Métis politics and governance the focus of new USask course

A new political studies course at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) will explore past and present governance of Métis in Canada.

POLST 324: Métis, otehpayimusuak and âpihtawikosisânak Governance is an online course offered in the College of Arts and Science for the first time this fall.

“From its inception, I have tried to centre Métis voices in the development of this course. The very title of the course is intended to recognize the ways that Métis people refer to themselves, as many do not call themselves ‘Metis,’” said Dr. Kathy Walker (PhD), an assistant professor in the Department of Political Studies who led the design of the course.

The word otehpayimusuak is a Cree-language-derived term for “people who own themselves,” while âpihtawikosisânak can be translated as “half-son” or “half-cousin.”

POLST 324 is the first Métis-centred course offered by the Department of Political Studies. It joins courses already offered on various aspects of Métis history and society by other USask units—in particular, the Department of Indigenous Studies.

Scholars in the field of Métis studies have called on post-secondary institutions to develop and deliver Métis-centred courses in order to further transform and empower Métis studies. Métis-centred courses are those that look to Métis voices as the authorities when it comes to telling their stories, explaining their experiences and sharing their knowledge.

It was something that was lacking in the Department of Political Studies.

“I saw a need for this course from listening to undergraduate students in my courses, both Métis and non-Métis, who continuously told me that they knew so little about Métis governance and that having Métis governance relegated to one week of studies in a broader course on Indigenous governance was insufficient. I hope this course will help to fill that gap,” said Walker.

Walker expects the course will help students to better understand governance more broadly because it contextualizes the developments and debates around identity, legal rights and responsibilities, political history, and dominant narratives that help in understanding the changing political landscape of Métis relations.

“We often refer to the inclusion of Indigenous knowledges in our education systems as ‘decolonization’ or ‘Indigenization,’ but really this course is about trying to tell the whole story of these lands and the peoples and nations who live here,” said Walker.

Walker collaborated closely with Métis faculty and students in developing the course.

In particular, Dr. Allyson Stevenson (PhD), Gabriel Dumont Research Chair in Métis Studies and assistant professor in the Department of Indigenous Studies, reviewed each course module and contributed a module on policy impacting Métis children. Métis graduate students Susan Shacter and Darrelyne Bickel acted as reviewers and writers. Bickel will teach the course this fall.

“It’s important to note that this course is only a start. We still have a long way to go in terms of addressing institutional constraints and building the infrastructure that allows us to engage in teaching and learning that truly centres Métis, First Nations and Inuit knowledges,” said Walker.

Development of the course was supported by USask tuition bridge funding and the flexible learning and technology team at the Gwenna Moss Centre for Teaching and Learning.

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