If you have any questions, please contact our office.
Office hours
8:30 am – 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday
General contact information
Phone: (604) 432-8474
Fax: (604) 431-0724
Email: gathering_place@bcit.ca
Office location: Burnaby Campus, Building SW01, Room 1521
Indigenous Initiatives
British Columbia Institute of Technology
3700 Willingdon Avenue
Burnaby, British Columbia
Canada V5G 3H2
Our team
Kory Wilson, Kwakwaka’wakw
Executive Director, Indigenous Initiatives and Partnerships
Kory is Executive Director of Indigenous Initiatives and Partnerships at BCIT, as well as a lawyer, Kwakwaka’wakw, writer, speaker and educator. Kory has designed and taught many innovative programs and courses such as Langara College’s Haida Gwaii Field School and Aboriginal Studies program and SFU’s Good Governance, Moving Beyond the Indian Act course, among many others. She was instrumental in the creation of six open-sourced BC Campus Indigenization Guides and recently created and launched the BCIT Indigenous Vision. Kory, a sought after advocate for Reconciliation, assists BCIT in Indigenous awareness training, cultural activities, policy reviews, hiring and student support. Kory serves on more than 10 non-profit boards and as a founding member of UBC’s President’s Advisory Committee, has been involved in two UBC Indigenous Strategic Plans.
Email: Kory_Wilson@bcit.ca
Tami Pierce, Tsimshian
Associate Director, Indigenous Initiatives and Partnerships
Tami joins BCIT with more than 25 years of experience advancing Indigenous education. She holds a Bachelor of General Studies and a Master of Education from Simon Fraser University. A proud Indigenous (Tsimshian) and Japanese woman, Tami was born and raised in Prince Rupert and has been a guest in the unceded traditional territory of the Coast Salish peoples since 2003.
Email: Tami_Pierce@bcit.ca
Zaa Joseph, Dakelh (he/him)
Advisor, Indigenous Initiatives
Zaa Derik Gammel Joseph was born in Victoria and raised in the Tl’azt’en Nation Territory and Vancouver. His motivation comes from his upbringing around the value of life-long learning. As a father, he relates to balancing work, school, and family. His role is to provide a safe and productive environment for students, make available the resources on and off-campus and provide opportunities to give back through initiatives such as the Indigenous Student Champions/Mentors program. Indigenous Initiatives’ Gathering Place is an environment for studying, receiving support and meeting each other. Zaa is proud to stand beside Alf, Judy, Carleen, Kory, Tami, Celeste to support BCIT’s diverse Indigenous student population.
Email: IndigenousAdvisor@bcit.ca