SFU opens long-awaited, $25M First Peoples’ Gathering House

Bhagyashree Chatterjee | DAILY HIVE

Published

Simon Fraser University (SFU) has opened the doors to its new First Peoples’ Gathering House, a long-awaited, $25-million space.

The 15,000-square-foot longhouse, perched on SFU’s Burnaby Mountain campus beside the Trottier Observatory, was celebrated on Sept. 12, with a ceremony and cultural performances from the host First Nations, xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), səl̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), and kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem).

For Chris (Syeta’xtn) Lewis, SFU’s Indigenous executive lead, stepping inside the finished building was an emotional experience. “It’s just truly inspiring and empowering to finally be standing in this space that we have all dreamed of for so many years,” he said in an SFU release. “It’s a home-away-from-home, a place where people can feel safe to be who they are and express their traditions and customs.”

The idea for a ceremonial space at SFU goes back decades. Indigenous students and staff have been calling for it for more than 20 years. Construction finally began in 2023 after funding came together from the Province of B.C., the university itself, and the City of Burnaby. 

The Gathering House was designed in close collaboration with the four host nations. Inside, the Great Hall seats 300 people and looks east, a deliberate choice to honour Coast Salish tradition. Carved house posts stand watch above, each representing one of the nations on whose unceded lands SFU sits. SFU president Joy Johnson said in the release that the opening is both a milestone in the school’s 60-year history and a step forward in reconciliation. “To have people walk down the ceremonial walkway and see this building is a wonderful example of really bringing our commitments to life,” she said. “That being said, this is an important milestone on the journey, not the end of the journey.”

For B.C. Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills Jessie Sunner, the House is about more than bricks and wood. “It’s much more than a building — it reflects our commitment to reconciliation and to creating inclusive and welcoming environments,” she said in a government statement.

Today, more than 900 Indigenous students are enrolled at SFU. The Gathering House will give them, and the wider community, a place for ceremony, cultural learning, celebrations, and classes. It’s also a space where non-Indigenous people can come to learn about reconciliation, decolonization, and Indigenization.