The University of Saskatchewan’s director of aboriginal initiatives, Candace Wasacase-Lafferty says the colours, red, yellow, white and blue used in Gordon Oakes Redbear Student Centre are the colours used by the family of the late Cree elder.
The official grand opening is still two months away, but on Tuesday the media toured the Gordon Oakes Redbear Student Centre at the University of Saskatchewan.
The $17 million Douglas Cardinal design will be the home of the Aboriginal Students Centre and aboriginal student leadership groups.
The director of aboriginal initiatives, Candace Wasacase-Lafferty says the centre is named after Cree Elder the late Gordon Oakes.
“It was his teachings that were the most compelling. We would hear the stories of the two horses that symbolized his teachings of working together, one aboriginal and one non,” said Wasacase-Lafferty.
“Working together for common outcomes and we thought that really captured the values of the University of Saskatchewan.”
The centre will be open to students in January and have its grand opening on February.