News Stories
Recognizing the Power of Place Names in the Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Region
January 17, 2019
Long before British Captain George Henry Richards named Mount Arrowsmith in the late 1800s, the largest mountain on southern Vancouver Island had many distinctive titles given to it, depending which side the 1,819 metre peak was viewed from. In 2000, the Arrowsmith moniker was used in the designation of the Mount Arrowsmith Biosphere Region (MABR), a UNESCO recognized biosphere reserve. The MABR... Read more
VIU Research Will Inspire Youth to Preserve Culture and Protect Salmon
January 16, 2019
Having the opportunity to go back to her community as a scholar to support the development of programs to preserve her language and culture is exciting to Vancouver Island University (VIU) Indigenous/Xwulmuxw Studies Professor Dr. Georgina Martin. Martin has been awarded a $50,000 dollar Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Indigenous Research Capacity and Reconciliation... Read more
Douglas White III Speaks on Re-Imagining Reconciliation in VIU's Indigenous Speakers Series
November 16, 2018
Douglas White III Kwul’a’sul’tun learned how to fight at a young age. Early on in life, he recognized that there is animosity in the world towards Indigenous peoples and issues. It highlighted for him the importance of learning to stand up for himself and others in different ways. White will be sharing his story during Vancouver Island University’s (VIU’s) fourth annual Indigenous Speakers Series... Read more
Indigenous Students Embrace Success in EleV Partnership
October 17, 2018
By Jenn McGarrigle Last fall, VIU became part of EleV, a new collaboration with the Mastercard Foundation, the Rideau Hall Foundation, Yukon College and Indigenous communities. The first of its kind in Canada, this learning partnership aims to better support Indigenous learners in their post-secondary educational journeys and beyond by removing barriers and providing wrap-around support... Read more
New Lecture Series Explores Reconciliation
October 16, 2018
A free monthly lecture series that aims to stimulate community dialogue about the relationship between Canada’s Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples launched at VIU last December. Delivered through VIU’s Centre for Pre-Confederation Treaties and Reconciliation, the series has included talks by Dr. Judith Sayers, President of the Nuu-chah-nulth Tribal Council and Adjunct Professor at the... Read more
VIU and McGill Partner to Create Learning and Research Opportunities in Indigenous Studies
October 16, 2018
A deep and shared commitment to supporting the recommendations of Canada’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) have led McGill University and Vancouver Island University (VIU) to form a unique collaboration to create new opportunities in Indigenous studies. On Monday, October 15, 2018, Prof. Christopher Manfredi, Provost and Vice-Principal Academic, McGill University, and Dr. Ralph Nilson,... Read more
VIU Fulbright Canada Jarislowsky Foundation Visiting Research Chair Focuses on Aboriginal Learning
August 16, 2018
Vancouver Island University (VIU) welcomes Dr. Virginia Drywater-Whitekiller, the Fulbright Canada Jarislowsky Foundation Visiting Research Chair in Aboriginal Studiesfor 2018. “I feel very humbled,” says Drywater-Whitekiller. “It seems surreal that I have been honoured to contribute in this way.” “I am excited to welcome Virgina Drywater-Whitekiller to Vancouver Island University as the... Read more
VIU Supported Business Program Inspires Indigenous Youth
August 15, 2018
As the only Indigenous student in his university undergraduate and graduate classes, Bernard Gilbert struggled to find connection to campus life. “There were times where I felt I did not belong in university,” says Gilbert, whose traditional Nlaka’pamux name translates to “Running Elk.” He is Shuswap from the Secwépemc territory. In high-school, he developed a crippling fear of failure, and... Read more
VIU English Professor Explores Inter-cultural Dialogue with Play Collaboration
August 3, 2018
Dr. Nelson Gray and renowned Métis playwright Marie Clements tackle one storyline from two different perspectives How we perceive the world through our cultural beliefs can vary so much that if two people are asked to recount the same event, the result can be two radically different stories. That is certainly true in Vancouver Island University (VIU) English Professor Dr. Nelson Gray’s latest... Read more
VIU Program Trains First Nations in Resource Management
July 4, 2018
The community-based First Nations Stewardship Technicians Training Program developed to meet needs identified by different Nations A unique program at Vancouver Island University (VIU) is helping First Nations communities monitor their lands and waters. The First Nations Stewardship Technicians Training Program provides specialized training to work in the field of resource management. Designed... Read more