Photo credit: Don Erhardt
Twenty-five years ago, the First Nations House of Learning was established, and 20 years ago, the Longhouse was built to house it. Both were among the first of their kind in North America.
The Longhouse is a place of connection that brings together Aboriginal peoples from within UBC’s gates and without, where students, staff, and faculty can exchange information and perspectives with the larger community and nurture relationships that will endure beyond its walls. A place of mind that fosters advanced thinking, learning, and research on Aboriginal issues from water quality to governance to language preservation, in order to advance our understanding and our capacity for meaningful change.
Four years ago, UBC made Aboriginal Engagement a core commitment within its strategic plan. The university’s vision is to engage Aboriginal people in mutually supportive and productive relationships, and work to integrate understandings of Indigenous cultures and histories into its curriculum and operations. Thanks to the dedication of elders, community partners, and UBC staff and faculty in realizing that vision, UBC has become home to some of the most significant endeavours in Aboriginal engagement occurring anywhere in the world.