Opening Doors for Indigenous Learners
The University of Northern British Columbia (UNBC) is taking the words of the Chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada to heart by collaborating with the Lheidli T’enneh First Nation to ensure Lheidli T’enneh members can attend UNBC at no cost to the student.
“This new agreement with UNBC is a specific example of what reconciliation looks like,” said Lheidli T’enneh Chief Clay Pountney. “It describes a new partnership that requires investments from both parties to benefit Lheidli students. I’m not aware of a similar partnership anywhere in Canada.”
UNBC’s largest campus in Prince George is located on Lheidli T’enneh territory in British Columbia’s central interior. For years, the university and the Lheidli T’enneh have been forging ever-deepening ties, working towards meaningful reconciliation. This agreement moves that partnership another big step further by eliminating financial barriers and increasing access for Lheidli T’enneh members.
“The Truth and Reconciliation Commission made it very clear that Canada, as a nation, simply must do better with regards to making education accessible for Aboriginal
Peoples,” said UNBC President Dr. Daniel Weeks. “This is leadership in an area in which our country needs it and is another Northern BC initiative that has the potential to have national impact.”
According to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, financial issues are one of the major obstacles that prospective Indigenous students face, resulting in fewer students accessing post-secondary education. Consequently, Canada is missing out on the next generation of Indigenous educators, social workers and other professionals.
“This is a win-win for both ourselves and UNBC,” explained Pountney. “It also addresses a common misunderstanding in Canada that all Indigenous People have unlimited access to post-secondary education, which simply isn’t the case.”
The agreement, announced in October 2019, creates two programs. The first, called the Lheidli T’enneh Northern Promise Partnership Program, provides candidates who meet UNBC admission requirements with the funding they need to achieve an undergraduate degree at UNBC. The university will provide full tuition support for a full undergraduate degree, and the Lheidli T’enneh Nation will
UNBC President Daniel Weeks and Lheidli T’enneh Nation Chief Clay Pountney sign agreement that provides Lheidli T’enneh students full tuition support.
“Education is the key to reconciliation,” said Senator Murray Sinclair.