A nearly 11-metre tall atrium, a ceremonial space, a day care, a fitness centre and an elders’ lounge: these are just a few features included in Red Crow Community College’s new campus in southern Alberta.
Construction of the 100,000-square-foot facility in Kainai Nation, about 185 kilometres southeast of Calgary, began in September 2019 and is now nearing the finish line.
College president Roy Weasel Fat said the new campus is a point of pride for his community.
“All our community members said, ‘Red Crow College needs a new campus,'” he said.
The college initially opened inside the former St. Mary’s Residential School in 1986. Later, in 1995, it became the first tribal college in Canada.
It operated inside the former residential school building until a fire — which police later deemed to be an arson — burned it down in 2015.
The college has since been operating out of an old elementary school that’s located next to the new campus.
The new campus building cost about $48 million: the federal government and the Blood Tribe Chief and council each spent $20 million, and the college spent $8 million.
About 450 students are currently enrolled at the college, but the building has enough capacity for about 900 students.
The main benefit for students is being able to learn about Blackfoot culture and language, Weasel Fat said.
“They can go out and seek their own knowledge about Blackfoot [culture],” he said. “They know how to connect with elders. They know who the elders are.”
‘Our elders hold so much knowledge’
While there is work left to do on the building, students and staff are already on site.
Kimberly Sweetgrass, the student body president, is among them. She recently completed the college’s arts and science diploma program, and just started her first year of the Niisitapi teacher education program.
While the campus has features for students to enjoy, such as a new library and science lab, Sweetgrass said the most important feature is the lounge dedicated for elders.
“Our elders hold so much knowledge that they can pass down to us students,” she said.
“For us to be able to tap into their knowledge in such a comfortable, at-home setting, it’s going to bring so much to our lives.”
The new campus gives the community great hope and pride, said Calvin Williams Sr., an elder at the college.
“It gives us hope that the future is just going to get better and better for our young people, so there are a lot of opportunities that are going to be created,” he said.
The role of elders at the college, he said, is to pass down their traditional knowledge to staff and students — especially their language and way of life.
“We never ever want to lose that because that’s what Creator gave us,” Williams Sr. said.
The grand opening ceremony for Red Crow College’s new campus is scheduled for Oct. 20.
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