Lakehead University celebrated the renaming of its Indigenous resource centre Nanda Gikendan Gamik, which means “Seek to Know, Seek to Learn Place.” The centre—which is located in the library—offers Indigenous students a welcoming space that is centred around Indigenous knowledge. Students are able to access a variety of resources at the centre: one unique feature of Nanda Gikendan Gamik is its ribbon skirt lending library. Lakehead’s vice provost of Indigenous Initiatives Denise Baxter had students in an Indigenous Learning class design and sew ribbon skirts for others to borrow in the same way they may borrow a library book. Baxter said that the project taught students not only sewing skills, but about reciprocity and responsibility. “We wanted to make sure that we are creating as much opportunity for students to engage in their cultural practice while they’re at school because many of them are away from home,” Baxter said. “Really thinking about: how at Lakehead University do we make this their community as well?”
