The UBC School of Social Work hosted their first Indigenous Social Services Agency Fair at the UBC First Nations Longhouse in the Sty-Wet-Tan Great Hall on October 12, 2023. We held the Agency Fair to strengthen relationships with Indigenous communities and Indigenous-focused services and to provide opportunities for networking and information sharing. We enjoyed a delicious lunch from Salishan Catering that included salmon, vegetables, and fried bannock. After lunch, representatives from participating agencies shared with students about their work in areas such as food insecurity, housing, arts, culture, recreation, mental health, and medical and dental support. Each provider not only discussed their services but beautifully offered pamphlets and gifts for students to take freely. Through this event, social work students gained insight and awareness into the importance and existence of services that integrate Indigenous perspectives, priorities, and ways of knowing and being that support the well-being of Indigenous Peoples. Coming together as students, faculty, and staff with those from Indigenous-focused agencies to strengthen reciprocal relationships was profoundly inspiring and meaningful because it embodied the spirit of celebration and community. As this event was a resounding success, the School plans to hold another Indigenous Agency Fair again in 2024!

Land Acknowledgement

The UBC School of Social Work acknowledges that we are situated on the traditional, ancestral and stolen territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) People.