UAlberta opens new First Peoples’ House

The University of Alberta has opened its new First Peoples’ House. This $16.8M, three-floor building replaces a former space in the Students’ Union Building to give Indigenous students a dedicated location to gather and feel at home. It provides a place for students to participate in ceremonies, connect with Elders, and smudge. It also features a gym, healing room, and study spaces. Nêhiyawêwin (Cree) is prominent throughout the centre. “This space is for us,” said UAlberta master’s student Kuna Gadwa. “It gives us that place that’s like our home, (that’s) for us to finally be acknowledged.”