Featured Stories

International student awarded B.C. Lieutenant-Governor’s Medal for leadership in inclusion and reconciliation

International student awarded B.C. Lieutenant-Governor’s Medal for leadership in inclusion and reconciliation

Eylul Kara’s journey highlights the power of community-led education and cross-cultural connection. When Eylul Kara graduated with a bachelor’s degree with honours in political science and international relations last month, she took her final step on a UBC path marked by community engagement, unlearning exclusionary narratives and reimagining the way institutions approach reconciliation. Kara’s efforts […]

Xwi7xwa Library hires first archivist

Xwi7xwa Library hires first archivist

When Jesse Carson joined Xwi7xwa Library earlier this year as its first full-time archivist, he was already familiar with some of the challenges—and the stacks of boxes—that awaited him. Founded in 1993, Xwi7xwa Library was intended as a repository for both published and archival materials related to Indigenous communities external to UBC, as well as individuals and […]

How Language Revitalization Boosts Indigenous Health

How Language Revitalization Boosts Indigenous Health

New UBC Arts-led research shows that reviving Indigenous languages may do more than preserve culture—it may also improve public health. In British Columbia, First Nations youth who speak their ancestral language are less likely to die by suicide. In Australia’s Northern Territory, community-led language initiatives are linked to better mental health outcomes. Across English-speaking settler-colonial […]

FNHL open letter concerning public denial statements

FNHL open letter concerning public denial statements

To the University of British Columbia community, A collective of approximately 30 Indigenous faculty and staff from UBC Vancouver recently gathered to discuss public statements that question or deny Indigenous rights, title, and the historical record of Indian Residential School abuses and deaths. We stand together as Indigenous peoples to express deep concern about these […]

Forestry launches new Indigenous land stewardship degree

Forestry launches new Indigenous land stewardship degree

New program is “more than a degree – it is the future of land stewardship.” – Dr. Garry Merkel A new program co-developed by Indigenous leaders and the Faculty of Forestry will provide Indigenous youth with a unique opportunity to learn Indigenous science and land stewardship approaches. Part of a growing movement, this first-of-its-kind degree […]

Creating a medical program that is equitable and accessible to all

Creating a medical program that is equitable and accessible to all

How UBC’s Indigenous and Black Student MD Admissions Pathways are transforming medical education — and health. Each spring, Meghan MacGillivray sets up the Sty-Wet-Tan Great Hall at UBC’s First Nations Longhouse to celebrate the outstanding achievements of Indigenous medical graduates from the Faculty of Medicine’s MD undergraduate program. The ceremony marks a significant milestone for the […]

From Oral Tradition to Comics: Partnership leads to Graphic Novel

From Oral Tradition to Comics: Partnership leads to Graphic Novel

A new project has brought together a team of Indigenous graphic artists to create a series of short comics based on archival recordings of Elders from the Homalco First Nation. Captured in the early 1990s, these recordings explore life in the Homalco First Nation’s traditional territory in Bute Inlet, with Elders recalling their childhoods and […]

Connection and community-building: Indigenous Student Orientation at UBC Vancouver

Connection and community-building: Indigenous Student Orientation at UBC Vancouver

UBC is welcoming another cohort of Indigenous students into its campus community during annual Indigenous Student Orientation programming at UBC Vancouver. Each year, the First Nations House of Learning (FNHL) organizes orientation events that go beyond providing a tailored introduction to university life. FNHL allows a space for First Nations (status or non-status), Métis and […]

How changing a subject heading in UBC Library’s catalogue can support Indigenous research

How changing a subject heading in UBC Library’s catalogue can support Indigenous research

If you’ve been searching UBC Library’s catalogue lately, you may notice a change that went live earlier this year. Xwi7xwa Library, working with the library’s Technology, Discovery, & User Experience (TDUX) team, has changed the First Nations House of Learning (FNHL) Subject Heading Aboriginal Canadians to Indigenous Peoples. Over 17,000 headings were changed as a result of this decision, […]

Appointment of Dr. Jan Hare, Dean, Faculty of Education

Appointment of Dr. Jan Hare, Dean, Faculty of Education

It is our pleasure to announce that the UBC Board of Governors has accepted the President’s recommendation to appoint Dr. Jan Hare as the Dean of the Faculty of Education for a five-year term, commencing July 1, 2024. Dr. Hare, an Anishinaabe-kwe scholar and educator from the M’Chigeeng First Nation in northern Ontario, is a […]