Reconciliation means much for KPU elder in residence

Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) is celebrating the 10-year anniversary of Lekeyten’s journey as the university’s elder in residence.

Lekeyten, of Kwantlen First Nation, was welcomed into the role in 2015, when KPU first established its elder-in-residence program, but it wasn’t always something he saw himself doing.

After nearly four decades working in logging and with heavy duty machinery, and a short stint in retirement, this role paved a new chapter in his legacy.

“This was something I had never done before and it was something so new to my life,” he said. “Now, 10 years have gone by with the snap of a finger, and it’s been a hoot.

“Sometimes when I leave here by the end of the day, I feel like I don’t feel the ground I’m walking on.”

Keeper of the house posts

Lekeyten’s name