January 20, 2010 - 7:33am
Lt.-Gov. Steven Point praised the first graduates of
Vancouver Island University’s Aboriginal Construction Program for finishing
what they started 10 months ago.
“As Chief Dan George said, ‘Education is like a ladder.
You’ve got to climb up and take a good look around to know where you are
going,’” Point said at a graduation ceremony in Duncan Jan. 15.
Point also lauded universities for coming a long way since
he was a student at the University of British Columbia in 1970. “There
were 12 aboriginal students out of 27,000. We could have our annual meeting for
First Nations students in a room no bigger than some washrooms.”
B.C.’s first aboriginal Lieutenant Governor pointed to the
construction of Shq’apthut: A Gathering Place for First Nations students and
others as an example of institutions respecting the importance of integrating
aboriginal culture into campus life.
The Gathering Place on VIU’s Nanaimo campus has special
significance for the 10 graduating students, trained through a partnership
between the university and the Coast Salish Employment and Training Society
(CSETS). The Class of 2010 gained hands-on experience working on the foundation
and timber supports for the distinctive structure designed by First Nations
architect Alfred Waugh.
“It was a lot of work. I’m extremely proud of this group,”
said VIU carpentry instructor Mike Braun. He praised the participants for going
beyond their “comfort zone” to return to school and work their way through a
stack of textbooks including the extremely detailed B.C. Building Code.
Nuu-chah-nulth student
Edward Johnson, 32, of Nanaimo said six weeks of preparation through the CSETS
Bladerunners program helped prepare the group for the challenges of their
training at VIU which leads to Industry Training Authority credit as a level
one apprentice.
Other graduates in the program, which includes Coast Salish
and Nuu-chah-nulth students, are: Lezzar
Canute, Raymond Dick, Patrick Johnny and Andrew Thomas, all of Duncan, Edward
Mark and Harvey Mark, of Gold River, Nigel Sagalon, Fort St. James, Crystal
Sampson, Ladysmith, and Jackson Swan, Saanich.
While students gained trade skills working on the Gathering
Place, there was also a strong cultural component. In the first month of the
program, participants crafted paddles and drums.
“Having a drum helped us recognize where we come from and
the paddle recognizes the journey we are on,” said Johnson, who has applied to
continue working on the Gathering Place.
Marlene Rice, Executive Director of CSETS, said the
apprenticeship aspect of the Aboriginal Construction Program will be valuable
for First Nations students who are seeking long-term employment in the
construction industry.
The Bladerunners construction employment readiness program
is designed to give unemployed First Nations youth experience and training but
Rice said the VIU program gives students additional credentials to make them
more employable.
Rice, who helped develop the program, said the cultural
components are a significant part of the students’ training. “Our traditional
values are important, and we find that’s the missing key in some of our young
people’s lives.”
She congratulated the students for overcoming challenges to
meet their goals. “It takes a lot of work to be where we want to be. We create
our own destinies.”
Braun was impressed by First Nations traditions that were incorporated into the
program. He noted that the group started each day with a prayer song. “They
learned a lot from the program but I learned a lot from them. They opened up
their hearts. It’s been incredible.”
Phase one of Shq’apthut: A Gathering Place is expected to be
completed by this summer at a cost of $2.2-million. It includes a student
lounge, an elders lounge, and office space for VIU’s Aboriginal Student
Services department. Fundraising is continuing for phase two of the project
which will include office space, landscaping and a ceremonial hall.
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For information on the Aboriginal
Construction Program, contact First Nations Student Services at VIU:
phone 250-740-6510 (Nanaimo), 250-746-3535 (Duncan), 604-485-2878 (Powell
River), email fnss@viu.ca or visit
viu.ca/fnss
For information or to donate to construction of Shq’apthut: A Gathering Place:
visit viu.ca/gatheringplace
Tags: In the Community
