A University of Regina professor with ties to the Northwest region has been honoured with a major award.
Dr. Shauneen Pete received a 2015 Global Citizen Award in a presentation in Regina on Feb. 3. She is originally from Little Pine First Nation.
She was one of three Regina citizens honored, the others were David Wessel and Wilma Bell Wessel. Three more Global Citizen Award recipients were honored in Saskatoon Feb. 5: Reyn Lauer, the Poverty Costs Campaign, and Mennonite Central Committee Saskatchewan.
According to the news release from the Saskatchewan Council for International Co-operation, they were recognized for their contributions to educating Saskatchewan people about human rights and for demonstrating leadership in building inter-cultural understanding. The awards coincided with International Development Week.
Dr. Pete has written for RezX Magazine, co-produced the television show The Four and has spent her time in education dedicated to working against racism. She has served as executive lead: Indigenization for the University of Regina.
“In my work with First Nation Elders they taught me an important lesson: We are all related,“ said Pete in a statement.
“Global Citizenship means to me that individuals must be careful to ensure that their actions do not negatively impact on the lives of peoples elsewhere. We must act in responsible and respectful ways.”
In a recent University of Regina article about her award, Pete was quoted on what it means to be a global citizen.
“For me it goes back to the teachings of the Elders and our responsibility to respect and care for each other,” she said, “not just in our immediate family, but in the larger community and globally.”
