Gabriel Dumont Institute Invests Seven into the Order of Gabriel Dumont

Since its inception in the 1980s, 98 individuals have been invested into the Order.

Appointments are adjudicated by a selection committee, based on nominations from the public. The last
investiture was held in March 2022, where two gold medals and one silver medal was awarded.

RECIPIENTS’ CITATIONS THE ORDER OF GABRIEL DUMONT—GOLD

Margaret (Sophie) McDougall
St. Louis, Saskatchewan
Margaret (Sophie) McDougall was born on December 22, 1928, in St. Louis, Saskatchewan, a
small Métis community. As a mother of 13 children, Sophie finds joy in watching her 36
grandchildren, 46 great-grandchildren, and three great-great-grandchildren grow up. Sophie’s
family tree consists of deeply rooted Michif ways, and her Michif pride has carried forward to her
entire family. Sophie is an educator and began her teaching career in 1945. She is an active
Elder and Language Keeper for the school in St. Louis, and it is through her guidance and
support that the students are learning their traditional language, traditions, values, and ways of
life. Sophie remains passionate and committed to guiding and supporting the continuity of the
Michif language and traditions for the many generations of today and tomorrow. She is still
actively involved with the Head Start Program, the Prince Albert Métis Women’s Association,
and supporting various language, harvesting, and preservation efforts within our Métis Nation.
Sophie is also now a Youtube star, having shared some of her stories as a Métis woman with
the world. She has also been the guiding force in the creation of a Michif French mobile app that
will capture the language and voices of our Language Keepers and provide the ability to be
shared for years to come.

Harriet and Edwin (Ed) St. Pierre
Yorkton, Saskatchewan
Harriet and Edwin St. Pierre have spent their lifetimes working to preserve, promote, and
revitalize the Métis culture and Michif language. Michif was the first language for both of them
growing up on road allowances near Yorkton (Crooked Lake and Crescent Lake). Edwin has
been active in Michif cultural gatherings for several decades. His memories of growing up on the
Crescent Lake Road Allowance, Remembering My Métis Past: Reminisces of Edwin St. Pierre,
were published by the Gabriel Dumont Institute in 2012. The book–the first published account of
the Crescent Lake Road Allowance community–reveals Edwin’s pride in his culture and his
family, and amply demonstrates the strength of his character. He is both a veteran and a
community-minded Elder who tirelessly serves at various Métis cultural events across the
province. Harriet has always been passionately involved in sharing her wisdom and Michif
language. She translated most of Edwin’s book into Michif herself and dedicates much of her
time to revitalizing the Michif language through other translation projects and language classes
with students. She was a part of the Saskatchewan Ministry of Education Following Their Voice
initiative, which supports teachers in implementing a pedagogical curriculum that helps engage
Indigenous students. Harriet consistently engages with the youth of all ages, supporting and
inspiring them to be active, engaged learners while becoming fluent Michif language speakers
as her top priority.

Dale McAuley
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Dale McAuley has been a community leader and active in the Métis community for over 30
years. He was born and raised in the Métis community of Cumberland House. Dale is a proud
husband, father, and grandfather. From the time he was young, Dale has proudly been
connected to his culture. He speaks Cree and would hunt, fish, and trap alongside his dad for
years. Dale’s political career began in the early nineties, and since then, he proudly served with
honour and integrity as area director for Eastern Region II, Minister of Northern Affairs, Mayor of
Cumberland House, trustee for Northern Lights SD #113, Métis Nation—Saskatchewan Minister
of Education, and former chair of the Gabriel Dumont Institute (GDI). He was instrumental in the
establishment of harvesting rights for Métis in Saskatchewan, the Cumberland Bridge, and
takes pride in the role he played to help build and stabilize GDI. Dale is a strong advocate for
Métis youth, sports, and recreation. Having competed professionally as a canoeist, he
volunteered as a Head Coach in the 2017 North American Indigenous Games.

Michael (Mike) Relland
Christopher Lake, Saskatchewan
Michael Relland was born in Northwestern Saskatchewan and is a Métis Educator with 37 years
of teaching experience. He attended the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon earning a
Bachelor of Education Degree (1985), a Post-Graduate Diploma in Education Psychology and
Counselling (1995), and a Masters of Education (1998) in the area of Indian and Northern
Education. Michael has devoted his career to the betterment of Métis education and students.
He excelled as an educator by creating meaningful connections with students, making them feel
welcomed, supported, and believed in. After spending several years instructing middle- and
high-school students, Mike took on a role as an instructor with Gabriel Dumont Institute’s (GDI)
Saskatchewan Urban Native Teacher Education Program (SUNTEP) in Prince Albert. From
there, he became a Gabriel Dumont College (GDC) Program Head, working closely with the
University of Regina and the University of Saskatchewan to deliver community-based
undergraduate and graduate-level programs. Mike retired from GDI in 2022. Over the years,
Mike has continued to learn about traditional wisdom and Indigenous worldviews through
connecting with a number of Elders. Using this knowledge, he has taught and inspired
thousands of Métis, First Nations, and non-Indigenous students at the undergraduate and
graduate levels.

THE ORDER OF GABRIEL DUMONT—SILVER

Margaret Harrison
Zenon Park, Saskatchewan
Margaret Harrison is an accomplished Métis textile artist. She grew up in the Katepwa Lake
road allowance community in the Qu’Appelle Valley. She is a mother, grandmother, and great-
grandmother. She was taught to sew, embroider, and make hooked rugs by her mother and
then mentored by other women in her family. She practices Métis-style floral embroidery and is
one of the few remaining Métis women who continue to make hooked rag rugs. Margaret
continues to practice these art forms as a way of honouring the artistry, creativity, hard work,
and dedication of Métis women. Margaret’s embroidery and rug work are part of the Gabriel
Dumont Institute’s (GDI) permanent collection. Her work was showcased in two exhibits of
traditional Métis hooked rugs at Batoche and Motherwell National Historic Sites in 2022 and is
currently a part of exhibits at Calgary’s Nickle Gallery and Saskatoon’s Remai Modern Art
Gallery. Margaret is dedicated to passing these art forms on to younger generations. She has
conducted countless sewing, embroidery, and rug hooking workshops across Saskatchewan in
partnership with Métis communities. She is also passionate about educating others on Métis
history, recently creating a Michif traveling library and mentoring two young Métis women in
creating a children’s colouring book.

Verna Demontigny
Brandon, Manitoba
Verna Demontigny is a proud Métis, born and raised at Fouillard’s Corner, or Li Kwayn, as it is
known in Michif, a small Métis community near Binscarth, Manitoba. She grew up immersed in
the Michif language, traditions, and beliefs. She is a mother of five children and a grandmother
to 10 grandchildren. Verna is a fluent Michif speaker and knowledge keeper of her ancestral
language and culture. Since the 1990s, Verna has been dedicated to the preservation,
promotion, and revitalization of the Michif language. Verna has taught Michif for various
programs and community groups. She was the coordinator of the Michif Language Program for
the Manitoba Métis Federation, where she delivered Michif language programs in six southwest
Manitoba communities. Verna has also hosted and taught students in the Master-Apprentice
Michif language program. She assisted in developing the Michif language teacher’s manual
published by the Louis Riel Institute. Verna has also offered her voice to the online Turtle
Mountain Michif Dictionary, which is currently being developed. Verna’s knowledge has also
been recorded and disseminated on the National Center for Collaboration in Indigenous
Education resource website. At present, Verna is teaching Michif with the Prairie to Woodland
Revitalization Language Project and works as a translator of the Michif Language with various
linguists. She is also a visiting Elder at Assiniboine Community College.

by Gabriel Dumont Institute

Gabriel Dumont Institute Invests Seven into the Order of Gabriel Dumont

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