SASKATOON — Receiving the Order of Gabriel Dumont Gold Medal capped the almost three-decades-long work that Geordy McCaffrey has done with the Gabriel Dumont Institute, which aims to develop Métis-specific educational programs and services.
McCaffrey joined Doris McDougall and George Fayant is being invested in the Order of Gabriel Dumont last month. He and McDougall received the gold medal, while Fayant was awarded the OGD silver medal in a simple, but meaningful, ceremony.
“The award was an honour and privilege to receive. It’s a nice way to finish off a great career at GDI,” McCaffrey, who joined GDI after graduating from the Saskatchewan Urban Native Teacher Education Program in 1993, told SASKTODAY.ca.
He led GDI, with the help of the board, in establishing a nursing program and acquiring additional funding to support Métis university students in the province through the Aboriginal Human Resource Development program.
The GDI’s practical nurse training program was established in the 1990s and now operates in Prince Albert, Regina and Saskatoon. The AHRDA program is a $13-million annual contract supporting Saskatchewan’s Métis students.
In 2019, McCaffrey again led efforts in acquiring $8 million in post-secondary funding for an annual program to help Métis university students, before leaving GDI the following year.
“To date, we have hundreds of graduates and have become the second-largest practical nurse trainer in the province. I also worked with others to establish eight master's of education programs to help train education leaders,” added McCaffrey.
He believes more education and career development opportunities for Métis youth must be provided for them to improve their lives and show their capabilities.
“When GDI delivers these programs, they incorporate a large Métis cultural component that educates youth about Métis culture and their history. Education and career training provides youth with an opportunity to showcase their talents and prosper,” said McCaffrey.
He added that the next generation of Métis should learn the rich history and traditions of their people, as Indigenous culture helped shaped Canada as a nation.
“The Métis played an integral role in the development of Canada. The process of colonization taught us that Indigenous culture and ways of knowing were less than those of the colonizer. This is not the case. Indigenous people have rich and important cultures that need to be celebrated and passed on to future generations,” said McCaffrey.
“Students receive a renewed sense of pride and belonging when they learn about their culture and its contributions. When students have pride and a positive self-image, they become productive, valued members of their community.”
He said that he is currently taking a break after a long and fruitful career at GDI, where he also helped establish a structure to become more transparent.
“I teach a master's class and provide the director of education oversight for basic education classes. But I’m currently recharging my batteries after a long career, [where] I was instrumental in stabilizing the [GDI’s] structure for transparent and accountable governance.”
