RRC Polytech building given new Indigenous name to honour building’s history, future

Red River College Polytechnic's Manitou a bi Bii daziigae building is pictured on Nov. 10, 2021. Its new name was unveiled at a pipe ceremony during the official opening of the new 100,000 square-foot space. (Source: Jamie Dowsett/CTV News Winnipeg)

Winnipeg -

The newest building on Red River College Polytechnic’s Exchange District Campus has been renamed to represent a new beginning.

The building formerly known as Innovation Centre is now called Manitou a bi Bii daziigae, which translates to where creator sits (Manitou a bi) and brings light (Bii daziigae).

The name was unveiled at a pipe ceremony Wednesday morning during the official opening of the new 100,000 square-foot space.

“The name acknowledges and pays tribute to where we are, where this building sits on Treaty No. 1 territory and on the homeland of the Metis Nation, and also the light and energy that this building brings not only to RRC Polytech but to our community and our province as a whole,” said Fred Meier, RRC Polytech president and CEO at the ceremony Wednesday.

The college said its Elders-in-Residence collaborated to name the new building. Elder Paul Guimond, Okonace (Little Eagle Bone) from Sagkeeng First Nation, and Miss Una Swan, Black Eagle Woman, from Fisher River Cree Nation were first approached and offered tobacco to begin a traditional naming process. They were also given tours of the building to help them choose the right name.

The college said the first part of the name ‘Manitou a bi,’ which means ‘where creator sits’ in Ojibwe, signifies the importance of where the building sits on Treaty No. 1 traditional territory. It is meant to honour the history of the Indigenous peoples who came to meet and gather in Winnipeg on the converging rivers, as well as the diverse culture and spirituality of Indigenous people.

The second part ‘Bii daziigae,’ which means ‘bringing the light,’ is about the purpose, intent, functionality and beauty of the new space.

“We’re all attracted to light. Where there’s light, we all come together, and beautiful, beautiful discussions begin, beautiful understandings begin, beautiful education begins,” Elder Guimond said at the ceremony.

“It really is here for everyone to be welcomed and to come to such a place that has so much light and love of energy in here,” Elder Swan said.

The building project was announced in 2017 with a $40.6 million boost from the federal government through the Post-Secondary Institutions Strategic Investment Fund, plus a provincial loan of up to $54.8 million.

The college said Indigenous knowledge, teachings, and traditions were used in the design of the building to ensure Indigenous students, staff and community were represented.