The First Nations Longhouse is a “home away from home” for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit students.
Opened in 1993, the First Nations Longhouse is an award-winning building constructed with Western red cedar logs and designed to reflect a traditional Musqueam shed-style longhouse.
The facility includes Sty-Wet-Tan Great Hall, a dramatic 3,600 square foot multipurpose space adorned with beautifully carved houseposts and beams, all of which provides a wonderful setting for any gathering.
Sty-Wet-Tan is a hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ or Musqueam term, meaning spirit of the west wind.
The Longhouse serves as a “home away from home” for First Nations, Métis, and Inuit students, and for many offers an academic, social, spiritual, and cultural hub.
In addition to student programming, the Longhouse has various student spaces. Notably, šxʷta:təχʷəm, an Indigenous student space, is open to make a meal, hangout between classes, and participate in student-led social activities.
The administrative offices of the First Nations House of Learning, which manages the facility and organizes programming, is located in the Longhouse.
Xwi7xwa Library is situated adjacent to the Longhouse.
Please note: The First Nations Longhouse is an Indigenous student services centre. It is not an art gallery, museum, or interpretative centre; therefore, it is not open to the public.
The Story of the First Nations Longhouse, UBC, 1991-1993
In this 1994 film, the importance of the First Nations Longhouse at The University of British Columbia is conveyed by those who contributed to its construction and were there when it opened on May 25, 1993.
This video is closed captioned
The First Nations Longhouse: Our Home Away from Home
In this digital publication, first printed in 2001, Verna Kirkness and Jo-ann Archibald provide a firsthand account of the construction, opening and purpose of the University of British Columbia’s First Nations Longhouse, including the philanthropists behind its development. Digitization of the book was made possible by EBSCO community funding.
Best viewed in Full Screen
Former FNHL Directors speak on the Longhouse’s 30th anniversary
In these short videos, five former FNHL Directors speak on the subject of the Longhouse’s 30th Anniversary.
Among topics covered, Dr. Verna Kirkness tells the Longhouse’s origin story; Dr. Jo-ann Archibald reads a speech Dr. Kirkness gave at the Longhouse’s opening in 1993; Dr. Richard Vedan talks about the houseposts in Sty-Wet-Tan Great Hall and their stories from “time immemorial”; Dr. Linc Kesler discusses the Longhouse’s role in shaping Indigenous engagement at UBC; and, Dr. Margaret Moss describes the challenge of maintaining student programming at the Longhouse during COVID-19.
These videos were produced as part of the Longhouse & Xwi7xwa Library’s 30th anniversary celebration.
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