Every Tuesday, the UBC Aboriginal student community comes together for a lunch and Information Session in Sty-Wet-Tan, the Great Hall of the First Nations Longhouse. While organized by the First Nations House of Learning, a different program, club or organization hosts the lunch each week and provides students with information about the diverse range of opportunities and services available to them. This year’s hosts have included the Child & Family Research Institute, Aboriginal eMentoring BC, NITEP and the Museum of Anthropology.
The student lunches always begin with a welcome from our Resident Elder Larry Grant from the Musqueam First Nation. His greeting links students to the long tradition of the Musqueam People welcoming visitors to the ancestral, unceded, and traditional territory of the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ speaking Musqueam people.
The lunches not only provide a healthy meal, but also a place to connect with the community, learn about activities and opportunities, re-connect with old friends, and make new ones. The lunches help to promote a sense of community and a support network for students so that they can always feel that the Longhouse is their home away from home.