UBC Vancouver is located on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) – People of the River Grass.
The Indigenous Student Portal is your pathway to learning about UBC’s commitment to Indigenous engagement at its Vancouver campus and an information resource for Indigenous students, faculty and the wider community.
Connecting to Community
UBC has a vibrant community of Indigenous students, faculty members, staff and friends. You can learn more about the many Indigenous-focused programs and services aimed at supporting Indigenous graduate student academic and personal success through the Indigenous Graduate Student page.
The centre of Indigenous community on campus is the First Nations Longhouse. The Longhouse sponsors many workshops, social gatherings, ceremonies and support programs throughout the year. It also is the home to the šxʷta:təχʷəm – formerly Indigenous Student Collegium, the First Nations House of Learning (FNHL), a computer lab, and sits next to UBC’s Xwi7xwa Library.
šxʷta:təχʷəm is unique in that it works to support all Indigenous students from first year through graduate school. This home away from home provides space to find community, support from peers, discover resources and opportunities and enjoy cultural and social events. For ongoing updates follow šxʷta:təχʷəm on Instagram.
Indigenous graduate students are also invited to join SAGE (Supporting Aboriginal Graduate Enhancement), an initiative to support Indigenous graduate student success through faculty and peer mentorship, academic workshops, speaker series, writing circles, networking and more. E-mail to join the SAGE listserv.
To learn more about Indigenous student spaces on campus, Indigenous student groups, and Indigenous student resources, visit the Faculty of Arts’ Indigenous Student Advising Community website or check out student spaces on campus geared to Indigenous students.
Indigenous Initiatives at G+PS
Advancing Indigenous Inclusion is a key strategic priority in Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (G+PS). Learn more. G+PS partners with faculty and staff across the university to ensure that Indigenous graduate students receive support throughout their UBC experience, from pre-application through to program completion. Contact Brianne Howard, Director of Student Support if you have questions.
Indigenous Initiatives at CTLT
Indigenous Initiatives at CTLT (The Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology) develops and offers programming, resources, and consultations focused on Indigenous engagement in curriculum, pedagogy, classroom climate, and professional development.
Their approaches include:
- Campus and Classroom Climate
- Having Difficult Conversations
- Bridging the Knowledge Gap
- Positionality and Intersectionality
- Indigenization, Decolonization, and Reconciliation
The Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre
The Indian Residential School History and Dialogue Centre (IRSHDC) at UBC addresses the colonial legacy of residential schools and other policies imposed by the Canadian government on Indigenous Peoples, and ensures that this history is acknowledged, examined and understood within the UBC community. The Centre works with partners across disciplines, at UBC and beyond, to facilitate dialogues and access to records and information that support engaging the legacies of the residential school system and the on-going impacts of colonialism in Canada.
Between the late 1800s and 1996, more than 150,000 First Nations, Métis and Inuit children attended Indian residential schools. What does this legacy look like today?
Visit the UBC’s Residential School History and Dialogue Centre online to learn about the ongoing legacy of residential schools in Canada:
- browse our collections
- listen to Survivor testimony
- attend an event
- and more.
Indigenous Research Support Initiative
Indigenous Research Support Initiative (IRSI) facilitates research that is developed and conducted in collaboration with Indigenous communities and led by Indigenous perspectives.
Indigenous Research Support Initiative also supports research excellence and helps create and sustain meaningful collaborations with Indigenous communities.
Visit their website for information on:
- Working with IRSI
- Indigenous Research Collaborations
- Research toolkit
- Resources
- and more!
Note: the Office of Research Ethics also provides support for conducting Indigenous research. Visit their webpage for more information.
Indigenous Lounge at the AMS Nest
Located on the second floor of the AMS Nest (room 2131), the lounge is a password-protected Indigenous space for students to decompress, deconstruct, and decolonize. There are board games, a small kitchenette, couches, TV, and study area. Visit their Facebook page for password information.
Additional resources
Museum Of Anthropology
Visit the Museum of Anthropology to explore arts and culture from around the world with a special emphasis on the First Nations peoples and other cultural communities of British Columbia.
Self-identifying Indigenous members receive free entrance, and admission is also free with your UBC student card. Visit their website to learn more about their collections, and to schedule tours. Indigenous community members can also request access to their community’s belongings and artifacts while at MOA – learn more.
Indigitization
The Indigitization Program is a collaborative initiative between BC Aboriginal groups and academic partners from UBC and the University of Northern British Columbia that offers resources through the Indigitization toolkit and supports community-led digitization projects with training workshops, identifies funding opportunities, and advocates for ongoing funding directly to Aboriginal partners for long-term cultural heritage management. First Nations communities can apply for funding for digitizing their heritage materials and learn how to DIY it themselves. Learn more on their website.
xwc̓ic̓əsəm: Indigenous Health Research and Education Garden at UBC Farm
The Indigenous Health Research and Education Garden (IHREG), located at UBC Farm aims to serve educational and research needs related to Indigenous knowledge and its intersections with other ways of knowing. The garden is guided by the principle that ‘food is medicine’ and follows the research ethic framework of the “4R’s: respect, relevance, reciprocity, and responsibility” and a holistic understanding of health and healing. Faculty, students and departments can arrange visits and book the garden for events, and Indigenous students are welcome to participate as volunteers. Visit their website for updates and events which include cultural burnings, food harvesting tips and guest speakers.
Two-Spirit Resources
The Faculty of Education has curated a list of resources for Indigenous and Two-Spirit youth.
Indigenous Mental Health and Wellbeing program
UBC Counselling Services offers a program for Indigenous students that is grounded in Indigenous ways of knowing and traditional holistic practices. Learn more and book a session with a counsellor.