It’s hard to miss Seneca’s new Odeyto centre while visiting the Newnham campus.

The canoe-shaped structure serves many purposes, among them being a home away from home for Indigenous students far from their communities and a hub spurring discovery for those disconnected from their roots.

“I don’t really know how I would come to know exactly who I am, if it wasn’t for connecting with the First Peoples at Seneca,” said Emma Greenfield, 28. She doesn’t have official Indigenous status but wants to discover her heritage and connect with the legacy of her grandmother, an Akwesasne Mohawk woman.