Program Description First Nations Studies is a program where you can experience community and explore Indigenous cultures and ways of knowing and being. VIU’s Aboriginal Studies program is designed for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous students to learn about the history, culture and lives of First Peoples from an Indigenous perspective. This community-based Indigenous Studies program, founded in 1993 as a unique collaboration with local First Nations communities, creates a culturally responsive context for Indigenous students to participate in post-secondary education. Elders are fundamental faculty members who teach and guide Aboriginal studies curriculum development. VIU’s BA in First Nations Studies is offered as a major or minor.
The Bachelor of Arts in First Nations Studies: explore contemporary First Nations issues in an integrated, multidisciplinary manner; prepare students for living within First Nations societies and the larger world; allow students to pursue the widest possible variety of professional specializations; focus on the physical, emotional, spiritual, and intellectual well-being of each student; emphasize links with First Nations communities and organizations, governments, and educational institutions that give students maximum opportunity for success; build national and international bridges to connect the First Nations of British Columbia with Indigenous peoples around the world.
