The First Nations University of Canada occupies one of the most architecturally significant buildings in Saskatchewan — a 2003 structure designed by Douglas Cardinal, the Blackfoot architect responsible for the Canadian Museum of History and the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington. Cardinal's building uses his characteristic organic curved forms in limestone and copper, and the effect is of a building that belongs to the prairie landscape in a way that the orthogonal buildings around it do not.
The university is a fully accredited institution offering degrees in Indigenous studies, fine arts, sciences, and professional programs, with an approach that integrates Indigenous knowledge systems and cultural practices throughout the curriculum. The building's public spaces are open to visitors — the interior reveals Cardinal's handling of light and space at his most refined. The FNUniv gallery exhibits work by Indigenous artists and changes regularly. The building is on the University of Regina campus and is easily combined with a visit to the Royal Saskatchewan Museum.