Get to know Laurier's Indigenous Student Centres

At Laurier, our Indigenous Student Centres are open to all students, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous. Because you're a Golden Hawk, you can participate in the centres' activities and events, designed to promote intercultural learning, allyship and fun!

On the Waterloo campus, you'll find the Indigenous Student Centre at 187 Albert Street. At Laurier's Brantford campus, the Indigenous Student Centre is located at 111 Darling Street.

Weekly Soup and Fry Bread Lunches

Soup lunches at the centres offer the opportunity to share a meal with your friends, instructors, Laurier staff and members of the extended university community. Each week, groups from across the university’s campuses volunteer to prepare two kinds of soup (including a vegan option) while centre volunteers make the fry bread.

Soup lunches run from October to April and are free of charge. 

• In Waterloo: Tuesdays, noon to 2 p.m.
• In Brantford: Thursdays, noon to 2 p.m.

Email indigenous@wlu.ca if your student group or club would like to volunteer to make soup.

Community Gardens

Both Indigenous student centre locations feature community gardens where Laurier staff and student volunteers grow plants native to North America. Sage, tobacco, sweet grass, lavender, mint and chamomile are just some of the plant varieties you'll find growing at the centres.

Have a green thumb? Garden volunteers are always needed, especially during the summer months. Prior gardening experience is not required. Email indigenous@wlu.ca if you would like to help out.

The garden spaces can also be booked for outdoor meetings and gatherings. Email indigenous@wlu.ca for more information.

Hands-On Workshops

The centres hold a number of hands-on workshops throughout the academic year to share Indigenous teachings and worldviews with the university community. The workshops are free to attend unless otherwise stated. Regular workshops include making soap and bath bombs with flowers from the community gardens, beading and leather stitching, and talking circles.

Workshops are listed in the university event calendar and on the centres’ Facebook pages:

• Indigenous Student Centre: Brantford campus
• Indigenous Student Centre: Waterloo campus

Elders Program

Elders are respected members of the Indigenous community who hold important traditional and contemporary knowledge and teachings. Laurier offers an Elder-in-Residence program on the Brantford campus and a Visiting Elders program at the Waterloo campus. Elders are available to all students for cultural teachings, one-on-one meetings, consultations and stories. 

Laurier’s Brantford campus Elder is Norma Jacobs. She is Onkwehowe, Wolf Clan of the Cayuga Nation and is from Six Nations of the Grand River. She can be reached at njacobs@wlu.ca.

Under the visiting Elders program, a new Elder from Waterloo Region joins the campus community each month, offering diverse Indigenous perspectives and teachings. Previous Elders have included Bill Morrison, Elaine Endanawas and Mary Anne Mary Caibaiosai.

Email indigenous@wlu.ca for information about upcoming Elder visits.