(Windsor, Ont, Thursday, Feb. 2, 2023) – The University of Windsor’s Turtle Island is among the funding recipients of the Gordie Howe International Bridge Community Benefits Plan. Turtle Island will receive funding to support an annual Pow Wow event as well as March Break and Summer Camp programming in 2023 and 2024.
"Supporting the organization of a Pow Wow in partnership with local Indigenous organizations and St. Clair College will bring our Windsor-Essex community together to share and celebrate Indigenous culture,” said Dr. Beverly Jacobs, Senior Advisor to the President on Indigenous Relations and Outreach at the University of Windsor. “We are also very excited to celebrate and honour Indigenous alumni of both post-secondary institutions, as they are role models for our youth to encourage them to strive for higher education. Pow Wows are ways to come together in song and dance and are based upon fundamental values common (i.e., honour, respect, tradition and generosity) to Indigenous peoples throughout Turtle Island. We look forward to cohosting and sharing our culture and pow-wow traditions with all. With funding support from the Gordie Howe International Bridge Community Benefits Plan, we will ensure this remains a free community event with a traditional feast to share with all.”
“Our March Break and Summer Camps are pivotal opportunities for our Indigenous youth to connect with our campus at the University of Windsor,” said Kat Pasquach, Indigenous Outreach and Retention Coordinator at the University of Windsor’s Turtle Island. “We look forward to hosting these each year and the support from the Gordie Howe International Bridge Community Benefits Plan will enrich their experiences as we continue to build a culturally supportive environment during their educational journey.”
ABOUT THE UNIVERSITY OF WINDSOR’S TURTLE ISLAND
Turtle Island provides support and encouragement to the University of Windsor Indigenous student population. Turtle Island strives to increase the participation and completion rates of Indigenous students, to raise sensitivity and awareness of Indigenous cultures, issues, and realities, and to increase participation in decisions affecting Indigenous people and post-secondary education. Turtle Island participates in outreach programs and partnerships with local school boards, First Nation schools, university departments, and faculty assisted projects. For more information on Turtle Island visit https://www.uwindsor.ca/aboriginal-education-centre/.
ABOUT WINDSOR-DETROIT BRIDGE AUTHORITY
Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority (WDBA) is a not-for-profit Canadian Crown corporation created to deliver the Gordie Howe International Bridge project between Windsor, ON and Detroit, MI through a public-private partnership (P3). WDBA is responsible for overseeing and managing the construction and operation of the new crossing. For more information on WDBA visit www.GordieHoweInternationalBridge.com and follow the project on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GordieHoweBrg.
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