Portland State University Visitors Guide - Flipbook - Page 25
PLANTING
THE SEEDS CONT.
“ITECK invites us to do things in a
different way,” Rilatos says — and the
Vernier Science Center embodies that
approach. She and BlueHorse Skelton
worked closely with Bora’s project
team to incorporate Indigenous design
and perspectives into the space.
“This way of understanding our
place in the world and where we are
and how we interact with it and the
relationships we have doesn’t have to
be this one way that we’ve been taught
from a Western perspective,” Rilatos
says. “What is really nice and different
about the new science center is that it’s
pushing against the mindset that one is
better than the other.”
Inside the center, the color scheme
of each floor is rooted in the ecology
of the Pacific Northwest — coastal
wetland, oak savanna, Willamette
riparian, coastal rainforest, high desert
and the Cascades. The directional
signage features animal and plant
relatives from each ecoregion
accompanied by a QR code to hear
their names in local Native languages.
The building’s design draws inspiration
from and uplifts Indigenous ways of
knowing and being, thanks in no small
part to the vision and commitment of
Rilatos and now-retired Indigenous
Nations Studies Professor Judy
BlueHorse Skelton.
The building’s wayfinding — the
color scheme of each floor and the
directional signage — is rooted in the
ecology of the Pacific Northwest, and
dedicated space on the second floor
supports the expansion of ITECK,
including a First Foods kitchen
classroom, an Indigenous library and a
community gathering room.
“We have students from over 250
different tribes in the United States
and many students who identify as
Indigenous from around the world
that come to PSU and they are saying,
‘This is what we’ve been looking for,’”
BlueHorse Skelton said. “There are
many students here and from the past
who were part of this vision and said,
‘This is what we need to be welcomed.
This is what we need to feel we belong.
This is where we need to come together
and recognize that our culture is here.
We can be our culture. We can practice
our culture.’”
Visit PSU for a campus tour and see
the Vernier Science Center for yourself.
PSU offers daily campus tours and
academic tours.
Come see for yourself why Niche
ranks Portland as one of the
best college locations in the
nation. pdx.edu/visit
Visitor Guide
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