Self-Study for Reconciliation

This guide highlights introductory resources for members of the Langara community who are seeking to educate themselves about:

• Indigenous culture, language, and worldviews, with a focus on Musqueam First Nation, upon whose land the College is located
• The impact of settler colonialism on the Indigenous peoples of present-day Canada, and Indigenous resistance, resilience, and resurgence
• Ways to support decolonization and reconciliation in personal and professional contexts moving forward

Think of it as a starting point for your educational journey.

Langara College is located on the land of the Musqueam First Nation. Musqueam (xʷməθkʷəy̓ əm), which is pronounced MUSK-WEE-UM, is a strong community of Indigenous people who have lived on and cared for territories in the lower Mainland of British Columbia since time immemorial. To learn more, visit the Our Story page on the Musqueam website.

The Musqueam language is called hən̓q̓ əmin̓ əm̓ (HUN-KEE-MEE-NUM), and Musqueam community members learn, speak, and celebrate this language alongside speaking English.

The majority of land in the province of British Columbia, including Musqueam land, is unceded. The term unceded means that the land was never sold, given, or negotiated through treaty to the newcomers, or settlers, who began to settle the land in Canada a few hundred years ago.