The land is acknowledged as our Mother, the Earth. The University of Saskatchewan is committed to honor and support the *Indigenous peoples, Indigenous cultures, Indigenous values, and Indigenous languages that belong to the land of Treaty 6 Territory and Homeland of the Métis. The University of Saskatchewan is committed to working towards mending colonized lands and protecting the land in a way that demonstrates honour, respect, and love. The University of Saskatchewan extends this commitment to the lands and Treaty territories (Treaties 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 10) that constitute kisiskâciwan ([Saskatchewan], “the swift current”, Cree/Saulteaux), and all Indigenous people that call kisiskâciwan home. We are born to the land and the land claims us.
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Spotlight on Indigenous Scholars
Kira Mudrey
...an urban Métis woman from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan with strong ties to the community of Batoche, Saskatchewan. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Animal Bioscience from the University of Saskatchewan (USask) in 2023 and is now a master’s student working with Dr. Tim Dumonceaux in the Department of Veterinary Microbiology. She is also an Articling Agrologist with the Saskatchewan Institute of Agrology working towards her Professional Agrologist designation and is a trainee in the NSERC-CREATE OHAP (One Health Against Pathogens) Program which trains graduate students in One Health interdisciplinary research, communication, and public policy. read on
Keep in Touch
Cousins Monthly Newsletter
In a new and specially curated newsletter format with an option to unsubscribe this newsletter helps us share key supports and events for Indigenous graduate students from CGPS and across the university.
Cousins Teams Network
Opt-in to the functionality of MS Teams and join the cousins network. A peer-to-peer network that is unique to USask's Indigenous graduate students. All Indigenous students interested in sharing information and learning from each other are encouraged to request access to cousins, a USask MS Teams channel moderated by CGPS' Indigenous Initiatives Coordinator.Initiatives
Stitching Stories
We bring the research landscape of USask's graduate students to life through the stories of Indigenous graduate students who under the mentorship and guidance of master quilter Gabrielle Lee will create a hexagon circular patchwork quilt. Using unique colours for each academic discipline, the quilt will highlight the diversity and depth of USask's Indigenous scholarship.
Drop-in to as many “quilting hives” as you can between November - February at the Gordon Oakes Red Bear Student Centre to connect, learn, and create together. The finished quilt will be unveiled during Indigenous Achievement Week and will serve as a gathering centrepiece for future community circles.
Stitching Stories Expanding to a Digital Platform
Alongside the physical quilt, an interactive digital version will be released featuring students who have opted-in to share their photo, name, research and career focus, and home community.
This project is part of the oẏateki partnership and the Indigenous Graduate Student and Professional Transition Program.
Holiday Care Packages
This holiday season we aim to provide as many care packages as possible containing pantry basics to offer students a comforting taste of home. More info on how to get involved in this project will be sent directly to Indigenous graduate students in early December.
Thank you to our sponsors who are helping make this idea a reality!
Soup & Bannock Lunch
Join us Wednesday, January 8th for a Soup and Bannock Lunch at the Gordon Oakes Red Bear Centre sponsored by CGPS! Come share a meal, connect with friends and colleagues, and enjoy some delicious comfort food. Everyone is invited.
Spring Writing Retreat
Tentatively scheduled for a weekend in May, this 3-day retreat covers all food and lodging for participants. Students will have the opportunity to make significant progress on their thesis, dissertation, scholarship, or grant applications. The retreat includes workshops on writing, focused writing sessions, land-based teachings, shared meals, and grounding circles, all designed to enhance writing skills and provide a supportive space for focused work. Stay tuned for more information.Scholarships
The Saskatchewan Lieutenant Governor's Indigenous Scholarship is a $20,000 scholarship awarded annually based on academic excellence to one student or split between deserving candidates, who are pursuing graduate studies at USask or the University of Regina.
- application opens every winter (T2)
- more details
The Indigenous Graduate Leadership Award is aimed towards Indigenous students who have taken an active role of leadership within their community. Master’s and PhD students are eligible to receive $20,000 (for up to 2 years) and $25,000 (for up to 4 years) respectively.
- application opens every winter (T2)
- more details
Two annual entrance awards of approximately $10,000 each are awarded. Open to Indigenous graduate students entering a graduate program at USask. Open to both Master's and Doctoral students with an entrance average of 80% or more.
- No application is necessary - recommendations are made at the time of recruitment by the program.
Tri-Agency is the umbrella term used to describe the three Canadian government scholarship funding agencies:
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
- Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC)
- Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)
Master’s and doctoral students are open for application every fall (T1). Students can apply for the appropriate Tri-Agency scholarship before and during their graduate program.
- $27,000 for 12 months | CGG-M (Canada Graduate Scholars - Master's Program) + recipients get a one-time $5,000 supplement.
- $40,000 for 36 months | CGS-D (Canada Graduate Scholars - Doctoral Program)
- Indigenous Scholars get fast-tracked to the final rounds of adjudication
- Get more information
Watch your PAWS email and announcements for a variety of scholarship workshops that are held every fall at the beginning of T1 to help you prepare your Tri-Agency Scholarship application.
Special Projects
CGPS' goal is to increase the success of Indigenous graduates by using a community-based paradigm that reflects Indigenous ways of knowing and being. In three parts, CGPS Indigenous Initiatives brings together:
- kiskêyimisowin [self-knowledge Cree] : cultivating the knowledge of yourself, building identity, and elevating who you are,
- ohpahotân [from ohpahowipîsim (flying up moon)] : growth, journey and relational teachings that guide and strengthen our lives and work, and
- the oẏateki [from oyate (leaving no one behind) Dakota] partnership: a collaboration of educational institutes with goals to change the lives of Indigenous youth for the better.
By integrating the three together, CGPS becomes better equipped to address, support, and attend to the needs and interests of the Indigenous graduate community.
USask College of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (CGPS) and the Office of the Vice Provost, Indigenous Engagement (OVPIE) co-created an initiative entitled Indigenous Graduate Student and Professional Transition Program that aims to provide programming, events and support that creates pathways to successful completion of students' graduate programs and success beyond the academy read more
Questions?
Meet Aurora, Indigenous Initiatives Coordinator at CGPS. A proud member of the Beardy’s and Okemasis Cree Nation with Scottish heritage, and an award-winning multimedia artist, researcher, and musician, Aurora brings to CGPS a passion for exploring the intersections of Indigeneity and institutional spaces, dedicated to uncovering stories often overshadowed by colonial narratives.
Bookmark our calendar and never miss a scholarship deadline or a cousin's event.
Aurora.Wolfe@usask.ca
306 966 2481
