Cree U of Winnipeg graduate speaks her language in valedictory address

Sharissa Neault was in disbelief when she heard she was chosen as one of the University of Winnipeg's valedictorians for the 2022 spring convocation.

"When I got the call, I didn't believe it," she said.

"I was like, you're joking? It was kind of unreal, I guess. I don't know how else to describe it. It was like, all of that work was for something."

Neault, a member of Fox Lake Cree Nation, graduated in June with an bachelor's degree in psychology.

She said it was important to her to speak her language during her speech at the graduation for arts students.

"I wanted all the little Ininew (Cree) children in the crowd to hear me speak my language, even any Indigenous child," she said.

"The whole entire beginning was just a story about my grandfather; that was really important to bring into the speech as well. I tied it into the university experience. That's how the Ininew share stories."

She said without her support system, her degree would not have been possible to achieve and it belongs to her whole family.

She was nominated for valedictorian by two of her teachers.

Psychology professor Lisa Sinclair said she learned a lot from Neault.

"When she has something to say, you stop and listen because it's always kind of on point and great," she said.

"These are science based courses, but then she could bring in some Indigenous perspective. She wasn't afraid to speak up, to speak about her experiences … which was great because we were all able to learn from her."

Melanie Martin, a physics professor, who was leading the university's chapter of the Canadian Indigenous Science and Engineering Society while Neault was president, said she showed perseverance.

"She stuck with it," she said.