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Indigenous student honourees pose for a group photo at the USask Indigenous Student Achievement Awards event on March 9. (Photo: University of Saskatchewan)

Indigenous students at College of Arts and Science recognized for achievements

The Indigenous Student Achievement Awards recognize Indigenous students at USask for their achievements including academic, community engagement, leadership, research, resiliency

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Ten College of Arts and Science students were honoured during the 2023 Indigenous Student Achievement Awards Ceremony on March 9.

The awards ceremony, which was held in-person at the Gordon Oakes Red Bear Student Centre, was part of University of Saskatchewan (USask) Indigenous Achievement Week (IAW) activities. IAW is an annual USask event that celebrates the successes and contributions of Métis, First Nations and Inuit students, staff, faculty and alumni. This year’s IAW was held from March 6-10.

The College of Arts and Science’s 2023 Indigenous Student Achievement Award recipients are:

Maia Houle, Academic Achievement Award
Saddle Lake Cree Nation
Maia Houle is Plains Cree from Saddle Lake Cree Nation, Treaty 6. They were raised in their culture, in ceremonies, and with awareness of the history of colonialism among their people. They come from a lineage of highly educated women who clearly had meaningful influence on them and their studies. Maia is a double major in Indigenous Studies and Studio Art. The Department of Indigenous Studies is pleased to nominate them for an IAW 2023 academic excellence award.

Tazana Nilson, Academic Achievement Award
Métis Western Region Two
Tazana Nilson (she/her), is a Métis student studying at the Prince Albert Campus in her first year of studies. In addition to academic excellence in her courses, she is also actively involved in the community. She is especially interested in the fine arts and she has performed in more than a dozen plays in the community.

Benjamin Wright-Fraser, Academic Achievement Award
Métis
Benjamin Wright-Fraser, is a Métis bilingual person from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. He is currently enrolled in his second year of the Gabriel Dumont College and the College of Arts and Sciences. Benjamin is studying History and Linguistics. Benjamin attributes his current high GPA to his dedication to study and invested interest in his language, culture and identity. Benjamin is a dedicated student; his interests in archiving and interpretation are incredible strengths that supports himself and his classmates with uncovering important factual data in genealogical research. Benjamin hopes to apply these skills towards a teaching career majoring in History, Linguistics and more importantly, Indigenous Studies.

Jennifer Amarualik-Yaremko, Community Engagement Award
Igloolik, Nunavut
Jennifer Amarualik-Yaremko is a fourth-year Political Studies student and Inuk woman. They are the recipient of the Mabel F. Timlin award for Indigenous students in Political Studies for the 2022-23 academic year. They are involved in continual advocacy for the challenges that First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people face in Canada and will start a Master of Arts in September researching Inuit education policy. They can most often be found wearing Inuit regalia made for them by their mom or grandmother.

Dawn Bear-Demkiw, Community Engagement Award
Flying Dust First Nations
"I am a young Indigenous two-spirit person from Flying Dust First Nation, SK. I have taken my lived experience, as both an Indigenous and a white-presenting Indigenous person, and used it as a base for my education to be built upon. I specialize in LGTBQ2S+ issues as well as substance use and addictions. My previous positions focused on missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls, and two-spirit peoples."

Kendra Farmer, Community Engagement Award
CUMFI
During her six-year career with the Huskies, Kendra has made significant contributions to Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities through volunteerism. She is a coach and coordinator of Running Wild Athletics Club, supported the last two Tony Cote Summer Games, is an athletics coach for the NAIG championships, and provides a connection between the Indigenous culture and her Huskie teammates and coaches. She is an incredibly accomplished athlete and has completed a degree in Engineering at USask.

Raymond Fox, Leadership Award
Sweetgrass First Nation
Raymond Fox is a proud member of the Sweetgrass First Nation and the founder of the Indigenous Sports Performance Institute, a non-profit and group collective created to bridge the gap between Indigenous youth and high-performance sport. His belief is that all athletes deserve a space to feel supported, nurtured and elevated so they can accomplish their sport and life goals. He has been openly sharing his former addictions and using his experience with sport to provide positive leadership to Indigenous youth and communities. A member of the USask Huskies Men's soccer team Raymond also recently signed with Nautsa'mawt Fc, the first Indigenous focused professional soccer club in Canada.

Cheyenna Sapp, Leadership Award
Little Pine First Nation
Cheyenna Sapp, a Nehiyaw Iskwew from Little Pine First Nation in Treaty 6 territory, is an actress, comedian, photographer and student in the Indigenous Studies BA and wîcêhtowin Indigenous Theatre Certificate programs. Some know her as “Rose Sinclair” from the CTV sitcom Acting Good. She strives to breakdown stereotypes of Indigenous women and peoples in her public speaking, film and comedy work while representing decolonial perspectives that empower Indigenous youth. Cheyenna is a leader in her INDG classes and in media by undertaking new and important forms of Indigenous performance and resurgence work.

Dylan Merrick, Research Award
Chicano/Mayan
Dylan Merrick is Chicano with maternal Mayan roots in Campeche, Mexico. His research examines how virtual healthcare technologies can best serve Indigenous peoples. The Mental Health Virtual Assistant Project (MIRA) has developed a library of resources that address wellness needs of First Nations and Métis Peoples. MIRA has co-created conversational scripts, in partnership with Indigenous communities that utilize community identified language conventions. The goal is to enhance AI chatbot services for Indigenous Peoples with mental health needs in Alberta. He has also engaged with Saskatchewan based Indigenous groups through creation of a website that functions to communicate community health research.

Maddy Soles, Resiliency Award
Métis Nation—Saskatchewan
Maddy Soles is second year Gabriel Dumont College student and a member of the Métis Nation. She has demonstrated resilience and growth in the following areas: confidence, organization, balancing her personal and work life and academic achievement. Upon completing her B.S.N. degree, Maddy wants to nurse in her home community of Prince Albert, which will allow her to serve in the community that played an important role in raising her to be a hardworking, compassionate and dedicated person.

Together, we will work towards Truth and Reconciliation. We invite you to join by supporting Indigenous achievement at USask.


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