Celebrating people, place and planet is a key commitment for the University of Victoria, as is ʔetalnəw̓əl̓ | ÁTOL,NEUEL | Respecting the rights of one another and being in right relationship with all things. Key to fulfilling these commitments are our relationships with the Lək̓ʷəŋən (Songhees and Esquimalt) Peoples on whose territory the university stands, and with the Lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ Peoples whose historical relationships with the land continue to this day.
At the Orange Shirt Day ceremony on Sept. 27, 2024, UVic permanently raised the Survivors’ Flag in recognition of residential school Survivors. Following this, the 215+ banners designed by Carey Newman, which were created as part of UVic’s urgent response to the Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc First Nation’s discovery of more than 215 unmarked graves at the Kamloops Residential School site in 2021, were decommissioned.
The retirement of the 215+ banners from flagpoles on UVic’s Gordon Head and Queenswood campuses, and from the Ian Stewart Complex and Marine Technology Centre, created space for 48 new banners with Indigenous artwork to be displayed.
The new banners, designed by internationally renowned Lək̓ʷəŋən master carver and artist Dr. Clarence “Butch” Dick, depict the creation story of the Lək̓ʷəŋən Nation. Symbols related to the origin story include the eagle and the orca. The eagle embodies peace and friendship, and the orca is a symbol of longevity, protection and family. Together, these symbols reflect UVic’s transformative journey, from a colonial institution to one fostering Xʷkʷənəŋistəl | W̱ȻENEṈISTEL| helping to move each other forward.
The concept… is a contemporary approach to the traditional and powerful symbols of the eagle and a killer whale. Culturally, the orca is part of the emergence story of the wolf people. It is said that our peoples’ existence came from the killer whale, to sea wolf, and then to wolf, with the eagle as the powerful messenger sharing this part of our People’s history.
—Dr. Clarence “Butch” Dick
The banners also serve as a reminder to our UVic community to think about the relationships we have built, the ones that we want to protect, and to embrace the new connections we aspire to form.
“The installation of Butch Dick’s banners supports and honours our commitment to ʔetalnəw̓əl̓| ÁTOL,NEUEL | respecting the rights of one another and being in right relationship with all things by including Indigenous artwork and symbolism on our campus,” said President and Vice-Chancellor Kevin Hall.
The banners depict the teachings and learnings of the Lək̓ʷəŋən (Songhees and Esquimalt) and W̱SÁNEĆ Peoples and demonstrate our commitment to creating a warm, welcoming and respectful environment that is accepting of diversity and inclusive of Indigenous ways of knowing and being.”
—President and Vice-Chancellor Kevin Hall
UVic is honouring its commitments to local Nations by creating spaces and initiatives that reflect Indigenous values, cultures and histories. Some actions include the installation of Margaret August’s welcome banners and the cedar pattern on parts of the campus greenway, along with Indigenous art on campus, the naming of buildings, including Čeqʷəŋín ʔéʔləŋ (Cheko’nien House), Sŋéqə ʔéʔləŋ (Sngequ House) and Siʔčəŋəɫ ʔeʔləŋ (Si ̓chungulh House), and the inclusion of natural elements in the construction of the National Centre for Indigenous Laws (NCIL).
