Dechinta aims to create dynamic, sustainable, and self-determining communities through educational programs rooted in indigenous knowledge and values, addressing the barriers to higher education faced by northern residents. The program offers university-credited courses, land-based learning experiences, and focuses on developing leadership skills while respecting cultural traditions. It seeks to enhance northern research capacity and foster partnerships between universities and northern communities to promote awareness of indigenous issues.

2. Dechinta
Vision
Dynamic, sustainable and self-determining
communities where human capacity is rooted
in indigenous knowledge and values
Mission
To support a new generation of leaders and
researchers by providing accessible and
practical learning and development
experiences, respectful of traditional ways,
in a taiga bush environment

3. Dechinta
•
Is
a
single
semester
university-­‐credited
program
•
Provides
university
level
experience
to
students
in
an
environment
that
respects
culture
and
northern
needs.
•
Provides
a
unique
land-­‐based
learning
opportunity
for
both
northern
and
southern
university
students

4. Why Dechinta ?
The
NSERC-­‐SSHRC
2000
Task
Force
on
Northern
Research
report
From
Crisis
to
Opportunity
urges
Canada
to
rebuild
its
university-­‐based
Northern
research
capacity
in
order
to
help
Northerners
cope
with
the
unprecedented
social,
physical
and
environmental
challenges
currently
facing
the
region.
The
report
calls
for
new
partnerships
between
universities
and
Northern
communities
and
the
direct
involvement
of
Northerners
in
research
and
training.
The
Recent
Northern
Policy
and
Governance
Conference
in
Yellowknife
made
4
key
recommendations,
one
of
which
was
to
increase
support
and
funding
for
Dechinta.

5. Why Dechinta ?
There is a need to reduce the barriers between
Northerners and university education
• The
majority
of
Northern
high
school
graduates
do
not
pursue
postsecondary
education
•
Contributing
factors
include:
• The
cost
of
postsecondary
education
• Lack
of
confidence
/
fear
of
failure
• Distance
between
home
and
postsecondary
institutions
• Lack
of
support
for
students
away
from
home
and
family
• Family
obligations
and
responsibilities

6. Why Dechinta ?
Within the Aboriginal population in the NWT:
•
15.4%
hold
a
high
school
diploma
•
25.1%
hold
other
certificates
or
diplomas
•
4.6%
hold
university
degrees
(NWT
Bureau
of
statistics,
2004)
These
statistics
do
not
accurately
represent
the
highly
diverse
skill
set
and
true
capacity
of
northerners.
Unaccredited
expertise
within
the
Northern
population
exists
in
areas
such
as
land-­‐based
traditional
knowledge,
community
governance,
business
and
economy.

7. Why Dechinta ?
•
There
is
a
need
for
a
university
that
will
respect
and
honour
Northern
and
Indigenous
knowledge
and
skills
•
There
is
a
need
to
create
a
university
environment
that
includes
land-­‐based
teaching
and
knowledge
in
the
Northern
context
•
There
is
a
need
to
increase
Northern
research
capacity.

8. Dechinta Offers
•
University
Credited
Courses,
developed
and
delivered
by
Northern
experts
,
elders
and
leading
professors
•
Inclusive
programming
for
student’s
children
and
families
•
Land-­‐based
experiences
and
educational
opportunities
•
Environmental
monitoring
&
field
research
training
•
Leadership
development
and
mentoring
•
Youth
programming

9. Who would attend Dechinta?
• Northerners
who
are
interested
in
doing
a
semester
or
full-­‐year
university
course
•
Northerners
who
are
interested
in
specific,
short,
intensive
courses
• Southern
and
Northern
business
and
community
leaders
who
want
to
foster
increased
understanding,
awareness
and
partnerships
•
Southerners
who
want
to
increase
their
awareness
and
understanding
of
the
challenges
and
opportunities
in
Canada’s
North
•
Researchers
doing
subarctic
and
arctic
research

10. Dechinta Bush University
Dechinta courses will be delivered in a taiga bush
environment. Field Schools boast higher student
success rates, provide integrated community and
educational experience and are noted amongst students
and teachers to offer life changing educational
experiences.

11. Dechinta Bush University
The Dechinta curriculum will be housed in a sustainable-
off grid centre. A self-governing community formed by
students, professors and elders will engage in hunting,
gathering and sustainable living practices under the
guidance of resident Elders and experts.

12. Dechinta Bush University
This community-based model
supports a whole-person, healthy
educational experience for all
participants. Child-care and family-
living are an integral aspect of
Dechinta, and complimentary
programming will be offered for the
families of our students.

13. The Dechinta site offers…
• Central
lodge
with
commercial
kitchen,
central
meeting
room
for
45
and
a
number
of
"breakout"
learning
areas
• 3
types
of
all-­‐season
accommodation
for
50+
guests
(lodge,
cabin
and
tent
frame),
Dene
tipi
and
cultural
area.
• Modern
conference
amenities
including
high
speed
wireless
internet,
satellite
and
Vonage
phone
system,
LCD
projector,
Northern
library
and
photo
collection.
• Sustainable
Design
and
Systems:
Composting
Toilets,
Solar
energy,
battery
bank,
passive
solar,
compost,
garden
and
green
house.
• Helipad,
2
summer
float
plane
landing
docks,
14
boats
and
motors,
5
snowmobiles,
canoes,
sea
kayaks
and
a
variety
of
four-­‐season
activity
equipment.
• A
three
month
lease
at
cost
to
demonstrate
the
sustainability
of
a
permanent
community
owned
program.

14. Dechinta Curriculum
The
Dechinta
Curriculum
is
designed
to
give
students
a
strong
grounding
in
a
broad
range
of
Northern
issues
and
a
deep
understanding
of
how
those
issues
are
interrelated.
Traditional
Knowledge
will
be
inherent
in
every
course,
respecting
the
information
that
our
elders
hold
as
well
as
the
manner
in
which
they
share
it.
As
such,
a
key
component
of
the
curriculum
is
the
development
of
personal,
emotional
and
spiritual
attributes
as
they
pertain
to
leadership,
community,
respect,
cooperation
and
vision.
Each
student
will
be
paired
with
a
mentor
to
provide
support
throughout
the
duration
of
the
program
and
continued
guidance
following
program
completion.

15. Dechinta
Program Description
Pilot
Semester:
16
Indigenous
Northern
Students
•
Land
Claims
and
Law
•
Journalism
•
Political
History
•
Self-­‐Governance
•
Language
and
Culture
•
Sustainable
Building
and
Energy
•
Environmental
Monitoring
•
The
North
in
a
Global
Context
•
Community
Research
Methods
•
Traditional
Nutrition
•
Boreal
Ecology
•
Mining
and
Exploration:
Business,
Environment
and
•
Creative
Writing
Regulation

16. Dechinta Pilot Goals
•
Refine
co-­‐teaching
method
•
Test
curriculum
content
•
Explore
Dechinta
site
suitability
•
Clarify
long-­‐term
goals
•
Provide
feedback
on
subject
matter
and
delivery
method

17. Dechinta Long Term
•
Transition
from
single-­‐semester
program
to
multi-­‐level
delivery
•
Develop
research-­‐station
capacity
•
Maximize
opportunities
for
hosting
research
and
post-­‐
graduate
studies
•
Establish
independent
degree-­‐
granting
capability
•
Assume
ownership
and
control
of
program
site

18. Dechinta Benefits
How will Northern communities benefit?
Northern
communities
will
benefit
from
increased
capacity
and
skill
level
of
community
members
who
attend
the
program
Northern
communities
will
see
more
university
graduates
and
increased
southern
awareness
of
Northern
and
Indigenous
issues,
values
and
culture.
Employment
will
increase
as
community
members
teach
and
lead
at
the
School.
Communities
will
play
a
key
role
in
designing
and
delivering
relevant
curriculum
and
teaching
methods
for
northern
and
southern
students
using
northern
expertise.

19. Dechinta Benefits
How will Canada Benefit?
Canada
will
benefit
from
having
quality
post-­‐secondary
education
focusing
on
northern
issues
from
a
northern
perspective.
Dechinta
will
support
dialogue
and
discussion
of
pertinent
domestic
and
international
policy.
Investment
in
northern
research
and
building
the
capacity
of
northerners
to
direct
their
own
research
and
policy
will
build
a
stronger
Canada.
An
increased
Canadian
awareness
of
Northern
and
Indigenous
knowledge,
leaders
and
thinkers
will
build
bridges
between
the
north
and
the
rest
of
Canada,
broadening
national
pride
and
putting
human
faces
on
northern
issues
on
a
global
level.

20. Dechinta Next Steps
•
Continued
Fundraising
•
Continued
Curriculum
Development
•
Language
•
Leadership
•
Governance
•
Land
Claims
and
Law
•
Land
and
Resources
•
Diversity
and
Change
•
Co-­‐teaching
Gatherings
•
Pilot
Semester

21. Dechinta Partnerships
The
University
of
Alberta-­‐
Canadian
Circumpolar
Institute
and
Faculty
of
Native
Studies
Walter
and
Duncan
Gordon
Foundation
INAC
SINED
Program
Institute
for
Circumpolar
Health
Research
(AHRN
YK)
Indigenous
Cooperative
on
the
Environment
Kopykat
North

22. Dechinta Contact
Kyla
Kakfwi
Scott
Program
Manager
(867)
445-­‐1897
dechintaadmin@gmail.com
www.dechinta.ca