We embrace a future where equity, diversity and inclusion are integral to all the ways in which we work, live and study.

Located on the traditional lands of the Xwsepsum and Lekwungen ancestors and families who have lived here for thousands of years, the university acknowledges the learning we undertake and still have ahead to co-create an inclusive world.

As a way of celebrating our past, master carver and Songhees Nation Elder Clarence “Butch” Dick (YUX’WEY’LUPTON) generously created this symbol to grace our new convocation regalia in 2019 and has permitted its use for The Tomorrow Makers.

The Sneq’wa (Blue Heron) represents the ability to progress and evolve on a path of self-determination. Its elegance and innate wisdom allow it to manoeuvre through life with grace.

About the Artist

YUX’WEY’LUPTON is among Victoria’s most influential Coast Salish artists. His carvings and public art can be seen around the region, from the Ogden Point breakwater mural to the Signs of Lekwungen Interpretive Walkway along Victoria’s inner harbour, to the mural at Royal Roads University on Esquimalt Lagoon.

YUX’WEY’LUPTON has been an educator and a mentor to many, championing Indigenous youth empowerment and educational equity through more than two decades as a teacher with School District 61, four years as an assistant professor in Indigenous Teaching and Learning at the University of Victoria and more than six years as an education liaison for the Songhees Nation. He was instrumental in the launch of the Songhees Recreation and Wellness Centre in 2013 and the driving force behind the Indigenous Youth Showcase, which provides mentorship for youth to develop their own artistic vision, focus and career paths.

YUX’WEY’LUPTON was inducted into the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts in 2013 and received the Victoria Leadership Lifetime Achievement Award in 2015. He is a member of the university’s Heron People, trusted Old Ones/Elders and Traditional Knowledge Keepers.