Makwa Waakaa’igan will showcase the life’s work of the Children of Shingwauk Alumni Association, a committed group of Residential School Survivors and their descendants. Once complete, the facility will also serve as the new home for the Shingwauk Residential Schools Centre archives and Aboriginal Healing Foundation Collection.
Learning and healing through ceremony
The name Makwa Waakaa’igan was given to this place of learning and healing through ceremony and in recognition of this very significant work. In Anishinaabemowin, Makwa, the bear, is a carrier of medicine, and as such a healer; Waakaa’igan refers to its lodge or den. Algoma University will ensure that the significance of this name will be reflected throughout the project’s functional design.
Welcoming our future
Makwa Waakaa’igan is a place where the sharing of knowledge, learning and research take place, along with cultural, artistic, healing and ceremonial activities. The specific needs will be identified by Algoma University in consultation and collaboration with Anishinaabe communities. We take the approach that all of these activities are connected and interconnected, and woven through them are Indigenous worldviews and Indigenous teachings. The learning spaces in Makwa Waakaa’igan are safe and inclusive for all people with respect for Indigenous ways and Indigenous knowledge.
“Makwa Waakaa’igan will provide a culturally appropriate space for the Shingwauk Residential Schools Centre (SRSC) and its one of a kind archival collections. Makwa Waakaa’igan will have a tremendous impact on the operations of the Centre and the communities the SRSC serves.”
Krista McCracken
Interim Director, Shingwauk Residential Schools Centre
“Makwa Waakaa’igan will benefit not only our community but the country and the world. It will serve as a cultural centre for all people to learn and experience the history of residential schools and the culture of Indigenous peoples in Canada. ”
Mario Turco
Chancellor, Algoma University
“Makwa Waakaa’igan will be a tremendous addition to Bawating, and represents another step forward in our community’s truth and reconciliation journey.”
Former Sault Ste. Marie Mayor Christian Provenzano
Children of Shingwauk Alumni Association
Providing for the well-being of former students of the Shingwauk and Wawanosh Indian Residential Schools, their families, and their communities.
Gathering at the Rapids
An annual Anishinaabe Pow Wow hosted by Algoma University to celebrate culture, education, and community
Shingwauk Residential Schools Centre
A cross-cultural research and education project which includes former students of the Residential schools, staff, descendants, family, and friends.