President congratulates Grand Chief Derek Nepinak on his re-election

Grand Chief Derek Nepinak / Photo: AMC

The University of Manitoba congratulates Derek Nepinak on being re-elected as the Grand Chief of the Assembly of Manitoba Chiefs (AMC) on July 30.

“Congratulations to Derek Nepinak on his re-election as Grand Chief,” says Dr. David Barnard, President and Vice-Chancellor at the University of Manitoba. “The AMC is an important partner in the advancement of Indigenous Achievement, and was a leader in establishing The Manitoba First Nations Centre for Aboriginal Health Research at the University of Manitoba. I look forward to what we can accomplish together in the future.”

The University of Manitoba made an historic statement in October 2011, when Dr. Barnard became the first university president to offer an Apology to the TRC and Indigenous Peoples. The University of Manitoba is now the permanent host of a National Research Centre, which houses the statements, documents and other materials gathered by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada during its five-year mandate.

“We look forward to again working with Derek Nepinak and the AMC to continue our nation’s journey of reconciliation and healing in the wake of the Residential Schools System, a process in which the U of M is wholly engaged and supports,” says Ry Moran, Director of the National Research Centre for Truth and Reconciliation at the University of Manitoba.

Over 2,000 First Nations, Metis and Inuit students currently attend the University of Manitoba, one of the largest Indigenous student populations in the country. Indigenous Achievement is one of the four pillars of the University of Manitoba’s Strategic Planning Framework, with a commitment to work with a variety of partners to make Manitoba the national centre for Indigenous education and research, and in particular to allow First Nations, Metis and Inuit students to be prepared for and achieve education success in the full range of academic programs offered.