ITEP alumnus empowered by past, present and future generations

Edward Mirasty is proud of his family’s deep lineage in education. As his daughter LillyB plays in the background, Mirasty is not shy in sharing how education has influenced the ones close to him. From Lac La Ronge Indian Band, Mirasty takes inspiration from his Mushum, who encouraged his grandchildren to follow the path of education. Both of his two sisters have a background in education and Mirasty’s two nieces are also pursuing education at a higher level.

He has served over 32 years in education, including more than 17 years as Director of Education on the Prince Albert Grand Council. Mirasty and his wife will be celebrating 34 years of marriage, and he is also an author, featuring his daughter.

Mirasty is being recognized for the Community Engagement Award. The award recognizes Mirasty’s work inside and outside of academia. He graduated from the Indian Teacher Education Program (ITEP) in 1994, earned his master’s in 2006 and is currently doing a PhD on the experiences of Indigenous faculty during and after the TRC’s Calls to Action.

The awards ceremony is a part of Indigenous Achievement Week (IAW), taking place from March 10-14. IAW is an annual event at the University of Saskatchewan (USask) which celebrates Métis, First Nations and Inuit students, staff, and alumni’s success. Mirasty shared some of his experiences:

Why did you choose ITEP and why did you choose education?
I chose ITEP because my late mother (Bertha Mirasty-Beatty) had transferred from NORTEP and moved to ITEP. She inspired me to pursue an education, and as an education leader, I have a personal conviction to help our youth by bringing technical answers to political discussions (gangs, suicide, homelessness, etc.).

Is there someone in your life who inspired you to get where you are today?  
Yes, there certainly is a variety of people that I can pick but if I go back to my Mushum. He was the drive behind all of us as grandkids to pursue an education so we can provide for our families. Being that he went through the hunting, trapping and the agricultural economy, he’s seen the shortfalls, especially as it pertains to globalization and the mass exodus of urbanization to Indigenous people. They were just not given opportunities to move ahead in terms of the wage economy as our realities as urbanites have changed. So, where we could be competitive is with an education.

What direction would you like to see the younger generation take?
As my late Mushum would have said, education will give you and your family a better life, something which I try to emulate and set the bar for the next generation. I wanted to be able to move my level of education so others can settle, rather than just talking about it, I did it. What I see now was what my late Mushum was talking about – so I can take care of my family, and my wife is a big supporter of that initiative.

If you were to give advice to a student pursuing a PhD or graduate studies, what advice would you give them?
My suggestion, after extensive research, is that post-graduates are the answer to decolonization, and they need to have a focus. Ensure you select a topic that responds to the needs of our Indigenous youth. The threat of globalization has direct effects on our lands, culture and resources. Consequently, there is also a mass exodus of our people relocating to the cities. Our realities have changed, and as education leaders, we need to ‘pick at the lock’ to help bring technical answers to political discussions. The politicians need the technicians as much as the technicians need the politicians. We cannot afford to work in silos as researchers. We need community research projects.

Can you speak on your dissertation of experiences of Indigenous faculty and the TRC?
We are in our 10th year of post-TRC. The litmus test is the university’s response to the Calls to Action. What I wanted to do through the narrative of senior Indigenous faculty, who are first generation, was to get their response, to how well universities are doing with the Calls to Action. There were some opportunities but there is still a challenge. I’m trying to bring some positive ideas that have taken place and share this in a larger forum.

You are receiving this award for community engagement. Why is community engagement so important to you?
I take a theological approach. For he who finds his life will lose it, but he who loses his life for my namesake will find it (John 12:25). An educator or teacher gives up themselves academically and digs through nuggets, to engage Indigenous youth. This is the continued calling as Indigenous educators. How do we keep Indigenous youth involved, especially when 50 per cent of our Indigenous youth are moving to urban centres?  If we do not give them an education, they could end up couch surfing or homeless. I think education is the key to independence, which is what my late grandfather, Angus Mirasty, shared with his grandchildren.

Indigenous Achievement Week is an annual USask event that celebrates Métis, First Nations and Inuit students, staff, faculty and alumni’s successes. This year’s IAW is scheduled for March 10 to 14, 2025. Learn more: https://spotlight.usask.ca/indigenous-achievement-week/index.php