Saskia Yacoubi-Sluis – Contributor

On Friday, Oct. 3, 2025, over 70 students, staff and community members gathered in Centennial Theatre for the closing event of Truth and Reconciliation Week, which featured a screening of the documentary Kwigw8mna: Building for the Future. This documentary follows the transformation of the Divinity House to Kiwgw8mna, an Indigenous gathering space and resource centre on campus for students and community members. Featuring authentic interviews from those involved in the project, visual documentation of the construction process and poignant music to tie these snapshots together, the film conveyed the seven-year process of creating Kwigw8mna in detail. It is a moving testimony to the tremendous physical and emotional efforts that went into building the space.

Photo courtesy of Pranav Buchineni

The event was introduced by Bishop’s alumnus Shawna Chattertone-Jerome, the current coordinator of Indigenous Student Success Services at Bishop’s and a leader in this project. The screening was then held, lasting 30 minutes and closing with a standing ovation by the audience. Then, a discussion panel was held with three significant leaders in the project: Lois Dana, Indigenous Student Life councillor at Champlain-Lennoxville College, Dr. Colette Yellow Robe, Associate professor in the education department at Bishop’s, and Daniel Brière, the filmmaker of this impressive documentary. 

Shawna posed a series of open-ended questions, one being,“What does decolonizing education mean to you?” Answers varied amongst the panelists. Lois Dana highlighted the importance of creating safe environments for Indigenous students by “changing the content that [is offered], and adding in new content as well,” which would encourage a shift towards more Indigenous-centred education. Dr Yellow Robe emphasized the importance of decolonizing the word “learning,” relaying the idea that learning can in fact, happen anywhere; it does not necessarily need to be within an institution. These are just two examples of what continued to be many insightful responses.

After the panel, Daniel asked a question to the audience, inquiring as to what they enjoyed about the documentary. Answers included the music, the emphasis on student faces and voices present and the heartfelt conviction from all those involved in the process that strongly resonated throughout the documentary. Following the event, Juliette Zakrewska, a Bishop’s student who attended the screening, shared, “What I appreciated most about the documentary was its ability to capture the harmonious spirit that took Kwigw8mna from being a vision to a reality. There’s so much empowerment in seeing the university come together to celebrate Indigenous culture, especially through the moving art form of a documentary.”

In the closing portion of this event, Vicky Boldo, Associate Director of Indigenous Initiatives at Bishop’s, extended a special honour to Shawna for her unwavering commitment to this project, and also shouted out Benj Tabah, the producer of the documentary. Finally, Daniel Brière was the subject of a blanketing – a customary tradition in many Indigenous cultures to show profound honor. The panelists, as well as Tabah, were provided with gifts and tobacco for them to offer to the land in exchange for its teachings throughout the course of the project. 

Audience members were encouraged to make their way to Kwigw8mna for a post-event celebration and the opportunity to receive a guided tour of the space. Another screening of the documentary will be announced soon, for all those who could not make it to this particular event. 

In the closing words of filmmaker Daniel Brière, “You need to find your mission, try to inspire, to learn, to share.”