Shingwauk Education Trust Anishinawbek Discovery Centre

Shingwauk Education Trust (SET), in consultation with Trustees, Garden River First Nation Elders, Knowledge Keepers, Spiritual and Academic Advisors to SET, are the visionaries of the design and natural uses of material that went into the construction of the Anishinawbek Discovery Center.
 
The Knowledge Keepers were consulted on how they saw the building being designed so that would align with the Vision of Chief Shingwaukonce. Grand Chief Bawdwaywidun was asked to incorporate Chief Shingwauk’s ideas into the Anishinabek Discovery Center. This vision was realized by Two Row Architects who designed the conceptual drawings.
 
SET, as the main organization that administered the project, oversaw the implementation of the site construction plans and ensured the idea of a Kinoomaage Gamig (Teaching Lodge) that would be captured and viewed by the public on top of the building. “Using wood as a natural material presented an opportunity to connect with our natural world and the spirit of the trees (Mitig). It is held in our traditions that the Trees are connected to the spirit and can send its positive energy into the Anishinabek Discovery Center,” said representatives of SET.
 
SET acquired the funding for this project and credits the Elders and Knowledge Keepers for keeping Chief Shingwauk’s vision in its proper spiritual place.

The Teaching Lodge is a combined education, research, and cultural centre. It holds classrooms and administrative offices as well as a large student lounge, cafe, art gallery and performing arts space.

State-of-the-art, environmentally controlled libraries and archives are located in the heart of the building. These spaces will eventually be the new home to the National Chiefs Library which is currently housed in Ottawa.

The roof above the library and resource room is crafted from spruce. It’s dome shape is modelled after the teaching lodges which stood in the Anishinaabe communities for thousands of years. Of note are the two parallel ridge beams, signifying both male and female energies moving from east to west. The roof in the main archive area has pendant lights and up lighting to highlight its beauty.