Hay ch qa’ sii’em siye’yu mukw mustimuxw
(Thank you respected ones of this place)
Situated on the traditional territory of the Coast Salish peoples, VIU is fortunate to host a large number of Indigenous students. VIU provides a learning environment that is accessible, relevant for all learners, celebrates success, and acknowledges history and traditions.
Our Services for Aboriginal Students and Office of Indigenous Education and Engagement offer a range of programs, supports and services for students, employees and the wider community.
Indigenous Events
Learn more about local events in our communities and around campus.
Office of Indigenous Education and Engagement
The Office of Indigenous Education and Engagement is a team of dedicated practitioners who work to:
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develop community-based educational opportunities for students, such as the Indigenous Eco-Tourism Training program;
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create a sense of belonging for Indigenous students on campus through the ‘su’luqw’a’ Community Cousins Indigenous mentorship program and the Elders-in-Residence program;
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support faculty to bring Indigenous ways of knowing and being into their classrooms through the Na’tsa’maht Shqwaluwun (One Heart, One Mind) professional development series;
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and foster relationships with Indigenous nations.
Services for Aboriginal Students
Services for Aboriginal Students are available for one-on-one appointments with students, either by phone at 250.740.6510 or by email at sas@viu.ca.
Educational Advisors are available to help you with:
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Exploring and developing your educational and career goals
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Changing programs, courses, and assisting with timetabling and registration
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Connecting you to academic supports
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Finding daycare and housing
Based out of Shq’apthut, VIU’s Aboriginal Gathering Place, Jennifer Christoffersen and Dale Hunt are here to listen and support students as they explore, plan and achieve their professional and educational goals.
Meet with us online
While we can't meet in person as often as we used to, we're still available to students virtually. Services for Aboriginal Students are available for zoom appointments and have Shq’apthut Virtual Gathering Place drop-in zoom meetings scheduled:
- Tuesday 1 – 3 pm
- Wednesday 10 am – 12 pm
- Thursday 11 am – 1 pm
Please use this password for the meeting room: 285660
EleV Learning Partnership for Indigenous Youth
The EleV Partnership for Indigenous Youth Program will not be taking any new students for the 2022-23 year.
The EleV Partnership for Indigenous Youth Program will not be taking any new students for the 2022-23 year.
EleV is a scholarship program available to Indigenous youth aged 18-35. It’s a collaboration between VIU and Indigenous communities that is funded by the Mastercard Foundation. The program, which aims to boost the number of Indigenous youth accessing post-secondary education, provides full tuition, books, a living allowance, support from an Indigenous Education Navigator and career advising to support the transition to the workplace with an Indigenous Employment Navigator.