At its Convocation ceremonies last June, the University of the Fraser Valley conferred an honorary degree on Siyamiyateliyot Elizabeth Phillips, the last surviving fluent speaker of Upriver Halq’eméylem, the language of the Stó:lō people. Professional linguists have played a vital role in assisting community members and Elders such as Siyamiyateliyot in helping the Stó:lō to…

How many times have you buzzed down Highway One from the interior to the lower mainland, focused only on getting home as soon as possible? You pass by the historic town of Yale in an instant, and in Hope you might stop for a snack, but not to linger. The mountains and rivers are a…

Dr. Gwen Point was installed as Chancellor of the University of the Fraser Valley at a ceremony at its Chilliwack campus at Canada Education Park on February 4, 2015. The installation ceremony was attended by more than 400 dignitaries and special guests, including the Honourable Judith Guichon, Lieutenant Governor of British Columbia. Dr. Point takes…

UFV lent its support to Stó:lō Means Business, an economic business initiative focused on providing support to assist Aboriginal business growth within Stó:lō traditional territory and establishing Stó:lō as a leading centre of Aboriginal business. Shirley Hardman, UFV’s Senior Advisor on Indigenous Affairs, serves as board chair of Stó:lō Community Futures, which presented Stó:lō Business…

 “Children are supposed to grow up with their parents and families.” — Dr. Eric Davis It sounds like a basic human right, but for several generations in Canada, it was a right that was denied to most Aboriginal people, as children were forcibly taken away from their families to attend church-run residential schools. It was…

  When you’re handed a Wednesday in September without your usual classes it might seem like a bonus day off, but UFV didn’t suspend regular programming for a day so that students could sleep in or go to the beach. UFV is transforming the curriculum for this one day because the legacy of the Indian…

It’s one thing to incorporate indigenous content into courses and programs. But the University of the Fraser Valley is taking the concept of partnering with the Aboriginal community to a new level by committing to the concept of “indigenizing” the academy. What this means and how it is achieved will be the subject of a…

Give people the tools to express what they see, and you never know what they’ll show you. That is the idea behind the Lens of Empowerment project, a three-course program undertaken by 11 UFV students that examines the lives and experiences of women in Stó:lō territory. Part of the inspiration for this project came from…

  Although he didn’t attend school past the age of 12, Ray Silver Sr. has accumulated a lifetime’s worth of knowledge and wisdom that he has shared with younger generations. For his service and leadership in his community, the University of the Fraser Valley is recognizing Silver with an honorary Doctor of Laws degree at…

Give people the tools to express what they see, and you never know what they’ll show you. That is the idea behind the Lens of Empowerment project, a three-course program undertaken by 11 UFV students that examines the lives and experiences of women in Stó:lō territory. The Fraser Valley audience will have the chance to…