Office of the Vice-President Indigenous (OVPI)

Welcome to Etalew̓txʷ | ÁTOL,ÁUTW, the Office of the Vice-President Indigenous. Etalew̓txʷ | ÁTOL,ÁUTW is a word gifted to us by J,SINTEN, Dr. John Elliott, that means the centre of respect for the rights of one another and all beings. Our commitment, and our challenge, is to uphold this very powerful word and teaching.

Qwul’sih’yah’maht, Robina Thomas, VP Indigenous

Territory acknowledgement

We acknowledge and respect the Lək̓ʷəŋən (Songhees and Esquimalt) Peoples on whose territory the university stands, and the Lək̓ʷəŋən and W̱SÁNEĆ Peoples whose historical relationships with the land continue to this day.

OVPI logo by Dylan Thomas

In this design Qwul'thilum, Dylan Thomas, has represented the concept of Etalew̓txʷ | ÁTOL,ÁUTW with the image of an eagle, a salmon and an ancestor moon (a moon with a human face). With the respect for the rights of all beings in mind, he included a being to represent the water (salmon), air (eagle), land (human) and spirit world (ancestor moon) – covering all the realms that beings inhabit. By including all of these beings from the different realms, this design is intended to respect and honour all beings that inhabit the world.

• Héʔəkʷ ʔə cə čəléŋən ɫtə | HÁEQ ȽTE OL TŦE ĆELÁṈEN ȽTE

  Remember our ancestors and birthright

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• Nəc̓əmaat kʷəns čeʔi | ĆȺNEUEL OL

  Work together

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• Nəw̓es šxʷ cən ʔay̓ šqʷeləqʷən | ÁMEḴT TŦEN ÍY, ŚḰÁLEȻEN

  Bring in your good heart and mind

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• Leʔt šxʷ helə ʔə cə mak̓ʷ sčeʔi səʔ | S,HOL EṮ MEQ EN ENÁ SE SĆȺ

  Be prepared for the work to come

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UVic Indigenous Plan

Xʷkʷənəŋistəl | W̱ȻENEṈISTEL | Helping to Move Each Other Forward

Nəw̓es šxʷ cən ʔay̓ šqʷeləqʷən | ÁMEḴT TŦEN ÍY, ŚḰÁLEȻEN