The Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technologies (SIIT), established by the Chiefs of Saskatchewan, is one of the first post-secondary institutes in the country to be fully governed by First Nations leaders, and the only Indigenous accrediting post-secondary institution in Saskatchewan, affirmed under the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations and provincial government legislation. Its core mission is deeply rooted in serving the 74 First Nations of Saskatchewan. SIIT has three main campuses in Saskatoon, Prince Albert and Regina, all of which offer supports from Elders and life-skills coaches. For students moving to the city, community resource workers can help with finding housing and child care.
SIIT also has 10 career centres, two mobile units, more than 35 in-community deliveries and five trade sites. SIIT’s student population is more than 90 per cent Indigenous. Its growing program roster includes diplomas, certificates, academic upgrading, adult basic education and apprenticeship and trades training. Program areas include health and community studies, trades and industrial programs, and business and technology.
Some programs, like the Indigenous early childhood education program, are currently fully funded by the government of Saskatchewan with no cost to students. SIIT also has an agreement with North West College to offer residence spaces to power engineer students in Meadow Lake. The school’s business program gives students a basic understanding of the operations of a corporation, charity or government organization. Through a transfer agreement, students in the two-year business diploma program can move to the University of Saskatchewan or the University of Lethbridge to complete a bachelor of commerce degree. In June 2023, SIIT officially launched pawâcikêwikamik: the Innovation Collective, dedicated to empowering grassroots Indigenous entrepreneurship and innovation at the main campus in Saskatchewan. What started off as a temporary program now has a permanent home in Saskatoon. Pawâcikêwikamik provides access to cutting-edge technologies and training to support the creation of successful start-ups, in a space that emphasizes culture, language, kinship and connection.
School size:
Mid-size
Tuition:
Diploma $0-$12,500
Certificate $0-$12,500
Residence offerings:
No
Indigenous Early Childhood Education
Mental Health and Wellness
Welding
Aircraft Maintenance Engineering: This full-time, two-year program provides learners with the knowledge and skills to maintain, repair and troubleshoot aircraft.
Indigenous Practical Nursing: This program prepares learners to be culturally responsive as it combines Indigenous and western approaches to health care and wellness.
