Xwelítem Siyáya: Allyship and Reconciliation Building

The UFV Peace and Reconciliation Centre (PARC), in partnership with UFV Continuing Education, the Stó:lō Nation, the Stó:lō Tribal Council, the Stó:lō Research and Resource Management Centre, and the Stó:lō Grand Chief’s Council, has launched a collaborative program initiative: Xwelítem Siyáya: Allyship and Reconciliation Building. This program seeks to help build people’s capacity for reconciliation-building by teaching the importance of authentic allyship and providing skills for building relationships between colonial settlers and Indigenous communities here in the Fraser Valley and beyond.

Over the past three years, hundreds of participants have taken part in what was previously offered as our Tier 1 program. We are deeply grateful to all who have walked alongside us during these formative years and contributed to shaping the program as it exists today.

Program update

Xwelítem Siyáya is currently undergoing a period of thoughtful restructuring, with support from UFV Continuing Education. Beginning in Fall 2026, we intend to offer a renewed Foundational learning experience alongside Continued Learning opportunities. These offerings will be non-credited and designed to support both new learners and those who have participated in earlier iterations of the program.

In the meantime, PARC will continue to host related learning opportunities as we move toward this next chapter.

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Why is Allyship important?

This new program is designed in response to the many enquiries we receive from settlers who want to learn more about the Stó:lō people and to develop competencies in allyship.

But even more, it is in response to requests from Stó:lō leaders and educators who have indicated that their primary focus needs to be on providing programs and capacity building opportunities to their own community members.

In launching this program, we are, therefore, collaborating with Stó:lō leaders in a way that helps lay the foundations for genuine reconciliation while alleviating Indigenous people of the weight of having to deliver such programs themselves.