The College of the Rockies (COTR) has been collaborating with the Ktunaxa Nation to create an atmosphere that is inclusive to aboriginal students, and this goal is evident in the new Aboriginal Gathering Place that is currently being constructed in a prominent location on the college's main campus in Cranbrook. The timber-framed beams are already in place and are already generating a lot of buzz within the college.

Dr. Nick Rubidge, president and CEO of COTR, said the project is unique in that it involves the college’s own students in the construction of the centre, and it will also require donations in cash or in kind from the greater community.

“We’re building it in a completely non-traditional way,” said Rubidge, explaining that a government grant of $450,000 and $200,000 from Columbia Basin Trust are not enough to fund the completion of the gathering centre. “But we see this as an opportunity to build pride. Many of our students come and do work in a lab or inside a shop—and it’s not real—but this is a project that’s going to be here for decades . . . I think it will be a feature of pride for students and anyone else who contributes.”

Thinking big

Three years ago, the provincial government put out a call for proposals from post-secondary institutions applying for funding to create projects that would make the centres of higher learning more attractive and welcoming to First Nations students. The idea of a powwow arbour—a structure that is used for outdoor gatherings and dances—was considered and then put aside because of the limitations for use in winter or inclement weather. However, the grant was not enough to cover the cost of a four-season structure, and it was also a time-limited offer, so COTR and the Ktunaxa Nation got creative.

“Nick really supported the Nation in really driving out a vision of what a gathering place at the college could look like,” said Gwen Phillips, the director of corporate services for the Ktunaxa Nation Council and a former COTR student. “We looked at the most important elements, which included a space for aboriginal students to gather together for educational, cultural, recreational and ceremonial purposes but also a place for all people to exchange cultural values. We see it as an opportunity for students from the main campus to come to the Aboriginal Gathering Place and learn more about aboriginal culture and history.”

Focusing on people

The new facility is symbolic of the partnership between the Ktunaxa Nation and COTR, said Phillips, who described the college as both an educator and a relationship builder, and praised Rubidge for making the college welcoming to aboriginal students a top priority.

“(The college is) in the business of human development,” said Phillips. “They’re not just here to impart fact; they’re here to develop the whole human.”

To find out more about the project or to make a donation, contact the Ktunaxa Nation or Donna Kraus-Hagerman at the College of the Rockies.