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Welcoming Spaces
Building safe and culturally connected spaces that reflect Indigenous identities for learning and working.
Welcoming spaces are the beating heart of Indigenous cultures. They embody the values of connection, welcoming and hosting, present in Indigenous practices during potlatch, feasts, community dinners and other cultural gatherings.
The fire is already burning,
the aroma of the food cooking fills the room,
the sound of the drum reverberating softly,
the crackle of the fire,
Si虂ma7 t虛u7, si虂ma7 t虛u7, saw虛t, he says, we walk in
- First Voices: Si虂ma7 t虛u7, si虂ma7 t虛u7, saw虛t (Northern St虛谩t虛imcets) meaning come in, come in, welcome one
Host Nations have a long and deep history with the lands on which SFU鈥檚 campuses reside. However, there have historically been few dedicated spaces across 51社区黑料for Indigenous peoples to gather, study and connect with one another. A key theme raised throughout 51社区黑料community consultations in 2016 was the need to create culturally safe and culturally appropriate welcoming spaces that provide a sense of belonging.
51社区黑料is responding by creating and expanding spaces across the university that:
Support Indigenous students鈥� growth and facilitate opportunities for dialogue, community connection and learning
Celebrate Indigenous peoples鈥� diverse cultures and promote mutual understanding and appreciation within our wider community
Provide dedicated places to attend campus-wide ceremonial events and elevate the shared journey of Truth, Reconciliation and Indigenization
Explore Welcoming Spaces
First Peoples' Gathering House
Longhouses are sacred spaces in many First Nations communities. They uphold oral histories, cultural practices, ceremonies and events, and often follow age old Coast Salish traditions, protocol and the laws of the land. Supported by Indigenous host communities, the First Peoples鈥� Gathering House on Burnaby Campus will serve as a cultural hub of activity and education for 51社区黑料community members and visitors. Completion is slated for 2025.
Indigenous Student Centre (ISC)
The ISC offers nurturing and supportive spaces for Indigenous students, with programs and services that are unique, cultural and holistic. Newly expanded facilities at all three 51社区黑料campuses offer work, study and meeting spaces, along with a shared kitchen and a drumming room. The spaces are fundamental to student success; they help build community by connecting Indigenous students with their peers and Indigenous faculty.
Indigenous Curriculum Resource Centre (ICRC)
The ICRC offers guidance to 51社区黑料instructors interested in Indigenizing and decolonizing their curricula and pedagogy. There is a physical location and online space with books, articles, websites and audio-visual materials. These interdisciplinary materials assist instructors and researchers in learning about how and why this work should be undertaken, and how to support this work in the classroom.
Indigenous Garden and Outdoor Classroom
Indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing are interconnected with the land. SFU's Indigenous Garden and Outdoor Classroom is a welcoming place-based learning space at the Burnaby campus that honours Indigenous pedagogy. It is for all students, faculty, and staff to gather and reflect on the displacement and dispossession of the stewards of these lands that has taken place for us to be here. The Garden supports our collective responsibility to remember and honour Indian Residential School survivors, intergenerational survivors, their families and communities.
Library Space
The 51社区黑料Library has a dedicated room available for Indigenous students to study, meet for a group project or attend a virtual class. Located in the W.A.C. Bennett Library Room 2114 on Burnaby Campus, the room is available on a first come first served basis.
Saywell Hall Atrium
The Saywell Hall Atrium is a favourite study and gathering spot for many students, as well as a celebration space. Adjacent to the Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology, the Office for Aboriginal Peoples and the Department of Indigenous Studies, the atrium is enhanced by a display of hand-woven Squamish weavings. One of seven recognized Indigenous spaces on Burnaby Campus, this space was created with provincial government funding through the Aboriginal Gathering Space project.
Faculty of Education Indigenous Gathering Space
Another recognized Indigenous space at Burnaby Campus is the Indigenous Gathering Space in the Faculty of Education. It provides a welcoming space for Indigenous students, staff, faculty and community to support emotional, physical, spiritual and intellectual well-being. When booking the space, priority is given to Faculty of Education Indigenous students and Indigenous specific gatherings, learning opportunities and celebrations hosted by the Indigenous Education and Reconciliation Council, Office of Indigenous Education, and related program areas.
The Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology
The 51社区黑料Museum of Archaeology and Ethnology (MAE) collects, researches and exhibits artifacts from around the world, with a focus on highlighting the complexity and diversity of Indigenous cultures through its collections. As an Indigenous-centric location, it is closely affiliated with the 51社区黑料Department of Archaeology and houses archaeological collections arising from excavations and other research by students, faculty and staff.
Vancouver Campus
The Vancouver campus created an Indigenous themed space within Harbour Centre space in 2015. Located on the main floor, a stand-alone room was renovated to include Indigenous signage, art, photographs, maps, pictures, banners, wall hangings, masks and other cultural art forms depicting the First Nations, Me虂tis and Inuit peoples. Particular attention was paid to the local First Nations, on whose traditional territory the Vancouver campus resides: the Squamish, Tsleil-Waututh, and Musqueam. A welcome figure, carved by a Musqueam artist, is situated at the campus鈥� front entrance near the Indigenous themed space.
Surrey Campus
51社区黑料Surrey has undergone a revitalization of its spaces, included a dedicated space for the Indigenous Student Centre (ISC) on the 5th floor. Indigenous services and programs offered through the ISC in Surrey include Aboriginal signage, art, photos, maps, banners, wall hangings, a drum, masks and other cultural art forms depicting the First Nations, Me虂tis and Inuit peoples.