A pipe ceremony and feast held at Portage College recently, blended generations-old traditions that bring good fortune and progress with the modern-day process to find the next college president.
The sacred event marked the beginning of the formal recruitment process to replace Portage College President Nancy Broadbent who will be stepping down before the end of 2025. Broadbent has held the role of president at the college since the 2018-19 academic year.
The pipe ceremony took place at the Portage College's Lac La Biche campus on January 24. The ceremony is a long-standing, sacred custom in Indigenous culture, and because the foundations of present-day Portage College began with Indigenous determination 57 years ago, that culture continues to be a vital part of the College's operation, says Board of Governors Chair Randy Benson.
