Métis Nation of Alberta and Mount Royal University Supports Métis students
On behalf of resident Métis citizens, the Métis Nation of Alberta and its partners at Mount Royal University announced yesterday that they have established a $500,000 endowment to support Métis students studying at Mount Royal University.
“The most exciting aspect of this endowment is that it will exist in perpetuity for generations to come and that every year all interest earned by the fund will go to support Metis students at Mount Royal University” said Lorne Gladu, Chief Executive Officer of the Rupertsland Institute.
“This endowment is very similar to eight other endowments that we have set-up at other post-secondary institutions across the province” said Audrey Poitras, President of the Métis Nation of Alberta. The Métis Nation of Alberta plans to carry on with this progress while the opportunity to do so exists and President Poitras forecasts that “by 2015 the Métis Nation of Alberta through continued financial contributions from Rupertsland Institute will have further endowments set-up at other post-secondary institutions with large Métis enrollment.” A total of nine Métis endowments have now been established across the province going back to January 2008 and are valued at just under $14 million.
“The endowments are just part of the equation” said Gladu, who has spearheaded the establishment of all the nine endowments through Memoranda of Understanding … most Memoranda of Understanding contain clauses that are also designed to address the broader issues that Métis students face in the post-secondary setting” said Gladu, who is happy to see that the new Premier, Alison Redford, also shares this interest.
The Honourable Greg Weadick, Minister of Advanced Education and Technology recently received his mandate letter from Alberta’s new Premier. “The letter is very clear; Alberta Advanced Education Ministry has a clear mandate from the Premier to increase the number of Métis at post-secondary levels of higher learning” said Gladu, whose Staff has already begun to meet with the department on other areas of mutual interest.
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For further information, please call Aaron Barner at the Rupertsland Institute: Phone- 780-801-9977
Aaron Barner, Associate Director 780-801-9977 abarner@rupertsland.org