By Jenessa Joy Klukas, The Discourse, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Education student Hayden Taylor says Vancouver Island University (VIU) is “definitely a safe space for Indigenous future educators.” 

Taylor is a member of the Haisla Nation, and as a fifth year in VIU’s Bachelor of Education program, he regularly participates in Indigenous practices on campus.

Taylor is an active participant at Shq’apthut (A Gathering Place), the campus’s hub for Indigenous supports, and is part of VIU’s community cousins program. “[Community Cousin’s] is a mentorship program that is made up of Indigenous students at VIU, that provides support for Indigenous students.”