A house is more than just a place to reside. Itâs a space to build community, to bring people together â in other words, itâs a home.
That sense of âhomeâ is what the Native Education Counselling Unit has been providing to MĂ©tis, Inuit and First Nations students for more than 20 years â not only those at ±«Óătv, but those from other post-secondary institutions across Halifax. The unit offers educational and support services, and is also there to simply provide an attentive ear when needed.
And now, after years of moving through various locations on campus, it finally has a house to call home.
On Wednesday, the unit celebrated the opening of its new location at 6286 South Street, on the second floor of the house that also hosts the ±«Óătv Womenâs Centre. Newly painted and redecorated, the space feels welcoming, inviting and comfortable â perfect for doing schoolwork, meeting with the unitâs counselling staff or just relaxing. The opening ceremony also included a drum circle performance outside on the houseâs lawn.
Don Julien, executive director of The Confederacy of Mainland Miâkmaqâof which the Native Education Counselling Unit is a divisionâwas on hand to help cut the ceremonial ribbon.
âTheyâve done a wonderful job on the painting...looks like [Boston] Bruinsâ colours,â he said with a laugh.
A home away from home
âThis is a great place for students to meet, discuss their studies or just hang out and have a good time,â he continued. âSometimes students that come from First Nations communities are not all that familiar with city life. We hope this offers a home away from home for them.â
Lauretta Sylliboy is a counsellor with the unit. She explains that some students just want to drop by and visit, while others come seeking help to deal with the what she calls the âculture shockâ of moving to Halifax from all across Canada.
âInuit, MĂ©tis and First Nations students can often feel isolated,â she explains. âWe try and make them feel welcome and relaxed here, supporting them as best we can and getting them connected with the right people to help them work through any issues they might be having.â
Carolyn Watters, ±«Óătvâs vice-president academic and provost, was on-hand to celebrate the opening as well. She mentioned that ±«Óătv has more than 200 students from native communities, and that the university sees them as vital contributors to campus culture; next Tuesday, for example, Dal will host its second annual mawioâmiâor âpow wowââopen to all on campus to attend.
âItâs certainly our goal to bring a higher profile to Aboriginal students,â she said. âWe welcome their participation here at the unit and across campus, and are working to support their success here at ±«Óătv.â