By Megane Masson – Contributor

On Friday, Mar. 21, 2025, an astonishing number of attendees assembled to mark a milestone for the Indigenous community at Bishop’s University. After years of hard work, the long-awaited day arrived for the inauguration of the new Indigenous centre, Kwigw8mna, formerly Divinity House. The opening ceremony convened the old and the new. Key members from the Indigenous community delivered emotional speeches, starting with Shawna Chatterton-Jerome, who has been present since the very beginning, on Oct. 4, 2019. Chief Richard O’Bomsawin from Odanak, reunited with his good friend and Bishop’s former principal, Michael Goldbloom, shared emotional words with the crowd, followed by Vicky Boldo, who told a touching personal story about truth and reconciliation. 

Despite being held under the rain, the local Indigenous group The Flying Sturgeons’ traditional song and drums helped warm the cold air. With this, the opening ceremony officially marked the beginning of Kwigw8mna, where Indigenous community and healing can flourish. As Chief O’Bomsawin asserts, “We can finally all come together as one.”

What is now Kwigw8mna was formerly known as Divinity House. The establishment served many purposes over the years: classrooms, student residences, faculty offices. Historically, the building served as a space to teach and accommodate theology students, who went on to work as Catholic priests; some of those priests would eventually work in residential schools. Chief O’Bomsawin touched upon the building’s sensitive background during his inauguration speech. This building is the ideal place for growth and reconciliation. What was once a sign of oppression is now a sign of agency, reconciliation, and liberation for Indigenous peoples. Vicky Boldo shared that it means a lot for the community to have a sacred space, and that she can speak on behalf of it, “because I too, know what reconciliation is; I have had to live it myself.”

In this house, Indigenous students and community members will have a home away from home. Bishop’s University is well-known for its long-standing pledge of community spirit, but there was a missing vital element for Indigenous peoples and students. As Chatterson-Jerome shared, “now we can all have the sense of one big community,” making Bishop’s promise complete. Kwigw8mna is here to stay and for future generations to flourish in a sacred and protected space. That is to say, while progress is being made, there are many more endeavours to be undertaken, and the journey to truth and reconcil-action has made significant progress at Bishop’s.