Standing testimony to the past yet bearing a bright future, ‘Mukwa Waakaa’igan’ – indigenous centre of cultural excellence is a new beginning for Algoma University in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. Located at the entrance of the university, Shingwauk hall narrates the story of a former residential school that prevailed between 1875 – 1970. More than a thousand students, who were separated from their families, cultures, and customs, came to attend this school. Closed in 1970, the school now is a memoir of an extensive effort by Shingwauk school alumni, their beliefs, voices, and the legacy of the school’s survivors.
The design proposed by Moriyama & Teshima Architects and Smoke Architecture is an honest effort to conserve the true history of the residential school system in Canada in the era of colonialisation and to move ahead with the sentiment of togetherness. The intent is to create a safe space to learn and understand indigenous heritage for everyone around the globe.
From embodiment to material selection, the facility reflects indigenous teachings and history. Even the name of the structure refers to its cultural origins. ‘Mukwa Waakaa’igan’ is a name given to the project through a spiritual ceremony, and it translates to ‘Bear’s Den. Mukwa – the bear is a medicine carrier and symbol of a healer of the mind, body, and spirit. The form of a project evolves to imitate a sloped curve that resembles Mukwa’s walking from the origins of life, water, and land to the directions of the spirits. The structure stands tall as if supported on Mukwa’s shoulders with the new perception of exploration and discovery.
The circulation for the space is a designer’s interpretation of ‘the sweetgrass path’. It honours and knits three timelines of past, present, and future for the indigenous culture.The learning and living aspects of the design coincide within these pathways. The trail leads to an elevated elevation that offers a stronger vantage point to view the past against a backdrop of surreal nature that predates history.
The programmatic arrangement of spaces conforms to the idea of the ‘medicine wheel’ from the Anishinaabeg culture. It is an organizing element that reasons for the positioning of functions. It symbolizes the interconnectedness and cyclic nature of life. The Eastern entrance of the building marks spiritual access symbolizing the rebirth of the forest. This area holds teaching spaces that are seamlessly connected to the site’s natural resources.
As one proceeds west, to provide a transition between the old residential school building and the addition of indoor spaces for ceremonies and meetings, transition spaces are designed. Public spaces lead to exhibitions and archival spaces that will open the door to the past while housing the 24-year-old Aboriginal healing foundation and CSAA’s library and archives. The form allows visitors to access the roof creating multiple access points for upper-level spaces such as the student’s lounge, café, and galleries.
The building itself becomes an active landscape as every level encourages the visitor to engage with views of the lake and forest. The place is called Baawitigong – the place of the rapids, where two great lakes join. The design embraces this confluence and integrates wetland landscape designing creating a living lab for ecology research and traditional medical education.
The structure stands true to the idea of being one with nature, where the designer targets minimal impact on nature and proposes the use of regional and renewable resource – mass timber for construction. It is sourced locally and acts as a great insulator in the extremely cold weather of the region. The structural design incorporates the Tikinagan Child Carrier concept, which is fundamental to indigenous culture. Webbing of a Tikinagan that represents the womb of a mother, a place of warmth and safety, inspires radial spanning of the timber members that accentuates the curves of the building form.
This futuristic ode to the past is a bridge between the sorrow from history and the hope for the future that grows as the first step towards reconciliation. It becomes a platform to facilitate healing, cultural preservation, discussion, and transformation. Mukwa Waakaa’igan is a true reflection of a contemplative painting in a material form.
