cohort enrolled in the Indigenous Environmental Studies & Sciences Diploma attended Trent University’s convocation ceremonies in June, travelling 3,000 kilometres with family members, program coordinators and YKDFN leadership including Chief Fred Sangris. 

“This is a milestone moment that reflects both the hard work by Dene students and Trent University's longstanding commitment to working alongside First Nation communities to deliver academic programming that includes and respects Indigenous knowledge systems and supports student aspirations,” said Julie Davis, vice-president, External Relations & Development at Trent. “The work between Trent and the Yellowknives Dene First Nation expanded educational opportunities for northern learners while bringing new perspectives, experiences and ways of knowing into our classrooms and academic community.” 

The collaboration began over a shared vision to expand access to postsecondary education in northern and remote communities and ensure that university courses are relevant and inclusive of multiple ways of knowing. Launched officially in January 2024, the program piloted a new template for distance education, allowing students in Yellowknife to balance work and life commitments at home while earning a Trent-accredited diploma. 

"Too often, northern students face challenges when they have to leave home to pursue higher education, which is why this community-based approach has been so important for our people,” said YKDFN Chief Sangris.

Throughout the two-year program, students completed a curriculum that blends Western sciences with Dene Traditional Knowledge grounded in YKDFN ways of knowing and being. Courses were taught in various ways: online and in person, as well as by Trent faculty, local instructors and Elders and Knowledge Keepers in the Yellowknives Dene First Nation. In some cases, Dene students learned virtually alongside students in Peterborough and brought unique perspectives to the classroom from the other side of the country. Courses were also delivered in person in Yellowknife, helping Dene students apply environmental and Indigenous knowledge locally through land-based learning.  

“Students in northern and remote communities deserve the same opportunities as learners anywhere else in Canada. This program demonstrates what is possible when postsecondary institutions work alongside Indigenous communities to remove barriers to education,” said Dr. Chris Furgal, co-director of the IESS diploma and professor in the Trent School of the Environment and Chanie Wenjack School for Indigenous Studies. “Through this collaboration, we have learned just as much from the Yellowknives Dene First Nation as they have from us, and together we have created a model that can help inform future programs with more Indigenous Nations across the country.” 

Students built knowledge and skills in environmental assessment and monitoring, resource management and economic development, while also practicing Dene Traditional Knowledge transfer and exploring ideas for reconciliation. Students also had an opportunity to research local environmental issues, such as wildfires and arsenic contamination at Giant Mine. Students were also supported throughout the program by academic success coordinators, support staff, teaching assistants and university staff both in Yellowknife and Peterborough.  

"This program sparked a love of learning and helped me discover strengths and interests I didn't even know I had,” said Myra Conrad, a mature student part of the graduating cohort. “The experience has given me new confidence in my capabilities and a passion to continue to pursue academic studies so that I can give to my community, and to myself and my son, in meaningful ways. If I can do it, anybody can.” 

“One of the aims of this program was to help students gain the experience and credentials needed to access decision-making roles that will provide environmental and governmental leadership for our communities,” said Margaret Erasmus, the director of the YKDFN Dechįta Nàowo Post-Secondary Education Department. 

Through local hands-on learning opportunities, students completed placements at schools, environmental consulting firms, local NGOs, industry partners and YKDFN government departments. For several students, these opportunities became a direct pathway to employment, including positions with the Aurora Research Institute and Det'on Cho Environmental. 

Following the successful completion of the pilot program, Trent University and YKDFN are reviewing feedback and outcomes from the inaugural cohort to help refine the model and inform future program delivery and design. 

“We look forward to the contributions these graduates will make in their careers and communities, and to strengthening our relationship with Trent University as we help more students follow in their footsteps,” said Chief Sangris.

Learn more about the Indigenous Environmental Studies & Science program.