Case Study | Dechinta

Overview

Dechinta Centre for Research and Learning is an Indigenous, land-based organization that offers accredited post-secondary education and research opportunities in the North.

The centre, supported primarily through grants, government funding and private donations, invites students on the land (Dechinta means “bush” in Wiìliìdeh Yatì) and combines western and Indigenous academics to engage students, researchers and community in transformative academic and research programs based on the unique and diverse needs of Dene, Inuit and Inuvialuit communities. Throughout its programming, the centre prioritizes learning on the land with Elders, trapping, tanning hides and cultivating medicines.

Launched in 2011 as a response to barriers faced by northern Indigenous communities when accessing post-secondary education, Dechinta offers students an educational experience shaped by Indigenous knowledge and ways of knowing and understanding. The centre highlights five key priorities that guide its work:

• Create multi-generational, family inclusive approaches to learning
• Provide a holistic approach to education and research
• Prioritize the inclusion of local Elders and knowledge holders
• Maintain strong, sustainable and reciprocal community relationships
• Centre Indigenous pedagogy in academic and community programs

Dechinta offers university-accredited courses in partnership with the University of British Columbia. The centre also hosts culture camps (fishing, arts, language and more), conducts and supports research projects, and enables students and staff to harvest and contribute traditional foods to their communities.

Engagement and Solutions

Students enrolled with Dechinta learn through university lectures and spend much of their time on the land learning skills, cultural practices, harvesting and more from Elders. Alongside discussions and coursework on topics like Indigenous governance, language and gender justice, students may also learn how to fish, harvest animals, bead, sew and use tobacco to show respect. Together, these experiences and opportunities strengthen students’ relationships with the land, their communities and each another. 

Dechinta’s view is that Indigenous land-based education is not just another form of “outdoor education.” Rather, “it is a critical component to nation-building, political and cultural resurgence, decolonization, and addressing gender-based violence.” Simply, it touches on all corners of ESD, helping deliver a tailored, culturally relevant and affirming educational experience.

As the only fully land-based university program in Canada, students can take single courses or pursue the full Dechinta Certificate in Land and Community-based Learning.

Outcomes and Future Vision

Dechinta continues to have massive impacts on its students, staff and broader communities. Not only do Dechinta’s programs positively impact the educational outcomes for individuals, culturally relevant programming impacts the overall health of communities, increasing food security, mental and physical health. 

Since 2017, Dechinta’s programming has expanded from Yellowknives Dene First Nation territory to offer opportunities in Yukon and Nunavut. Wherever it operates, Dechinta gives back in many ways, including by feeding communities. Through the learning work of its students, the organization has distributed more than 25,000 pounds of food to more than 600 people in seven communities: moose, fish, geese, caribou and other northern staples. It has also published more than 25 academic publications and supported a handful of graduate students. 

In 2024, Dechinta received more than $5 million in federal funding for 2025 and 2026, which is helping the organization plan for the future. Meanwhile, the centre is reflecting on the work it has done since it launched, examining the impacts of land-based programming at the local level. Dechinta has completed research on the comprehensive impact of land-based education programming, and demonstrates that increased access to post-secondary education has a profound effect on students and communities: lower mental health costs, decreased income supports, and increased participation in leadership roles, to name a few.