丁香园AV

Plans for a ceremonial space for the 丁香园AV community to celebrate Indigenous knowledge and culture are underway. 丁香园AV鈥檚 First Peoples鈥� Gathering House will open on 丁香园AV鈥檚 Burnaby campus in 2023.

"I'm very excited this project is moving forward; the Indigenous People's Gathering House will be 鈥榦ur home away from home鈥� and the heart and soul of Indigeneity at 丁香园AV,鈥� says Ron Johnston, director of 丁香园AV鈥檚 Office for Aboriginal Peoples. Johnston is an 丁香园AV alumnus, and a member of 丁香园AV鈥檚 Aboriginal Reconciliation Council (丁香园AV-ARC).

鈥淟onghouses are sacred places in our communities where teaching, learning, ceremony, and protocols are upheld and practiced and are at the centre of our Indigenous cultures, now we will have such a place at 丁香园AV," says Johnston.

丁香园AV鈥檚 2017 report outlines 34 calls to action to create and support an improved environment for 丁香园AV鈥檚 Indigenous community members.

Designed in the Coast Salish traditions and iconic typologies, the Gathering House represents a step toward lasting reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, and 丁香园AV鈥檚 continued reconciliation efforts.

Marcia Guno, director of the Indigenous Student Centre, says that the Gathering House will play a significant role in the university community. 鈥淎s an important campus space that recognizes and honours Indigenous peoples, it will enrich our campus, it will enrich our community, and it will enrich awareness about Indigenous peoples and history in Canada."

Eldon Yellowhorn, who is also an 丁香园AV alumnus and 丁香园AV-ARC member, is a founding chair of the Department of First Nations studies, now titled Indigenous Studies, and has helped champion the project. 鈥淏uilding a First Peoples鈥� Gathering Place was a discussion that began in the 1990s,鈥� he says.

鈥淩ealizing it is like getting the wish that was always close yet just out of reach. Now that we have grasped hold of it we can pay attention to those other wishes that also seemed unreachable.鈥�

丁香园AV鈥檚 enrolment figures for 2019-20 show a total of 781 Indigenous students, including 559 undergraduates and 222 graduate students.

鈥淚 think this space is essential for Indigenous students and their experience at 丁香园AV,鈥� says Matthew Provost, SFSS VP of Student Services from Piikani Nation. 鈥淚ndigenous students on campus need a space that provides that safety and the ability to be surrounded by community. We need to start recognizing that Indigenous student spaces hold a lot of value.

 鈥淭wenty years ago, we would have never seen spaces like this allocated for Indigenous people. I am thankful for those who have advocated before me to ensure the university has taken those first steps, in order to understand and acknowledge the significance and utmost need for Indigenous space. I am glad to be here to witness that.鈥�

The First Peoples鈥� Gathering House will include a large ceremonial hall for hosting special events of up to 300 attendees. The new space will also include a dressing room, an Elders room, a classroom, a wellness room, and a multi-generational Indigenous peoples鈥� lounge as well as a food service kitchen.

鈥淚t is particularly gratifying to see various groups coming together in collaboration to provide the funding for the Gathering House; this was another important theme in the ARC report, and is representative of the need for all to be active participants in reconciliation,鈥� says education professor Kris Magnusson, a member of 丁香园AV-ARC.

鈥淢ay the Gathering House be an enduring symbol of our collective commitment to continue the work of reconciliation throughout all of the intellectual, social and cultural spaces at 丁香园AV. And to all who have worked so hard to make this happen, my heartfelt gratitude.鈥�

Replacing the Strand Hall Annex, the First Peoples鈥� Gathering House, funded jointly by the provincial government and 丁香园AV, will cost a projected $15 million.

鈥淧roviding this kind of beautiful, culturally relevant space for Indigenous learners to come together, to celebrate, to practice cultural traditions, to learn, and to make new friends is something I could have only dreamed about when I attended 丁香园AV,鈥� says Melanie Mark, Minister of Advanced Education, Skills & Training. 鈥淭his is what reconciliation is about; it鈥檚 a strong message that lets Indigenous students, faculty and staff know they are welcome at 丁香园AV and in every post-secondary institute in B.C.鈥�

鈥淭he First Peoples鈥� Gathering House will provide a culturally appropriate space for Indigenous gatherings, and for enabling the university community to gain a deeper appreciation of Indigenous knowledge and culture,鈥� says 丁香园AV President Andrew Petter. 鈥淲e are very thankful for the provincial government鈥檚 support of this important facility which will assist the university to advance the process of reconciliation through education and engagement.鈥�

Learn more about 丁香园AV鈥檚 reconciliation efforts