New Indigenous cultural centre was 40 years in the making, says former Algoma U chancellor

 A number of Children of Shingwauk Alumni Association members, elected officials and Algoma University leaders gathered virtually Thursday to mark a major funding announcement aimed at bringing the planned Mukqua Waakaa’igan Indigenous cultural centre into reality.

The $18 million Mukqua Waakaa’igan centre will take over where the university’s east wing and Doc Brown Lounge currently stands.

“The name Mukqua Waakaa’igan was given to this place of learning and healing through ceremony and in recognition of this very significant work. In Anishinaabemowin, Mukqua, the bear, is a carrier of medicine, and as such a healer; Waakaa’igan refers to its lodge or den, a home – so in this way, Mukqua Waakaa’igan is to bring healing and medicine in a safe and welcoming place through the sharing of cross-cultural knowledge and understanding,” an Algoma University release states.  

It will feature historical and modern displays, exhibitions and gallery areas, showcasing the work of the Children of Shingwauk Alumni Association, a group of residential school survivors and their descendants. 

The facility will be the new home for the Shingwauk Residential Schools Centre Archives and Aboriginal Healing Foundation Collection.   

“We have worked so many years, for 40 years to come to where we are today. Many people have supported us to come to this. We are so happy that we were able to impart the vision to Algoma University,” said former Algoma University Chancellor Shirley Horn, speaking to SooToday.

Horn is a former Shingwauk Residential School student who returned to the site in 2005 as a student on her own terms, enrolling in Algoma University's Fine Arts program, graduating with Honours in 2009.

She served as Algoma’s first ever chancellor beginning in 2015, succeeded by Mario Turco in 2020.  

In 1981, Horn helped establish the Children of Shingwauk Alumni Association, an organization recognized at the national level for preserving the history of, and educating the public about, the Shingwauk Residential School.

“Of course, as a child, you never ever dream like this. You never, ever believe or think of such an aspiration, that your life would turn out to be one that is filled with joy,” Horn said, reflecting on the journey from her time as a residential school student to witnessing Thursday’s announcement for Mukqua Waakaa’igan. 

Asima Vezina, Algoma University president and vice chancellor, told SooToday the establishment of Mukqua Waakaa’igan will be an added attraction for prospective students as Algoma seeks to reach its goal of having 3,000 full time students enrolled at its three campuses by 2023, many of them enrolled at its Sault Ste. Marie campus.  

“I absolutely think it will.”

“One of the things that this centre will do is bring elementary and secondary school children and teenagers from around the region to learn and explore, and so they will already have been at Algoma University many, many times, so the university will already feel friendly and welcoming to them,” Vezina said.

“We’re looking at different ways of developing programming where we are serious about looking at problems that the world is facing through multiple perspectives, diverse views.”

“We have students coming from 50 countries in the world. These students want to learn from us, with us, but they also want to contribute what they bring to the table and for me, that’s what Mukqua Waakaa’igan is about, about valuing the diverse perspectives and I do believe if we do this well, our campus will be overflowing,” Vezina said.

As far as Mukqua Waakaa’igan construction timelines are concerned, Vezina told reporters “we’ve put the RFP out for architects to submit. We are looking for our architect right now. We expect the architect that will finish the designing and prepare things for construction will be in place by September.”

“We will finish off the designs and drawings with the architect that is successful in the bidding process by probably no later than April. March is sort of our target for RFP for construction by April or May, and shovel in the ground in the late spring of 2022.”

Vezina said it is anticipated construction will take a full year for construction to be completed.

Thursday’s virtual announcement was attended by Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, Sault MP Terry Sheehan, Sault MPP and Minister of Colleges and Universities Ross Romano, Vezina, Horn and several other members of the Children of Shingwauk Alumni Association and the National Residential School Survivor Society.

The federal government is putting $7.1 million towards the project, along with $5.9 million in provincial funding and an anticipated, approximate amount of $4.7 million from Algoma University.