Office of the Vice-President Indigenous (OVPI)

Welcome to Etalew̓txʷ | ÁTOL ÁUTW, the Office of the Vice-President Indigenous. Etalew̓txʷ | ÁTOL ÁUTW is a word gifted to us by JSINTEN, Dr. John Elliott, that means the centre of respect for the rights of one another and all beings. Our commitment, and our challenge, is to uphold this very powerful word and teaching.

Territory acknowledgement

We acknowledge and respect the Lək̓ʷəŋən (Songhees and Esquimalt) Peoples on whose territory the university stands, and the Lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ Peoples whose historical relationships with the land continue to this day.

OVPI logo by Dylan Thomas

In this design Qwul'thilum, Dylan Thomas, has represented the concept of Etalew̓txʷ | ÁTOL ÁUTW with the image of an eagle, a salmon and an ancestor moon (a moon with a human face). With the respect for the rights of all beings in mind, he included a being to represent the water (salmon), air (eagle), land (human) and spirit world (ancestor moon) – covering all the realms that beings inhabit. By including all of these beings from the different realms, this design is intended to respect and honour all beings that inhabit the world.

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Héʔəkʷ ʔə cə čəléŋən ɫtə | HÁEQ TE OL TŦE ĆELÁṈEN TE

Remember our ancestors and birthright

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Nəc̓ əmaat kʷəns čeʔi | ĆȺNEUEL OL

Work together

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Nəw̓ es šxʷ cən ʔay̓ šqʷeləqʷən | ÁMEḴT TŦEN ÍY, ŚḰÁLEȻEN

Bring in your good heart and mind

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Leʔt šxʷ helə ʔə cə mak̓ʷ sčeʔi səʔ | S,HOI EI MEQ EN ENA SE SĆȺ

Be prepared for the work to come

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Office of the Vice-President Indigenous (OVPI)

Territory acknowledgement

OVPI logo by Dylan Thomas

UVic Indigenous Plan

Xʷkʷənəŋ istəl | W̱ȻENEṈISTEL | Helping to Move Each Other Forward

Nəw̓es šxʷ cən ʔay̓ šqʷeləqʷən | ÁMEḴT TŦEN ÍY, ŚḰÁLEȻEN