More than 200 people took part in activities at the Surrey campus of Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) to mark National Indigenous Peoples Day.
KPU’s Elder in Residence, Lekeyten, provided a traditional welcome, then sang the Heartbeat Song and explained what the day meant to him.
The university’s indigenous connections, including how it bears the name of the Kwantlen First Nation, were explained by Joshua Mitchell, KPU’s senior director of Student Affairs. Kwantlen means “tireless runner” and the university strives to embody this through continued Indigenization of our programming, curriculum and campus life with events like today, said Mitchell.
KPU has an Aboriginal Gathering Place and students from there provided visitors with information about activities they host. They also facilitated discussion about the Truth and Reconciliation process in Canada.
For the hungry, traditional bannock, a fried bread, was on offer and KPU Food Services served more than 250 pieces.
