HERE FIRST:
Starting Guide for Settlers
Welcome!
Thank you for checking out HERE FIRST: Starting Guide for Settlers. The Capilano Students’ Union has put this guide together as a resource to help settlers learn more about Indigenous peoples in Canada (and here at Capilano University!). This guide is designed for settlers — but what does that mean? Well, authors Andrea Eidinger and Sarah York-Bertram put it this way: “Being a settler means that you are non-Indigenous and that you or your ancestors came and settled in a land that had been inhabited by Indigenous people." This term is not derogatory: it’s a fact. Whether you’re a non-Indigenous domestic student, or a migrant/international student attending CapU for a few years on a study permit, you’re a settler on stolen Indigenous lands.
This starting guide is just what it sounds like — it’s a place to start learning about Indigenous peoples and the Indigenous programs, services, and spaces provided by the Capilano Students’ Union and Capilano University. You’re not going to find all of your answers here, but we hope you’ll learn enough to know where to go next on your journey to discover how settlers can stand in solidarity with the Indigenous community at CapU.
July 2023 Updates
This document is a living resource, and the Capilano Students' Union is committed to continuously updating it.
Here is a summary of what has changed recently:
Updated site with new artwork! See below for details on the artist. ♥
Updated the Resilience and Strength page.
Updated the Reading and Resources page.
About the cover art
The artwork displayed throughout this resource was created by Christina Lennox, a Metis artist and a student at Capilano University. Their artwork is titled "Nîpihkân".