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Jan 19 - Lieutenant governor opens Aboriginal Gathering Place at Douglas
A dedicated gathering space for Aboriginal students that showcases First Nations culture will be officially opened by Steven Point, lieutenant governor of B.C., at Douglas College's New Westminster campus today.The event will also include remarks by Chief Rhonda Larrabee of the QayQayt Nation.
A 175-square metre extension built on the fourth floor of the campus's south building, the Aboriginal Gathering Place is a multipurpose facility used as a classroom, study space, student lounge and venue for traditional ceremonies. An adjoining smaller room is used for meetings, potlucks and as a staging area for Aboriginal dancers.
"New Westminster has long been a gathering place for Aboriginal peoples who lived along the Fraser," says Scott McAlpine, president of Douglas. "We are excited to now have a place where First Nations students and members of the local community can come together."
The official opening includes a cedar brushing of commissioned artwork as part of a pole-raising ceremony. The artwork showcases the culture of Aboriginal peoples and includes a four-metre traditional welcoming pole, designed by Coast Salish artist Susan Point, which faces the Fraser River.
Smaller poles, designed by Coast Salish artist George Hemeon, sit in each corner of the main room and depict different animals. The poles represent the four directions and the four phases of the moon, as well as the different peoples of the Earth. The symbols are important in Aboriginal culture, medicine and healing, says Dave Seaweed, coordinator of Aboriginal Student Services at Douglas.
Seaweed says the art is an important factor in creating a welcoming environment in the Gathering Place.
"We want to have enough art and diversity of art that it draws people in. We're trying to create a sense of culture on campus, but also create a way to encourage people to visit. It's a gathering place, but we also want to teach about the culture."
The Gathering Place received the majority of its funding from the B.C. government's Gathering Places Capital Fund, with the remainder supplied by Douglas College.
