Brandon University will welcome back Indigenous alumni from all years past for a special reunion day and celebration gathering during Homecoming this fall, replacing a smaller gathering that was originally planned for late August. The reunion is being organized by a special committee in partnership with the BU Alumni Association and the BU Indigenous Peoples Centre, and it will help renew and create more lasting relationships amongst alumni.
“The BU Indigenous Alumni Reunion is a groundbreaking venture to appreciate and recognize the personal, educational and professional accomplishments in the realm of Indigenous advancement,” said event co-chair Lorraine Pompana. “The goal is to establish an Indigenous Alumni Chapter in partnership with the BU Alumni Association. Such an alliance will provide a more reciprocal relationship whereby Indigenous Alumni can be a resource to Brandon University in general.”
Indigenous alumni have contributed to the history, significance, advancements and have impacted the academia of Indigenous peoples, and this celebration day will be an opportunity to share positive remembrances of past student activities and experiences as well as current and past accomplishments since graduation.
The celebration day at Homecoming is an expanded version of a reunion that was originally planned for late August. Now, it will be held on Saturday, Oct. 19, alongside other reunions at Homecoming.
The Homecoming Indigenous reunion is planned to begin with a pipe ceremony and will include a welcome-back meet and greet, campus tours and sharing circles will be held. The day will conclude with special recognition of Indigenous alumni at the evening Homecoming banquet.
All alumni and the entire community are welcome to help celebrate Indigenous contributions to BU throughout Homecoming, which will be held Oct. 17–20, 2019. The weekend will also include a special Homecoming concert, class reunions, a Bobcat volleyball reunion, family activities, and much more. A highlight this year will be the Bobcat volleyball home opener.
Along with the Indigenous reunion, special anniversary celebrations are planned for class years marking significant milestones as well as the 20th anniversary of the Winnipeg campus and the 80th anniversary of science at BU. As well, the university will be celebrating the achievements of this year’s outstanding Alumni Award recipients.
Kicking off Homecoming will be a public keynote presented by Dr. Samantha Nutt, the renowned humanitarian, physician and best-selling author who is co-founder of the international humanitarian organizations War Child Canada and War Child USA.
The keynote is open to all interested members of the public, as is all of Homecoming, which celebrates the university’s history in the community.
Tickets to Dr. Nutt’s keynote are on sale through the Western Manitoba Centennial Auditorium. To register for the rest of Homecoming, including the Indigenous reunion, visit BrandonU.ca/Homecoming.
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