New student award supports Indigenous women

From completing their Royal Roads thesis in their home language, to working toward health equity for their First Nation, Indigenous women are conducting research that is making a tremendous impact -- and a new student award has been established to provide this important work financial support.

A $30,000 endowment from the Canadian Federation of University Women (CFUW)-Victoria, an organization that supports the advancement of women through education, will provide funding to recognize Indigenous women who are leaders in contributing to their communities. The first CFUW-Victoria Doreen Sutherland Award for Indigenous Scholars will be awarded in November 2022.

The generous gift honors the legacy of Doreen Sutherland, a librarian who retired in Victoria in 1982. Sutherland was a long-time member of CFUW-Victoria, helping them in their mission to improve the status of women in society. She passed in 2016 and is remembered by her family as having an “insatiable curiosity that led to many discoveries and made her a fascinating conversational partner.”

CFUW-Victoria’s Scholarship and Bursary Chair Brenda Canitz says it is a delight to be able to both support the education of Indigenous scholars and celebrate Sutherland’s legacy through this endowment.

“Doreen was a woman who believed education was a powerful catalyst to enable all people to reach their full potential. She traveled extensively throughout her life and celebrated the diversity of cultures and world views. She would be very proud to see her savings supporting Indigenous students.”

This is the fifth endowment established by the organization supporting students who identify as women at Royal Roads since the first one was established in 2001, providing over $110,000 student awards thanks to the generosity of CFUW-Victoria members. Advancement Manager Amy Hinrichs says those gifts from CFUW-Victoria have made a tremendous impact at Royal Roads, and that impact is felt further afield as well.

“One of the great joys of our work with donors like CFUW is to share messages of thanks from student award recipients. So many of those notes mention what a difference it has made to them personally, to their families and to encouraging others in their networks to seek new ways of learning for themselves. Leaning about yourself and your home in the community is a gift that gives in both directions.”

Sutherland’s gift to CFUW-Victoria has established endowments at not only Royal Roads, but Camosun College and the University of Victoria as well.

If you or your organization would like to set up a student award at Royal Roads, please contact our Advancement team at giving@royalroads.ca or 1-866-207-0080