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Wendy Whitecloud Bursary in Law

Project Story

Wendy Whitecloud is the first Indigenous female law professor at the Faculty of Law and continues to assist in the implementation of courses related to Indigenous legal studies, and today Robson Hall offers its students a variety of courses in Aboriginal Law and Policy, as well as Indigenous Legal Orders, designed to inform and prepare students to understand and work with the legal issues involving Indigenous communities. Professor Whitecloud is an inspiration and mentor to many students and is always available to provide guidance and encouragement during the hard moments of law school and continues to make an impact in the lives of so many students. Professor Whitecloud, who is a member of the Dakota nation, serves on several Indigenous and non-Indigenous community service organizations which seek to address issues related to justice, women and children. She also served as a Commissioner on the Aboriginal Justice Implementation Commission established in the fall of 1999. Her biography can be found here.

In honour of Professor Wendy Whitecloud, an endowment fund was established at the University of Manitoba through an initial round of fundraising by Roxanne Gagné, LL.B. Ms. Gagné successfully lead the original fundraising to reach the original goal of $25,000 in 2021. The purpose of the fund is to financially support Indigenous students who identify as female, transfeminine, or two-spirited, in the Faculty of Law at the University of Manitoba.

The inaugural bursary was awarded in 2023 to Trechelle Bunn. She is a proud member of Chan Kagha Otina Dakhóta Oyáte (Birdtail Sioux Dakota Nation). Tréchelle has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminology with a minor in Indigenous Studies from the University of Manitoba and is now entering her second year at Robson Hall. You can listen to Trechelle’s story here.

The current goal is to raise an additional $15,000. These funds will enable Robson Hall and the University of Manitoba to offer a second bursary to an eligible Indigenous student. Once our fundraising efforts are complete, this fund will also receive provincial support from the Manitoba Scholarships and Bursaries Initiative.