The sixth college at Trent University will be named after the late Gidigaa Migizi (Doug Williams), an elder and former professor, the Peterborough, Ont., university announced Wednesday
Migizi, who grew up in nearby Curve Lake First Nation, was one of the first graduates of Trent University’s Native Studies (now Indigenous Studies) program in 1972. He then went on to become a faculty member to help shape academic programs, administrative policies, cultural practices, and advance education about Indigenous peoples.
He was co-director of the Indigenous Studies Ph.D. program and was a professor with the Chanie Wenjack School for Indigenous Studies at Trent. He also served on the university’s Indigenous Education Committee and the Elders Council.
Prior to joining Trent as a student, Migizi was a bricklayer who helped build Champlain College at the university. The other colleges which have spanned 60 years include Lady Eaton, Peter Gzowski, Otonabee, and Catharine Parr Traill.
He died in July 2022 at the age of 81.
Marylin Burns, Trent’s vice-president of communications and enrolment, says the naming of the sixth college after Migizi is a testament to the university’s ongoing commitment to recognize and celebrate Indigenous culture and heritage.
“Gidigaa Migizi, a respected elder and a pillar in the Michi Saagiig Anishnaabeg and Trent communities, has left a lasting legacy that will continue to inspire and educate our students for generations to come,” said Burns. “Gidigaa Migizi College will stand as a beacon of knowledge, diversity, and respect, embodying the spirit of inclusivity and learning that is at the heart of Trent University.”
The university says Migizi was a “champion of the Anishnaabeg nation” from the Michi Saagiig community of Curve Lake First Nation. He was an active negotiator for legal recognition of treaty rights.
“His greatest accomplishment in this arena was the advocacy work he undertook in the precedent setting case R v. Taylor and Williams, working through the court system to bring legal recognition of pre-confederation treaty rights through the interpretation of Treaty 20, 1818,” the university stated.
“As a result of this landmark case, he defended the right to hunt and fish for signatories to the Williams Treaties. The impact of this settlement is immeasurable. ”
Gidigaa Migizi College is expected to open in fall of 2028 on the east bank of the Symons campus and will feature 700 new beds for first-year students, along with classrooms, faculty offices and student spaces. Next year, the college’s crest, scarf and colours will be unveiled.
Meaning spotted eagle in English, the name Gidigaa Migizi College was recommended by the University’s Elders and Traditional Knowledge Keepers Council and approved by Trent’s Board of Governors.
The decision to select an Anishnaabe name for the new college was a recommendation of the University’s Champlain Report to honour the treaty and traditional territory on which Trent University sits.
“Gidigaa Migizi was a giant both at Trent and in the Anishnaabeg nation,” said Anne Taylor, Elders council member from Curve Lake First Nation. “In our culture, eagles are held in high esteem and symbolize honour, respect, strength, courage, and wisdom. These are all characteristics we want Trent students to embody.”
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