Northern Lights College has officially broken ground on a new Cultural Arbour being constructed on the front lawn of the Dawson Creek campus.
This project is a key part of the college's strategic plan to strengthen Indigenous representation across its campuses. The arbour is an Indigenous-led initiative, the result of extensive collaboration and planning to ensure the structure reflects and respects the traditional lands on which it is being built.
"We've always had places like this places to gather, to drum, to sing, to share stories" says Garry Oker, Elder, Songkeeper and Creative Director of the Cultural Arbour project.
"It's a multipurpose space where the community can host powwows, tea dances, weddings, and teach our young people who they are and where they come from. It will bring our ways into the present and makes space for us in the future. It's about unity, learning, and living culture not just remembering it. It's a space for all of us to grow in understanding, together."
Funding for the project was approved by the Ministry of Post-Secondary and Future Skills in 2023 and is now overseen by the Ministry of Infrastructure.
Anndra Graff, Vice President of Finance and Corporate Services, has been involved with the project from the beginning and expressed her enthusiasm for its progress.
"The Cultural Arbour was conceived with the vision of enhancing the front of campus, which will eventually feature a student pavilion and an event plaza. One of our strategic priorities is to strengthen Indigenous representation on campuses, and creating dedicated cultural spaces is a key way to achieve this," she said.
She noted that the Arbour continues the College's efforts to support and honour Indigenous culture.
"The Arbour builds upon the important work already done by NLC, including the establishment of Indigenous gathering places and the integration of Indigenous art throughout campus."
Oker also spoke about how this project represents a circle of belonging, where Indigenous knowledge, ceremony, and connection to the land can live and breathe alongside education.
"This Arbour is about inclusion but it's more than that, it's about Indigenous leadership. We're shaping a new story together, where culture isn't just remembered it's lived, every day. So I raise my hands to everyone involved in making this possible. May this Arbour grow strong, like our people, rooted deep and reaching far."
To follow the progress of the Cultural Arbour and find out more about how NLC celebrates Indigenous culture on campus, check out the Indigenous Education Facebook page.
