Within Indigenous Office
"The curved ceiling reflects the shape of bentwood architecture that characterizes the Great Lakes and woodlands regions," says Eladia Smoke, Lead Architect of Smoke Architecture. "There is a glow from coved lighting above the circle in the ceiling to represent connection to sky, and fixtures on the walls at the cardinal points to recall our connection to other life systems and the medicine wheel teachings. This rooms and all others in the Indigenous complex of spaces encourages smudging at the press of a button to activate enhanced air flow. The main door to this space is due east, the direction of entrance, sunrise, new beginnings, and there is a secured sacred medicine storage. The circular room recalls the facets of significance this pattern has to Anishinaabeg."
This room echoes previously created spaces such as this at Centennial through the work of the late Joseph-ban McQuabbie and Community Outreach and provides a space for Traditionalists to work out of and conduct advising and support for the broader community.