NLC Aboriginal Student Advisor Theresa
Gladue thanks Jeff Beale, Encana’s
Aboriginal Relations Advisor.
DAWSON CREEK – Members of the Northern Lights College community will be the beneficiaries of a $6,000 donation from Encana Corporation towards the College’s four Aboriginal Gathering Spaces.
The funds will be used to purchase televisions, DVD players and wall mounts to be installed in the Gathering Spaces at the Dawson Creek, Chetwynd, Fort Nelson and Fort St. John campuses.
“With the support of Encana, we were able to install new technology in each of the four Gathering Spaces at Northern Lights College. The televisions and DVD players will be used for workshop presentations, as well as teaching aids for Cree lessons,” said Lorelee Friesen, Dean of Student Services at NLC.
NLC’s Gathering Spaces were developed from funding by the Province of British Columbia. The first Gathering Space opened in 2009 at the Fort Nelson Campus, with the remaining three Gathering Spaces opening in 2011.
The Gathering Spaces feature artwork and cultural artifacts commissioned by local Aboriginal bands, as well as study spaces and lounge areas. The office for the Aboriginal Education Officer is also located adjacent to the Gathering Space.
The College’s geographic area includes eight distinct Aboriginal cultures: Tlingit, Tahltan, Slavey, Cree, Saulteau, Dunneza, Dene and Métis.