New Scholarship To Honour Students Who Attended Residential Schools
Southern Chiefs’ Organization Grand Chief Jerry Daniels.
The Southern Chiefs’ Organization (SCO) represents 34 Anishinaabe and Dakota Nations in what is now southern Manitoba, and more than 83,000 citizens. It is the mission of the Chiefs of the southern First Nations to protect, preserve, promote, and enhance First Nations peoples’ inherent rights, languages, customs, and traditions through the application and implementation of the spirit and intent of the Treaty-making process.
Through an initial $25,000 gift, SCO has established the Southern Chiefs’ Organization Every Child Matters Scholarship. This gift honours the children who attended residential schools and those who never made it home.
SCO recognizes that all First Nation people, families, and communities have been impacted by the residential schools. This scholarship is intended to support Survivors and their descendants, as well as descendants of the families of the children who died.
In 2022, Winnipeg-based Corpell’s Water unveiled a partnership with SCO, with a specially designed water bottle to acknowledge the tragic legacy of residential schools in Canada. The bottles featured a distinctive orange label and powerful message to honour the children who attended the residential schools. A portion of the proceeds of each case sold were earmarked for the scholarship fund, resulting in an additional $5,000 being added.
The scholarship will be awarded on the basis of academic merit to a status citizen of one of the Southern Chiefs’ Organization member First Nations. That individual will be a full or part- time continuing student at Brandon University, who has completed at least 12 credit hours. The recipient will also have made contributions to their school community or their community at large. The endowed scholarship will initially provide about $1,000 annually and that amount will grow as additional funds are added.
“Once a person receives an education, it can never be taken away.”
“As First Nation citizens, we have often been prevented from accessing the gift of formal education,” said SCO Grand Chief Jerry Daniels. “However, once a person receives an education, it can never be taken away. Every child matters—and this partnership between the Southern Chiefs’ Organization and Brandon University helps to share that message by creating increased opportunities for our post-secondary students. This is true and meaningful reconciliation in action.”