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| Theresa Gladue receives Aboriginal Woman of Distinction award in Prince George in 2008; |
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| Theresa Gladue (L) receives a bouquet |
PHOTO CREDIT Mack McColl
Theresa Gladue is the Aboriginal Woman of Distinction in Northern B.C. this year. A collection of women were feted and awarded at a banquet and presentation ceremony held Oct 3, 2008.
Theresa was honoured out of five nominees for her category at the annual Today's Women Awards of Northern B.C., a production held at the Coast Inn of the North in downtown Prince George.
At the award ceremony in the evening, Theresa explained, "I am the Aboriginal Education Coordinator at Northern Lights College in Dawson Creek."
Her office is at the college and her goal is to keep students engaged in the learning process. Students come in all age groups, attending the school in a variety of programs.
"A lot of the women study social work, and most of the men go into trades at the college."
Social work employment for graduates, explained Theresa, is found in South Peace Community Resources and other social organizations surrounding Dawson Creek.
Trades employment is found in the busy oil and gas developments that are booming in the region.
"Most of those who stay at their program," said Theresa, "are definitely getting jobs when they graduate."
More interesting to Theresa is the number of students pursuing further education. "They get the education bug and starting looking for higher education opportunities."
They enter two year diploma and educational outreach programs through video conference classrooms or the internet.
The Northern Lights College is producing graduates in Ft. Nelson, Ft. St. John, Chetwynd, and Dawson Creek, she explained, and she has counterparts at each of the campuses.
Among the campuses Dawson Creek is unique in serving a primarily Metis population from Kelly Lake Metis Settlement. The other campuses have more First Nation Indian Reservations nearby.
Theresa spent a number of years in the South Peace Community Resource Centre before taking the job at the college. She is seeing a lot of enthusiasm among students, and they are especially motivated in Adult Basic Education.
Other programs like esthetics and social work are popular within the Dawson Creek campus, she said, where women clearly outnumber men.
"Our society is changing and we need education, meanwhile funds are depleting. A lot of these students are there to seize the opportunity while it still exists."
Theresa is a familiar in the territory; she was born in Grande Prairie, Alberta, and raised at Sturgeon Lake, Alberta.
"So you are a Cree woman."
"Yes," she replied, "definitely a Cree woman."
"And how do you like the new job?"
"I love the job." Her active nature in the community has led to other awards, including Aboriginal Woman of the Year in Dawson Creek.
Here's another important fact about Theresa; that she is running for council in the City of Dawson Creek. "I am the first Aboriginal woman to run for city council."
The election is Nov 15, 2008, and she is genuinely excited at the prospect of serving on Dawson Creek's city council, "It seems like I have the support."
She has earned the support from a lot of hard community oriented work. "I have a production company and we raise money for non-profit organizations," called Oma Producations, "Oma means 'This' in Cree."
She has a radio show called Theresa's Variety Hour running on Chetwynd's Peace FM. "I am on once-a-week with Aboriginal musicians, artists, and others. I have interviews with artists like Carl Quinn, Earnest Monias, and Art Napoleon, and we introduce new musicians and original songs.
"I interview the people of interest in the city of 13,000 as those who live around the region."
Theresa suggests to readers, "Google me, I am also a short story writer. I wrote a story called The Epidemic that we turned into a play." (Google: Theresa Gladue, The Epidemic.)
Special Event Creations is the producer of Today's Women Awards in Northern B.C.. Theresa Gladue was awarded as "A woman of Aboriginal descent who has excelled within the Aboriginal Community."
The four other nominees in her category deserve honourable mention, and they are, Marian Kotowich-Laval, Michelle Irwin, Candice Tiffany George, and Shannon Wright. (Last year the winner was Patricia Jackson, Native Courtworkers Counselling of B.C.)
