Lheidli T’enneh First Nation and the University of Northern British Columbia have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) that will ensure the educational success of Lheidli T’enneh students at UNBC by removing the financial barriers that prevent many of the community's young people from post-secondary studies.
This MOU will offer comprehensive financial assistance and academic support by allowing eligible Lheidli T’enneh students to attend UNBC at no cost.
In addition, all extra costs associated with post-secondary education like living expenses, course fees, tutoring services and textbooks will also be covered.
This new initiative is built off the success of the 2019 pilot agreement that formalized the Lheidli T’enneh Northern Promise Partnership Program and the Lheidli T’enneh Northern Promise Partnership Transition Program. These two programs give the funding needed to achieve an undergraduate degree at UNBC and help students with the transition to university by providing full tuition support respectively.
The signing ceremony took place at the Robert Fredrick Galley at UNBC, on the traditional territory of the Lheidli T’enneh. The document was signed by UNBC president Geoff Payne and Lheidli T’enneh Chief Dollen Logan.
“It's all about working together,” said Logan. “It's not about what one person wants. It's teaming up and working together for the future for everyone. Reconciliation it's not just for First Nations, it's for everyone. This is our home, we should all be working together to further all of our children's education.”
Logan stated that this initiative will aim to deepen collective responsibility to support the academic success of Indigenous students, and is crucial to ensuring that all voices and perspectives are considered as they work together to ignite the next generation of Indigenous leaders in British Columbia.
She said she also has first-hand experience with seeing the positive impact this new MOU and UNBC has had on Lheidli T’enneh students.
“They love it,” said Logan. “I can speak with experience. My granddaughter, this is her first year at UNBC, and she absolutely loves it. At first, going into university is scary, two months ago, they were lifting their hands to ask questions and lifting their hands to leave the room, and now they go from teenagers to adults, So, the experience here is fabulous, and they have the Aboriginal room, and they have an opportunity opportunity go in there and work, … they feel comfortable coming here. Because there are people to talk to,”
Payne told The Citizen that he hopes this project will significantly advance truth and reconciliation for the university.
“What's really important is that this is not just ticking a box,” said Payne. “This isn't about just offering a tuition waiver. This is building upon a strong relationship that we've had and being good stewards of that relationship. On the university side, to know that we don't do this because we have to do it but because it's important to us. There's a deeper meaning to that. So I do hope this continues on the path of truth and reconciliation, which is so important to us here at UNBC. If you look at our new strategic plan for the university, act on truth and reconciliation is front and centre."
