FNUC students shocked following Sask. government's decision to cut funding

REGINA — As students rushed to classrooms with coffees clenched in hands, the First Nations University of Canada appeared to run as it would any normal Wednesday evening.

What wasn't normal were the emotions students carried to classes after hearing that the Saskatchewan government was cutting its funding to FNUC.

Shawna McNab, a third-year Indian education student, said she was sickened by the news.

"It's devastating, completely devastating," she said, standing in a vast hallway of FNUC's Regina campus building.

"I'm scared for my future."

McNab said the government's decision to stop funding FNUC because of a few leaders shows a great disrespect towards its First Nations students.

"Everybody is getting hurt," she said. "The government is making a huge mistake. It's telling me that they don't care about us.

"The government is scared because First Nations people are getting educated."

Ever since she was a high school student, it was Candace Carter's goal to obtain a degree from FNUC. Now the second-year administration student's academic future is an uncertain one.

"It's going to be sad," she said, taking a break from studying. "I'm happy going to school here. Now what?"

Working behind the counter at FNUC's convenience store, Rebecca Sangwais, a second-year business student, feels hurt, but she hopes that something positive will come from the situation. That might take time, she added.

In the meantime, she's proud of her fellow students.

"They're going out there and voicing their opinions," she said.

"It's good they're not standing back. We're doing something about it and it's the students who are going to be affected by it. The students didn't do anything wrong."

For McNab, the situation isn't going to cause her to give up.

"I'm going to continue on my path and it's not going to stop me," she said.

"It's definitely not going to stop me."

mkruchak@leaderpost.canwest.com