Mount Saint Vincent becomes first Nova Scotia university to raise wikoum on campus

Mount Saint Vincent University became the first university in the province to raise a wikoum on campus on Wednesday.

A wikoum, also known as wigwam, was installed as new space for indigenous gatherings and education at the university.

It’s the legacy project of Catherine Martin, whose term as Nancy’s Chair in Women’s Studies at the university is coming to an end this month.

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

READ MORE: ‘They represent the unfinished lives’: memorial honours missing and murdered Indigenous women

“I wanted to do something that responded to a lot of things while I was here,” Martin told Global News  “That is a safe place, a place where our people will feel at home and a place where we see a commitment from an institution like the Mount.”

The term wikoum means home.

The installation is portable and Martin said that it may be set up at other locations in the province.