It’s an exciting time for UVic as we mark the official opening of our new residence complex, the university’s largest capital infrastructure project to date.

On Nov. 16, the First Peoples House came alive with the vibrant spirit of celebration as Indigenous students, staff, faculty, Elders and community members gathered for a special event – the screening of the documentary film, Lii Michif Niiyanaan: We Are Métis.

A list of experts available to media for comments on topics related to the UN Climate Change Conference COP28 UAE, which takes place from Nov. 30 to Dec. 12 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

If it wasn’t for a hurricane, the life of globally renowned Inuk and Nunatsiavut art historian and curator Dr. Heather Igloliorte would have taken an entirely different turn.

Globally renowned Indigenous art historian and curator Dr. Heather Igloliorte joins the University of Victoria as the inaugural Canada Excellence Research Chair in Decolonial and Transformational Indigenous Art Practices. The $8-million research chair will advance reconciliation through the transformative power of art and innovative exhibition practices and support a new generation of students, researchers, educators, curators and artists to drive change through artistic practice.

The Métis are often referred to as Canada’s “invisible people” – the “ghosts of the land” – whose stories haunt the country’s collective unconscious. Lii Michif Niiyanaan: We Are Métis is a one-hour documentary that addresses this invisibility by shining a new light on the historical and contemporary experience of Métis people in Canada and providing a space for Métis people to share their diverse perspectives on what it means to be Métis today.

On Oct. 25, Indigenous students, staff, faculty and community gathered in the First Peoples House following Coast Salish protocol to honour and recognize both J,SIṈTEN and Qwul'thilum for their contributions to the name and logo for the new Office of the Vice-President Indigenous (OVPI).

Michael Chutskoff embraces multiple identities. They dream of a future where people like them—an Indigenous, queer, neurodivergent and two-spirit person—can flourish in academia.

What does it mean to be a good visitor? University of Victoria Indigenous Governance (IGOV) students started off their term in a good way, arriving by canoe at the Songhees Nation and asking for permission to live, study and work in their territory.

Jeffrey Reading has spent more than two decades championing the health and wellbeing of Indigenous Peoples across Canada, globally, and significantly, as a scholar at the University of Victoria. In June, Reading was appointed as a member of the Order of Canada.

Anishinaabe journalist Duncan McCue will draw on his award-winning podcast for a thoughtful reflection on building respectful relationships with Indigenous communities and how Canadians can take meaningful steps toward reconciliation.

A summit of young Inuit leaders from Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories, chose UVic to exchange ideas on how Indigenous practices can both provide solutions to the changing climate and elevate youth voices.

After completing her bachelor’s in Indigenous Studies and Environmental Studies at UVic, Hannah’s passion for Indigenous environmental stewardship, community-building and land-based learning led her to a co-op placement, and a career, with Coastal Restoration Society.

Unlearning colonial ways is a journey with many steps. For the University of Victoria, those next steps are grounded in language and ancestral teachings—guided by Indigenous communities—to ensure the work is done in a good way. UVic launches Xʷkʷənəŋ istəl | W̱ȻENEṈISTEL | Helping to move each other forward: UVic’s Indigenous Plan. With local Indigenous teachings and Lək̓ʷəŋən and SENĆOŦEN language woven throughout, this new plan proposes a fundamental rethinking of the institution’s approach to learning and work.

A global UVic research partnership will design and advance a sustainability framework to integrate Indigenous knowledge into sustainability projects.

This September, start the year off in a good way at the New Student Welcome to campus.