Île-à-la-Crosse’s Haley Burnouf walked away with more than just her diploma when Saskatchewan Polytechnic held their graduation ceremony at their Saskatoon campus.
The Design and Manufacturing Engineering Technology graduate was also named one of the campus’ two Reconciliation in Action award winners. The award was introduced in 2025 and recognizes students who have gone “above and beyond” to bridge cultural divides, advocate for positive change and foster understanding between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples.
Burnouf said she was proud to receive the award, and credited her community for the win.
“I couldn’t have done it by myself,” she said. “It’s the support of my community and my elders supporting me and my community standing behind me, so I’m very grateful.”
Burnouf studied at Rossignol High School in Île-à-la-Crosse before moving to Saskatoon to attend Saskatchewan Polytechnic. While there, she earned gold in the Mechanical Engineering CAD No. 5 category at the Skills Canada Saskatchewan Provincial Competition, and volunteered with the school’s Indigenous Students’ Centre.
Burnouf said she believes in the importance of bridging the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous students to make sure everyone feels welcome.
“It (receiving the award) is a big deal for me,” she said. “Coming from a small Indigenous northern community, where we’re very isolated from access to lots of services and supports that most of the province has, is just a testament to how much endurance we have in the community and how far that I’ve personally come with my studies and how much I’ve applied myself. I’m just really proud of the work that I’ve done, but it’s not just me.”
However, the biggest role Burnouf filled on campus involved the school’s wild rice project. The school’s agricultural, engineering, and fabrication experts have been working on developing a new design for wild rice harvesters used by Indigenous producers in northern Saskatchewan.
Burnouf grew up with the rice harvest in Île-à-la-Crosse and jumped at the chance to help develop new technology.
“We had a few patches of rice here where we just went out every summer and went out to harvest, every couple of weeks,” she remembered. “That’s how I grew up with my lifestyle, so I kind of took a knack to it. When I got into Saskatchewan Polytechnic I heard about this wild rice project. That kind of got me thinking.”
Burnouf worked as an Indigenous Applied Research Intern. Her duties included making 3D models of real life harvesting boats to aid welders and machinists in creating replicas.
Burnouf said most of the harvesting equipment in the north is “kind of thrown together.” She’s hopeful the Saskatchewan Polytechnic research project will help provide harvesters with more reliable and efficient equipment.
“We live in isolated communities up north so it’s kind of repair-it-as-you-go,” she said.
“We’re just trying to create something that’s more usable for the north and something that’s durable and strong to last the tough days that we spend out there. It’s kind of like farming that way. That’s something I’d compare it to,” she added.
Following her graduation, Burnouf will start working with Cameco. She worked with the company last summer at Rabbit Lake facility and enjoyed the experience. That made her want to continue.
She also said she was looking forward to her home community’s 250th anniversary, which she said is welcome to both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.
“We’re just really excited about this,” she said. “We’re the second oldest community in western Canada and we’re second oldest in Saskatchewan behind Cumberland House … and we’re just really excited for the celebration.”
