U of S to award honorary degrees to Doug Cuthand and Greg Smith

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Special ceremonies during the University of Saskatchewan’s fall convocation on Nov. 13 will bestow honorary Doctor of Laws degrees on two prominent Saskatchewan people, both of whom have roots in the north.

“This is a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the significant contributions that Doug Cuthand and Greg Smith have made to their communities and their province throughout their successful careers,” U OF S president Peter Stoicheff said in a release.

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“We are delighted to have this opportunity to express our gratitude and to bestow on them the University of Saskatchewan’s highest honour during our Fall Convocation celebrations at Merlis Belsher Place.”

Some biographical information provided by the university:

DOUG CUTHAND

Cuthand was born in 1946 and raised in La Ronge, Ahtahkakoop First Nation and the Kanai reserve in Alberta. After high school, he attended Simon Fraser University, then moved to Edmonton to work with the Alberta Native Communications Society as publication editor.

He later returned to his home province and headed communications for the Federation of Saskatchewan Indians (FSI), now known as the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN).

Cuthand later successfully ran for vice-chief of the FSIN and served for five years. He was named the first chair of the board of directors for Saskatchewan Indian Federated College, now known as First Nations University of Canada.

He is a member of Little Pine First Nation, a Plains Cree community in Saskatchewan, and chaired the Treaty Land Entitlement Trustees for 20 years, leading the First Nation’s purchase of 50,000 acres for $24 million.

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After his leadership work in First Nations politics, Cuthand began his own TV production company, producing documentaries and dramas mainly focussed on Indigenous themes.

For three years he hosted the CTV series Indigenous Circle, and for the past 34 years he has written a column for Postmedia, published in the Saskatoon StarPhoenix, Regina Leader-Post and other papers in the Postmedia chain.

In 2003, he received the Best Column Award from the Native American Journalists Association.

Now semi-retired, he continues to write his Indigenous affairs column for Postmedia and produces TV series, recently completing a feature film.

Cuthand previously led the Saskatoon-based company Blue Hills Productions. His director/producer credits included the mini-series Big Bear, the animation series Guardians Evolution, and NFB-produced documentaries The Gift of the Grandfathers (1997), Patrick’s Story (1999) and Donna’s Story (2001). He is also the author of Tapwe (2005) and Askiwina: A Cree World (2007).

Cuthand married his wife Pauline in 1982, and they had three children: Shawn, Shannon and Christopher.

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GREG SMITH FCPA, FCA

Smith was born in 1957 in Ile-a-la-Crosse and spent his formative years in the Northwest Territories and the Yukon.

He graduated from U of S in 1979 with a Bachelor of Commerce and joined the university’s senior leadership team as a member of the board of governors from 2007 to 2017, serving as board chair from 2014 to 2016. He is also a past chair of the presidential search committee and finance and investment committee.

Smith has been a member of the U of S comprehensive campaign cabinet since 2019, helping lead the Be What The World Needs campaign. He has also served on the governance and executive committee and on the Dean’s Circle with the Edwards School of Business.

His commitment to community was celebrated in 2008 when he was named Citizen of the Year by the Swift Current Chamber of Commerce.

His involvement in the community includes serving terms as president of the Swift Current Kiwanis Club and a director for the Saskatchewan Special Olympic Games, Swift Current United Way, and the Southwest Centre for Entrepreneurial Development, as well as volunteering with local arts and church organizations and as a coach in minor hockey and soccer.

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A Chartered Professional Accountant since 1983, he began working with Stark & Marsh CPA LLP in 1984 and was a partner in the firm from 1985 to 2019; he has continued to serve as a consultant since 2020.

He was also a governor of the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants and past president of the Saskatchewan Institute of Chartered Accountants.

Smith served on the educational advisory council for the Swift Current School Division for 12 years and was an instructor at the University of Regina and for Athabasca College. He was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal (Saskatchewan) in 2023.

Smith and his wife Rae have two children: daughter Mallory (husband Jon and children Cohen and Dash) and son Taylor (wife Mandy).

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