Indigenous

Atticus Mercredi doesn’t remember his mother. 

What he knows, he learned from his siblings. His mother Glenda Faye Ledoux, from the Mistawasis Cree First Nation, was a resilient woman. She was tough, tenacious and wasn’t afraid to stand up for herself. She was a residential school Survivor and struggled with addiction because of colonial trauma. Her 12 children were taken from her by social services, and she fought to get them back up until her death in 1999. She died from complications of stomach cancer at 41.

Natasha Marshall Gallic from c̓išaaʔatḥ, Tseshaht First Nation, wants to create connections and support her community members, whether they live at home or away from the community. Traditional foods are an important part of that connection, which is why she created miʔaat Community Supported Fisheries.

Growing up, Hayden Kenneth Taylor remembers hiding his identity as a member of the Haisla Nation because of how other people viewed Indigenous peoples. Fast forward to today and Hayden, who is in VIU’s Master of Education program, is researching ways to incorporate more Indigenous culture and knowledge into BC’s public-school curriculum. He has also taken a leading role in encouraging Indigenous youth to connect with culture.

Allyship is a key aspect of both truth and reconciliation. Defining oneself as an ally means supportive association with another person or group. For Canada to move closer to real truth and reconciliation, allies are required to support, share, bear witness and hold members of their own communities to account. Asking people about their journeys, listening to those stories and sharing them helps grow understanding and increases the number of allies around us. As storytellers for VIU, we have found ourselves reflecting on our roles as allies and how we can be better.

Talela Manson, from Snuneymuxw First Nation, has had VIU on their radar ever since they were little. Their grandfather, VIU Elder-in-residence Gary Manson, often took them to campus with him and they attended VIU’s Thuy’she’num Tu Smun’eem: Building a Foundation for our Youth summer camp when they were in Grade 9.

 A few months ago, Russell Modeste wasn’t sure what direction he wanted to take in his career. 

After completing Adult Basic Education upgrading courses at VIU, he decided to explore different options.

“I wanted to see what trade would interest me. At first, it was carpentry, and then it was heavy equipment operating,” he says.

June is Indigenous History Month, during which we mark the rich history, heritage, resilience and diversity of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples across Canada. One of the ways VIU is marking Indigenous History Month is by highlighting the voices and works of some Indigenous writers who are part of our community.

June is Indigenous History Month, during which we mark the rich history, heritage, resilience and diversity of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples across Canada. One of the ways VIU is marking Indigenous History Month is by highlighting the voices and works of some Indigenous writers who are part of our community.

Vancouver Island University’s ‘su’luqw’a’ Community Cousins Aboriginal student mentorship program celebrated its 10^th anniversary in September 2021. In honour of this important milestone, we are sharing stories of people closely connected with the program every month.

Vancouver Island University’s ‘su’luqw’a’ Community Cousins Aboriginal student mentorship program celebrated its 10^th anniversary in September 2021. In honour of this important milestone, we are sharing stories of people closely connected with the program every month. Stay tuned for a celebration event in March 2022 – when we hope to be able to gather in-person.