Ceremonial room upgraded at NorQuest College

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Aboriginal students at NorQuest College have a new and improved ceremonial room to gather for counselling, prayer and traditional ceremonies.

The old smudging room at the college was badly in need of upgrading. Artist Karen Arnett assembled a team of NorQuest students, and with a $10,000 donation from ATCO Gas, they transformed the old smudging room into the Aboriginal Ceremonial Room, which was officially opened April 19.

The ceremonial room features a willow medicine wheel and ceiling paintings related to the wheel. The room also features a smudging table that holds the traditional medicines for offerings of prayer to the Creator.

The room is adorned with a sash to represent the Metis student population at NorQuest, and has a Cree prayer written in syllabics on the walls which translates:

"Our Father, God, Creator. Today, help us and protect us, your children. Men, boys, women, girls, my grandfathers. My grandmothers, my parents. And all the people here on earth. Thank you."

The ceremonial room also has Elder Nellie Carlson available to council students. Carlson is on staff with the college and works one day a week. She feels a deep connection with students and helps them to get through classes.

"We have our own special way of communicating with each other. I understand that there are many emotional problems. Setting that aside, we enjoy each other's company," said Carlson.

A number of college and community leaders were on hand for the ribbon cutting ceremony to open the ceremonial room.

"We are very proud to offer our students a place where they can share stories, connect with their Elders, and conduct traditional ceremonies to celebrate their culture," said NorQuest College President Dr. Wayne Shillington.

Russell Blyan, a pastoral minister with the Catholic church, and an Aboriginal student at the college, said the room would serve as a place for healing after what happened to Native people in the residential school system with the church. Blyan talked about forgiveness for the church for what it did to Native people.

"I believe that the ceremonial room here is going to be a healing room. It's going to bring healing to all the people here who were affected by that. I especially want to thank Wayne (Shillington) for opening that door, for giving back to Native people their identity," said Blyan.

Edmonton Mayor Stephen Mandell was on hand and talked about how NorQuest College has worked to integrate itself with the Native community, and that the ceremonial room is an example of that.

"It shows that NorQuest gets it. They understand the significance of blending the tradition, character of the Aboriginal population ... and bringing it together with education for success."

Aboriginal students make up 25 per cent of NorQuest College's population.