Pónokaisissáhta Indigenous Student Centre, which opened its doors at Red Deer Polytechnic in early September, reflects culture and the environment in both name and design.
Named Elk River in the Blackfoot language, blue tiles on the centre's floor curve through the space like a river; wooden spokes on a ceiling light fixture stretch out like the rays of the sun; small black spruce tree trunks accent a study space; sweet grass and sage are available for smudging; and a black bear pelt hangs on the wall.
Large windows look onto a treed courtyard, and the exterior of the centre is wrapped in murals by Rocky Mountain House digital artist Crystal Lee Clark that feature mountains and a river with a canoe surrounded by beaver, elk, geese, bison, and fish.
A nearby teepee is available to students, which will be dismantled for the winter, along with an outdoor fire pit.
Lloyd Desjarlais, Dean of Indigenous Initiatives, said the centre provides Indigenous students with a physical place to land during their studies.
"Number one, it provides a safe space for Indigenous students, a safe place to come and be themselves," Desjarlais said.
"It's for our Indigenous student population to just have a place of their own. Beyond that, it's a place where they can come and learn if they're curious about anything Indigenous."
He said it's a centre that students have been asking for since he came to RDP in 2017. The post secondary's Indigenous student population has grown to between 400 and 500, and most recently, Indigenous and international student centres shared the same location.
"Prior to having this space, student engagement wasn't always the greatest. Now that they know there's a place, students come in. We probably meet two or three new students every day."
A handful of regulars already drop by the centre, open Monday to Friday, where there is a coffee maker to fuel students' studies, a printer and small study area available, snacks and frozen soup and bannock for those who don't have a lunch, student storage bins, a television to help with research, and staff onsite.
Conveniently located in Room 1010, near the campus food court and book store, students of all backgrounds are also welcome to utilize the spaces at the Indigenous centre which opens up the opportunity for conversation.
The centre is part of RDP's ReconciliACTION plan, and Desjarlais said encouraging communication and engagement can provide the spark that can eventually lead to change.
"If people don't know what we're trying to reconcile for, we're never going to get to reconciliation. That truth telling, and story sharing, and the dialogue on both sides, needs to happen for people to understand."
Work on the centre is about 90 per cent finished. An outdoor learning classroom, with no infrastructure required, is also in the works at a green space on the south side of the campus.
"Being outside and being in nature, that's how I spent a lot of my time growing up on the reserve that I'm from. Building the connection with the land, when I think of Indigenous education, that's what it's about. It's learning from the land and being a part of our environment," Desjarlais said.
Visit Red Deer Polytechnic Indigenous Services on Facebook for more about Pónokaisissáhta Indigenous Student Centre.
