Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) welcomed over 90 Indigenous high school students from across the region on April 30 for a special event focused on their future.
Open Doors, Open Minds provides Indigenous high school students the opportunity to meet current KPU students and faculty members, learn about services for Indigenous students at the university, and attend mock classes in subjects such as creative writing and physics.
This annual event is designed to inspire students about their future by introducing them to the educational opportunities available at KPU, says Gayle Bedard, Associate Vice-President, Indigenous Leadership at KPU.
“Everyone has a gift, and it’s important to know what that gift is and to nurture it,” she says. “A lot of students are still figuring out what they want to do, so we hope to plant some seeds by exposing them to the diverse programs KPU has to offer.”
Keynote presenter Justin Rain, a Plains Cree actor and member of the Zagimē Anishinabēk Nation, shared his early experiences with racism, which sowed the seeds of trauma and addiction during his adolescence. Despite these challenges, he conveyed a powerful message about not allowing such experiences to define one's identity.
"It's important that we learn to express ourselves through creative outlets and speak up about how we feel rather than suppressing who we are," says Rain. "The history of our Indigenous peoples can inspire us to live a stronger life and live better.
“We are capable of anything and everything we put our hearts, spirits and minds into as long as we are expressing ourselves through healthy creative outlets."
The event also featured singing and drumming by Love Medicine, a friendship dance and healing dance performed by Nyla Bedard, and the Heartbeat Song sung by KPU’s Elder in Residence Lekeyten and Sqwayeten (Cheryl).
Open Doors, Open Minds is a collaboration between KPU’s Indigenous Student Services and Future Students Office.