Northern Lakes, TRU announce new Indigenous centres

Northern Lakes College and Thompson Rivers University have announced new centres dedicated to Indigenous students and education. Northern Lakes’ new Virtual Indigenous Student Centre is named mamawapowin, which is Cree for “the act of coming together or an organized meeting.” The online centre brings together resources for Indigenous students and anyone looking to learn about Indigenous culture. It features educational videos, student success stories, information about Indigenous student funding, and Elders in Residence. TRU’s Board of Governors unanimously approved the construction of a $22M Indigenous Education Centre to begin in 2024. The centre will provide a space for Indigenous students, ceremonies, culture, and scholarly work. It will also be designed by Indigenous architect Patrick Stewart and will draw on the Secwépemc structural design for meeting houses.