Awards & Scholarships
Rainbow Dancer Award
The Rainbow Dancer Award honours the memory of Michelle Matthews (Rainbow Dancer), a dedicated Mi'kmaw educator and cultural ambassador from Newfoundland and Labrador. This annual award recognizes a Mi'kmaw individual who exemplifies Michelle’s values—promoting and preserving Mi'kmaw culture through education, community service, and the arts.
Applications will open each summer, with the award presented at the annual gala in October.
Donna Milley Memorial Scholarship
Born and raised in Grand Falls on April 29, 1956, Donna Milley (Quigley) dedicated her life to teaching, family, and community. Alongside her husband, David, she spent her career educating students across Newfoundland and Labrador and Manitoba, always returning home to Grand Falls–Windsor.
Proud of her Mi’kmaw heritage, Donna instilled in her four children a deep connection to their culture and community—values she carried throughout her life and shared with her seven grandchildren.
Established in 2021, the Donna Milley Memorial Scholarship honors her legacy. This $500 scholarship is awarded annually to a post-secondary Mi’kmaw student from Newfoundland & Labrador who is actively engaged in Mi’kmaw culture within their community.
RECIPIENTS
sherry dean - 2024 Rainbow dancer award
Sherry works tirelessly and without pay to contribute to the revitalization of culture in our community. As the founder and Chair of the Elmastukwek Mawio’mi, she has led an incredible team over the past three years to build the foundation of a beautiful cultural gathering for our people.
Sherry shows up for every event she possibly can, always ready to listen, learn, or teach. She has been a dedicated member and leader of numerous community groups for as long as we have known her, embodying the very values that Michelle held dear.
Riley Power - 2025 donna milley scholarship
Growing up in a small, rural town in Newfoundland and Labrador, Riley was immersed in Mi’kmaw culture from an early age. He practiced traditional life skills like holistic remedies, hunting, fishing, foraging, and making clothing—ways of living that connect generations to their roots and the earth.
Through his work with the Memorial University Faculty of Nursing, Riley has shared Mi’kmaw traditions and resources with the public, helping bridge gaps in cultural knowledge. His true passion, however, is addressing the health care disparities faced by Indigenous communities.
Now completing his Nurse Practitioner program at the University of Saskatchewan, Riley is committed to improving accessibility and integrating holistic care for Mi’kmaw populations. Like Donna Milley, he values family and community above all, and he is dedicated to serving both with hard work and compassion.