Prime Highlights:

• Quebec universities and the First Nations Education Council (FNEC) have partnered together to establish the province’s first Indigenous-governed university: the House of Knowledge.
• The project seeks to develop culturally responsive higher education and Indigenous student success.

Key Facts:

• The House of Knowledge will provide hybrid programs designed by and for First Peoples that prioritize cultural safety and belonging.
• A comprehensive business plan will be submitted to the Quebec Ministry of Higher Education by 2027 in order to legitimize the university.

Key Background:

In a landmark shift for First Nations education in Quebec, the First Nations Education Council (FNEC) has worked with all universities in Quebec to establish the foundation for the House of Knowledge—Quebec’s first First Peoples-conceived, governed, and managed university. The university will be a specialized environment for culturally specific learning, where Indigenous identity, languages, and traditions are the focus of academic growth.

The project is an important response to the historical dilemma for Indigenous people in accessing and succeeding in higher education. Through the infusion of culturally responsive pedagogies and curricula, the House of Knowledge will create a safe and supportive learning space. It will also incorporate support mechanisms such as prior learning assessment, university transition programs, and blended models that integrate in-classroom and online learning to ensure access to Indigenous communities.

The FNEC has already received provincial sponsorship to come up with a proper business plan for the institution, which is set to be tabled before the Ministry of Higher Education by 2027. The plan will put in place governance structures, programs, and funding models necessary to establish and maintain the university.

This is the first such agreement between Quebec’s mainstream educational institutions and Indigenous leadership, and it signifies the start of a path toward reconciliation through education. Industry leaders have expressed uncompromising support for the project as a means of empowering First Nations through self-directed, culture-affirming education. The House of Knowledge is not merely an organization—it is an approach—a root transformation in the way education is being provided to and for Indigenous people within Quebec.