WHITE BEAR FIRST NATIONS, Sask. — After four decades of teaching at White Bear Education Complex, Marylee Morrison-Lees has earned national recognition, but she is quick to give the credit to the people and community around her.
Morrison-Lees is one of four Saskatchewan educators selected for this year’s Prime Minister's Awards.
She credits the school's staff and students, White Bear First Nations Elders and the community as a whole for the honour.
The Government of Canada announced earlier in October that Morrison-Lees, a longtime educator and the acting principal at the WBEC, would receive a Teaching Excellence (Achievement) Award.
"This really is all about White Bear First Nations," she said in an interview with SaskToday. "The Elders … they've been here with me since the day I was hired. They've always been guiding me and teaching me traditions and the history."
She also credited the staff at WBEC for all of their support.
"I couldn't ask for better staff. They're so dedicated, supportive and open-minded. And of course there's the community. The community has always been welcoming and accepting. It really feels like home here. And then of course, it's really the students who got me to this point of teaching."
Morrison-Lees is in her 40th year at the WBEC. After starting in special education, she shifted into middle years and high school education, which she continues to teach.
In addition, she instructs night classes in early childhood education through Southeast College and Saskatchewan Polytechnic.
"My students are from the Lil Bear Paw Daycare [at White Bear], the head-start program and the preschool program," she said.
She is also the White Bear facilitator of the Indigenous Teacher Education Program for student teachers.
Morrison-Lees said it was "pretty overwhelming" to learn she would receive the award and she wasn't expecting it. She found out in January she had been nominated.
A steady source of care, strength and guidance
A bio provided by the Government of Canada states Morrison-Lees is the kind of teacher who knows every student, family and story of her community, and she uses that knowledge to help young people feel safe, capable and proud of who they are.
"As a steady source of care, strength and guidance, she has shaped generations of learners and emerged as a trusted leader in her school and community," her bio stated.
"She believes that learning is lifelong, connected and rooted in relationships. She teaches with the understanding that students learn best when they feel seen, safe and respected. She blends Indigenous knowledge with western teaching approaches in ways that help students understand who they are, where they come from, and how they fit into the world around them."
Morrison-Lees designs lessons that are hands-on, meaningful and tied to real life, the bio stated. Whether students are creating digital stories, exploring treaty teachings, analyzing music or learning from Elders, she ensures that every lesson has purpose and relevance. She adapts her teaching for every learner, the bio said, drawing on her decades of teaching experience to help students reach their full potential.
In the classroom, the bio states Morrison-Lees:
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Uses digital storytelling, music, research and multimedia tools to build literacy, creativity and critical thinking;
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Teaches digital citizenship, including online safety, privacy and responsible communication;
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Designs cross-curricular projects that connect English, Indigenous studies, wildlife conservation, cultural arts and more;
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Works closely with Elders to bring traditional teachings, stories and protocols into the classroom;
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Creates safe, trauma-informed spaces where students can take risks, ask questions and grow;
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Supports students' mental health by connecting them with counsellors and community resources; and
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Encourages leadership through programs like The Leader in Me, where students greet visitors, speak at events and take on school responsibilities.
She has also:
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Led the development of a cross-curricular unit revolving around the buffalo, which grew into a school-wide project involving art, research, treaty education and community participation;
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Helped introduce Nakota and Cree language classes into the school; and
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Played a key role in planning and delivering land-based education, including culture camps, hunting camps and traditional skills learning. The program is still active, she said, and they have had a lot of good experiences. A hunting camp will take place in late October for three full days and nights.
It's the latest honour for Morrison-Lees. She has previously received three Treaty Education Alliance (TEA) Nation Builder Awards, the âhkamêyimo/Keep Going Teacher Award in 2022, the Educational Leadership Award in 2023 and the TEA Online School: Teacher Award in 2024.
Other Saskatchewan recipients of the Prime Minister's Awards for 2026 are Amanda Jobb (awâsisak kâ-nîmîhtocik St. Francis School – Saskatoon) for Teaching Excellence (Achievement); Natasha Cochran (Willow Park Colony School – Tessier) for Teaching Excellence (Excellence); and Mayranush (Mana) Harutyunyan (Maggie's Early Learning Centre – Saskatoon) for Excellence in Early Childhood Education (Achievement).
