First Nation University of Canada – 2010 Fight to Save Our University

In 2010, the First Nations University of Canada was facing the loss of both provincial and federal funding because of internal management and governance issues. While leadership on both sides continued to go back and forth, students decided they would not stand and watch their beloved institution collapse. Students and other supporters rallied in several locations, and finally on March 23rd, 2010, gathered in front of the Saskatchewan Legislature to announce a ‘live in’.

Later that day, students started living in the FNUniv campuses in Regina, Saskatoon, and Prince Albert. They wanted to have their voices heard, demonstrate their fierce loyalty to FNUniv, and demand their treaty right to education.

By the end of March, governments agreed to restore some of the money to keep the university going until the end of August, which would allow students could complete their courses. Since then, the university has continued to rebuild and look toward the future.

That is also the case for those who demonstrated and pushed to save the university. We caught up with some of the people involved to get their perspective on those events and what they would like to see in the future.


headshot adamsDiane Adams – Vice-President of the Students’ Association (2009)

How did you get involved in the fight to save First Nation University of Canada?

In my first and second years, I joined the Regina students’ association as a way to get involved in student events and meet new friends, as I had moved from Ontario. I had no idea when I joined that I would be asked to lead the students in a campaign to save my new school! I had been elected a Vice President in 2009, and in the fall, our President had to step down for personal reasons. The association’s bylaws said I was to assume the top spot as president, and just a few short months later, the crisis emerged.   Even then, led from the background, as I felt the role of the students was best led by those who had strong family ties to the prairies. Eventually, as the crisis became national – even international – in scope, the stakes rose. The media frenzied. I knew I had to step out of the background and use my experience in public speaking and the media to lend my own voice to the passionate push from FNUniv students to save the university.

Was there ever a point where you doubted you could save it?

There were a few moments when I know we wondered if those in power would really let the school fall. We wondered if politicians would see past the politics and the administrative concerns and the optics of it all — and see that we had left our families and communities, invested time, money and our spirits into attending the First Nations University. We had so much invested in the school, like so many who attended before us, and so many who would walk through the doors in the future. I think we doubted we could save it when we doubted our ability to tell that story. Those times were the hardest: I remember a busload of students and staff bawling on a bus from Saskatoon to Regina, crushed that our plea to the FSIN to act on warnings from government had been too little, too late.   I remember the sober, troubled look on the faces of fellow board members, people with decades of life and professional experience ahead of my own, as we navigated the financial crisis from behind closed doors. I remember having to cast out my own doubts and instill hope in a restless and angry student body, urging them not chain themselves to walls, not to block the highways. There were so many times we worried about the future.

When did you know it would be okay?

Part of me knew it would be okay when we were able to step back and allow a new board and new leadership take the reins of the university. It wouldn’t be until a few years later when I picked up a newspaper and read a story on FNUniv that I was truly sure all that work and sacrifice was worth it. That article mentioned a small governance problem with the university that back in 2010 would have catalyzed a media frenzy. Instead, it was handled professionally and quietly by the University’s leadership. When I saw that the school had become resilient to crisis and to governance challenges, when I saw a problem that did not require students to uproot their studies to address it, that’s when I knew it would be okay.

How do you think the university is doing today?

The university seems healthy, and it is growing and maturing – even if that’s not without challenges. When I (finally) graduated in 2015, it was great to meet the next generation of students, the next generation of alumni. I know there’s so many fantastic professors and leaders who are putting so much energy in figuring out how the school can best serve the needs of Indigenous students and the whole community.   The university is in its own time of growth and change, and I have a lot of hope for its future.

What hopes do you have for this institution in the future?

I’m a scientist, and I am a strong advocate for how science can improve the lives of Indigenous communities. I hope that one day FNUniv’s Environmental Health and Indigenous Environmental Science degrees will produce a whole generation of Indigenous people who know how to integrate their traditional knowledge and western science to solve the biggest problems in our communities, and the biggest problems we face as global citizens. I strongly believe those programs could graduate the next great minds in clean water, air and land, and the fight against climate change. But first, we need to rally around our young people to work on the math and science skills they need to succeed in university science, and rally around the K-12 educators who will help them get there. That’s my hope for FNUniv’s role going forward.


Stewart Manhas pictureStewart Manhas

How did you get involved in the fight to save First Nation University of Canada?

I was a student at the time and heard what was going on. Where I really became involved was with the Live-In. I stayed mostly in the tipis we had set up outside. I stayed the most consecutive days as well as the most days total. I really only was ever at my apartment to grab a bite, or a shower, or some clothes and other than that I was always at the university. And that was pretty much my experience for nearly 2 months.

I remember, towards the end of the semester, that we as students were being told that we could defer classes and assignments so that we could continue the protest. I thought to myself, “If I were to take deferrals , I would be proving them right when they say we’re not good enough. I refuse” I spent 5 days doing all my final assignments and attending class and for those 5 days I slept maybe 2 hours? I essentially crammed in a month’s worth of work in 5 days and still kept my marks up.
After the final assignment was handed in I crashed right in my tipi and was back at it in about 4 hours.

I also was chosen to be the delegate for FNUniv for the Canadian Federation of Students. I was at the FSIN assembly when we heard we officially had our funding pulled.

Was there ever a point where you doubted you could save it?

I never got the impression from anyone during the situation that we DOUBTED we could save it. We definitely had setbacks and had troubles being heard but at no point did we ever think this may have been it. We as a group were always looking for that next step, we never gave up. We moved INTO the school.

I knew there were management issues and that the government at the time weren’t being “fair” in my mind. But the heart of any school boils down to its students and staff and there’s no doubting that we had a LOT of heart and that we love this place.

When did you know it would be okay?

Personally, I’m a bit cynical. Yes we got our funding back, yes the leadership changed but there’s always more that has to be done.

How do you think the University is doing today?

The University needs to grow, there needs to be more enrollment. Did we change the circumstances that led to the issues? For a time being. But as students, we have a short life here. It’s up to other students, new students, new staff, the tenure staff to make sure what we fought for doesn’t leave with us.

What hopes do you have for this institution in the future?

I would love to see this place thrive. The way it should. There’s should be a strong steady enrollment, it should grow every year. We should be able to add programs, courses, classes. This place shouldn’t be limited in its growth because it serves a growing market. WE need more FN and non-FN students. We need stronger communications and recruitment. This is great place to learn and it needs to be protected. It needs to thrive for all our sakes.


Steven Swan

How did you get involved in the fight to save First Nation University of Canada?

I just started my first semester that January at the Regina campus as a transfer from the Northern Campus in Prince Albert and introduced myself to the current Student Association and told them that I would be willing to give up my time and volunteer with them whenever they needed some help. It wasn’t long after that that the entire FNUniv world got turned upside down. Then the battle to save middle earth had begun.

Was there ever a point where you doubted you could save it?

I believe that there are always some thoughts going on in the back of your mind of the worst case scenario, but honestly there was always hope that the University would survive this onslaught of negative impacts. There were definitely times that were a bit more difficult than others. But, full credit to Tom Benjoe, Cadmus Delorme, Diane Adams, Jacob Pratt, and everybody else that came on board to fight for the University. It was one of those moments in life that you want to be part of, something as big and significant and life changing as fighting for an institution that you love so much. We were blessed to have such leadership to spearhead the challenge.

When did you know it would be okay?

Once we were able to get word that funding would be restored after a moratorium stating that there would be conditional funding, that was when you knew the tides had turned. That the long days and nights spent thinking of strategies to defend the university were worth it.

How do you think the University is doing today?

Today the university is still battling for legitimacy, they are still struggling financially and are in the process of laying off a lot of their faculty again. It has yet to be given full autonomy from the University of Regina and I truly believe that there in lies the problems currently faced at the First Nations University of Canada. As a stand alone institute, the university can then ask for it’s own funding to maintain it’s own mandates and not have to worry about big brother across the street to approve of their plans. It still has a long way to go before it is fully successful.

What hopes do you have for this institution in the future?

My hope is that the First Nations University of Canada can gain its autonomy away from the University of Regina and become that great institution for Indigenous Higher Learning. A place where we can see Indigenous people from the globe come and learn and teach. A place that gives you a legitimate strength to change the ideals of higher education. Because once the buzz word of “Indgenization” disappears from the mainstream universities in Saskatchewan and Canada, the First Nations University of Canada will still be here continuing to teach Indigenous Knowledge in its classrooms.

by Kristy Stonechild