Indigenous TRU
Weyt-k! Welcome to TRU
At TRU you will find small classes, personal attention and practical learning experiences in every program — all on a beautiful campus in the Secwepemc territory of Kamloops, BC. We create an environment that encourages you to succeed by developing a network of supports and friendships — covering your social, personal and academic experiences. Please join us!
Paul Michel
Executive Director
Office of Indigenous Education
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Future Students
We offer a wide spectrum of choices for students. You can choose anything from a six-month certificate program to a four-year degree and anything in between, including one of our many trades and apprenticeship programs.
- Learn about Cplul’kw’ten
- Meet some of our students
- Talk to a recruiter
- Take a tour
- See our services for students
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Current Students
Cplul’kw’ten is a friendly and inviting Indigenous centre that provides information on all aspects of university life and doubles as space to socialize, study or just take a break from your day. It is truly a home away from home.
- Elder in the House
- Mentoring Program
- Team of support staff
- Learning circles
- Counselling
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Indigenization Initiatives
Our initiatives are wide-ranging and ongoing — including Indigenizing Open Learning, Towards Indigenizing Higher Ed, Bearing Witness, Knowledge Makers, and more.
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Coyote Project
Learn about our united efforts to accelerate programs and projects that will contribute to campus-wide indigenization.
More than 40 TRU Elders, deans, faculty and staff are the proud recipients of this year’s Alan Blizzard Award from the Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. This national award recognizes excellence in their collaborative teaching through the Knowledge Makers, which mentors Indigenous students to success as Indigenous researchers.
Stories
Coyote continues to create change
TRU's program to accelerate indigenization campuswide, known as The Coyote Project, has been extended for three more years.
TRU designates seats to train more Indigenous teachers
TRU is expanding its Bachelor of Education program by 16 seats for Indigenous students.
Gathering support
Cplul’kw’ten, or The Gathering Place, has evolved into a place of comfort and support that’s bursting with services for Indigenous students.
Traditional Secwepemc (Shuswap) Territory
Kamloops and Williams Lake campuses are both situated on the traditional and unceded Secwepemc (Shuswap) territory.
We acknowledge and give honour to the Secwepemc — the ancestral peoples who have lived here for thousands of years — upon whose traditional and unceded land Thompson Rivers University is located. The Secwepemc maintain a spiritual and practical relationship to the land, water, air, animals, plants and all things needed for life on Mother Earth. It is with that in mind that we owe this debt of gratitude.
There are approximately 7,000 Secwepemc people in the territory, which spans 180,000 square kilometres through the interior plateau of south central British Columbia. The mountain ranges, grasslands and river valleys surrounding the Fraser, and North and South Thompson rivers create the boundaries of the territory.
TRU has one of the largest Indigenous student populations among BC post-secondary institutions, with well over 2,000 students (about 10 percent), representing 16 First Nation and Indigenous peoples enrolled in new, continuing, open learning and trades programs.
In addition to Secwepemc students, Indigenous students at TRU come from several BC nations, including the Carrier, Okanagan, Nuxalk, and Nlaka'pamux, as well as students of Métis and Inuit ancestry.
Thompson Rivers University is dedicated to Indigenous student success, to fostering meaningful relationships with Indigenous communities and to promoting Indigenous knowledges and scholarship. Through collaboration, innovation, respect and humility, the university fosters a welcoming environment that is grounded in the principles of reconciliation and is able to address the calls to action placed on everyone in this country.