News Stories
Indigenous Advocate to Receive Honorary Doctorate Degree from VIU
May 8, 2019
Celebrating and preserving Indigenous cultures and perspectives through place-based teachings is Frank Brown’s life-long commitment. Brown, a member of the Heiltsuk First Nation, who carries the Hereditary Hemas (Chief) name of Dhadhiyasila (λ.λ.yasila) meaning “preparing for the largest potlatch”, will receive an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from Vancouver Island University (VIU)in recognition of... Read more
Global Philanthropists Recognized by VIU for Education Advocacy
May 2, 2019
In recognition of their efforts to empower youth through education, Reeta Roy, President and CEO of the Mastercard Foundation, and Peggy Woo, Strategic Advisor to the Foundation, will receive Honorary Doctor of Laws degrees from VIU on Wednesday, June 5, 2019. Two women who have positively impacted the lives of hundreds of thousands of youth in Africa and, more recently, Canada, will receive... Read more
Student Group Discusses Truth and Reconciliation
April 25, 2019
The Indigenous Perspectives Learning Circle group, made up of 10 Indigenous, five international and five non-Indigenous students, met monthly over the school year to discuss how to better incorporate Indigenous perspectives into their work, studies and personal lives. The more Evangeline Clifton talks with others about her people's experiences, the more she realizes that further awareness... Read more
VIU Welcomes New Elders-in-Residence at Nanaimo Campus
March 28, 2019
Maxine Hayman Matilpi (Lakwa) and Barney Williams (Klith-wii-taa) join four other Elders-in-Residence offering support, traditional knowledge and spiritual guidance to students at the Nanaimo Campus. Vancouver Island University (VIU) has two new Elders-in-Residence at the Nanaimo Campus. Since the program started in the 1990s, VIU Elders-in-Residence have played an important role at the... Read more
VIU Honours Lawyer for Helping Shape Canada's Legal History
January 23, 2019
Marvin Storrow believes that even though something is law doesn’t always mean it is just or right. An accomplished lawyer with 55 years’ experience, Storrow has challenged the law numerous times, and due to his determination and courage he has steered the course of legal history in Canada. Storrow’s legal contribution towards getting formal recognition of Indigenous rights and title through the... Read more
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