A newly opened space for Indigenous learning at Western University is being called the most overt action taken by the university in regard to reconciliation.
The Wampum Learning Lodge has been in the works since 2016 and officially opened Monday. It's located on the site of the former faculty of education library, and was designed by Canada's first female Indigenous architect, Wanda Dalla Costa.
"For Western, this is the most overt signal to date that shows Western is all about reconcilliation," said Christy Bressette, vice-provost & associate vice-president of Indigenous Initiatives.
The idea for the learning lodge came about when the school drafted its first Indigenous Strategic Plan in response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's findings and calls to action.