08/27/2026
Mawachihitotaak welcomes Cheryl Troupe, Angela Rancourt, Jade McDougall, and Ken Bodvarson, who will discuss as a panel, “Reciprocity in Practice: Métis Values in Community-Engaged Education and Social Work.”
This panel brings together four Métis scholars and educators working across K–12 education, post-secondary teaching, and social work to examine lessons from long-term, community-engaged practice. Drawing on decades of experience, Dr. Cheryl Troupe reflects on integrating cultural learning, community decision-making, and Métis-centered historical research. Angela Rancourt explores culturally grounded approaches to language revitalization and preservation in both community and K–12 contexts. Dr. Jade McDougall discusses zine-making as a creative, values-driven research method grounded in Métis identity, while Ken Bodvarson shares insights from incorporating community-held cultural knowledge into social work practice. Together, panellists consider what ethical and meaningful engagement with Métis communities looks like across educational and professional settings.
The discussion is anchored in the Métis value of reciprocity, understood as an ongoing relational responsibility rather than a one-time act of participation. Panellists highlight humility, cultural grounding, and lifelong learning as essential when working alongside li vyeu, Knowledge Keepers, and community members. These Métis-informed principles challenge extractive research and professional models and call for approaches rooted in respect, accountability, and care. Through concrete examples and critical reflection, the panel demonstrates how Métis values can meaningfully inform scholarship, pedagogy, and practice, contributing to broader conversations on ethical Indigenous research and education.
More about the speakers:
Dr. Cheryl Troupe is Métis from Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. An Associate Professor in the Department of History at the University of Saskatchewan, her research focuses on twentieth-century Métis communities in Western Canada, integrating Indigenous research methodologies with Historical Geographic Information Systems to examine land, gender, kinship, and stories. She is an active member of Saskatoon’s Gabriel Dumont Local #11 and in 2025, received the Order of Gabriel Dumont Gold Medal. Her book, Putting Down Roots: Métis Agency, Land Use, and Women’s Food Labour in a Qu’Appelle Valley Road Allowance Community, was published by the University of Manitoba Press in 2025.
Angela Rancourt is a Michif mother, daughter, aunt, and educator from the Métis community of St. Louis, Saskatchewan. A descendant of the Boucher, Bremner, and Lépine families, she is deeply committed to preserving her community’s language and cultural identity. With more than 15 years of experience in education, Angela is currently an EdD candidate in the Gabriel Dumont Institute/University of Regina’s inaugural Doctorate of Indigenous Education program, focusing on community-centred revitalization of Michif French language through education. Angela continues to teach in her home community, delivering a community-developed high school curriculum and supporting the integration of Michif throughout the school and community.
Dr. Jade McDougall (they/she/he) is a Two-Spirit Métis, born in kistapinânihk (Prince Albert, SK) and raised in misâskwatôminihk (Saskatoon, SK). They received their PhD in English from the University of Saskatchewan in 2023, with research currently centered on Métis family narratives within local community histories. They are an Assistant Professor in the Department of Indigenous Studies at the University of Saskatchewan, illustrator of two books published by Gabriel Dumont Institute Press, recent member of Gabriel Dumont Local 11 in Saskatoon, and board member of the Saskatchewan History and Folklore Society.
Ken Bodvarson is a Métis social worker, researcher, and the owner and clinical director of Elevate Counselling & Therapy in Saskatoon. He brings experience from frontline Child and Youth group care, community-based practice, and leadership in mental health and wellness services. Ken’s work is grounded in a person-centred, anti-oppressive approach and focuses on integrating community-held cultural knowledge into contemporary social work practice. He is completing a Master of Social Work research practicum examining how Métis/Michif social workers incorporate Métis/Michif epistemologies into healing and mental well-being. He is the vice-president of his Métis Nation – Saskatchewan Local, Gabriel Dumont Local #11.
All photos provided by presenters.
