Dechinta seeking territorial recognition

Supporters of the Dechinta Centre for Research and Learning are encouraging the territorial government to recognize the institution through the Northwest Territories Education Act and to increase its annual funding. Dechinta delivers land-basededucational experiences accredited by the University of Alberta. Demand for Dechinta's programs has increased, with applications surpassing available seats. Upgraded core funding would allow Dechinta to expand to more regions in the North, potentially increasing Aboriginal degree holders by 5% over the next 4 years, explained Dean Erin Freeland-Ballantyne. “With core funding, [we would] hire coordinators inside every single community outside Yellowknife … That community coordinator would work with a full-time regional coordinator—and with all of the seasonal elders and leaders and professors—to start organizing, with the support of our university partners and Indigenous faculty, semesters in all the regions.” Education Minister Jackson Lafferty said that he is a supporter of Dechinta, and that he was in discussions with the institution and its accreditors and was also looking into federal funding opportunities. Northern Journal