Save The Evidence

The Campaign

Fundraising for the Save the Evidence Campaign is now complete!

We are thrilled to announce that the funds for the final phase of the Save the Evidence campaign have been successfully raised. Nya:węh Go:wah to all our incredible supporters; we couldn’t have done this without you.

Save the Evidence was a campaign to raise awareness and support for the restoration of the former Mohawk Institute Residential School, and to develop the building into an Interpreted Historic Site and Educational Resource. As a site of conscience, the final goal is to create a fully realized Interpretive Centre that will be the definitive destination for information about the history of Residential Schools in Canada, the experiences of Survivors of the schools, and the impact that the Residential School system has had on our communities.
We can’t express how grateful we are for our community of supporters. We can’t wait to celebrate with you when the final restorations are complete!

A Brief History of the Mohawk Institute

The Mohawk Institute Indian Residential School operated in Brantford, Ontario from 1828 to 1970. It served as a boarding school for First Nations children from Six Nations, as well as other communities throughout Ontario and Quebec. It served as a key tool in the effort to assimilate First Nations children into European Christian society, and sever the continuity of culture from parent to child.

After closing in 1970, it reopened in 1972 as the Woodland Cultural Centre, a non-profit
organization that serves to preserve and promote First Nations culture and heritage.

Thank you to our Supporters

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Resources

Mohawk Institute Residential School Survivor Stories: Sherlene Bomberry
Share this clip of Sherlene Bomberry, a past student of the Mohawk Institute Residential School.

Save the Evidence Newsletter

In 2013, major roof leaks caused significant and costly damage to the building. With such large costs to repair the building, the Woodland Cultural Centre conducted several Community Consultations to gauge the level of support from the community. The results were overwhelming, with more than 98% in support of the restoration of the Mohawk Institute.
The Save The Evidence fundraising campaign was launched in response. Its goal was to raise the necessary funds for repairs and renovations to ensure the physical evidence of the dark history of Residential Schools in Canada is never forgotten.

In March 2022, WCC was thrilled to announce that we successfully raised the funds needs to restore the former Mohawk Institute building! We are so grateful to our community of supporters; we couldn’t have done this without you!

To find out how you can continue to support the Woodland Cultural Centre in all our exciting initiatives, click here!