If you have any questions, please contact our office.
Office hours
8:30 am – 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday (not including statutory holidays)
General contact information
Phone: (604) 432-8474
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 Wilson (Kwakwaka’wakw), BSc. JD, is the Executive Director of Indigenous Initiatives and Partnerships for British Columbia Institute of Technology. She created and led the launch of BCIT’s Indigenous Vision. In June 2022, BCIT Indigenous Initiatives and Partnerships was awarded the Gold Award for Excellence in Global Indigenous Education. She is Co-chair of the World Federation of Colleges and Polytechnics Indigenous Affinity Group. Kory has over 20 years of experience in post-secondary education, community development, and legal profession. She was instrumental in the creation of six open-sourced BC Campus Indigenization Guides. With a deep commitment to education, she knows innovative and creative solutions are a must to move Reconciliation into ReconciliACTION. Education and access to knowledge are key to move everyone forward. When people know better, they do better.
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