Scott McCain and Leslie McLean Establish New Indigenous Funds

Foreground: Denise John Background: Jesse Benjamin

Located in Mi’kma’ki, the unceded and ancestral territory of the Mi’kmaq People, MSVU is deeply committed to fostering meaningful Truth and Reconciliation. Guided by the valued advice of Indigenous community Elders and leaders, we continue to listen and learn, and more importantly act.

Left to right: Scott McCain, Leslie McLean, Dr. Ramona Lumpkin, Samantha Rioux, Patrick Small Legs-Nagge

Mi’kmaw poet Rita Joe once said, “My greatest wish is that there will be more writing from my people, and that our children will read it. I have said again and again that our history would be different if it had been expressed by us. … Being strangers in our own land is a sad story, but, if we can speak, we may turn this story around.”

We seek to support educational opportunity for Indigenous students, collaborate with Indigenous communities, and promote Indigenous worldviews in the work of the institution.

We recently established a significant new bursary and emergency support fund for Indigenous students when philanthropists Scott McCain and Leslie McLean gave $500,000 to support Indigenous student learning at MSVU.

This exceptional gift represents the largest single individual donation dedicated to Indigenous students in MSVU’s history. It has the potential to impact lives for generations to come. The university also recently made an investment of $500,000 in financial supports for Indigenous students, for a combined total new investment of $1,000,000.

The Scott McCain and Leslie McLean L’nu Student Success Bursary Fund will support full-time undergraduate Indigenous students across all programs at MSVU through renewable bursaries and an L’nu Emergency Fund. The bursaries will be awarded to Indigenous students at MSVU from Canada each year and will focus on supporting students facing financial barriers in the pursuit of a post-secondary education.

The L’nu Emergency Fund will provide support to Indigenous students at MSVU who are faced with financial needs due to unforeseen circumstances, for example, emergency housing, travel, child care, or technology needs.

“We were inspired by MSVU’s demonstrated commitment to Indigenous learners and communities and sought to help further that critical work through direct financial supports to students. We believe in the power of education to transform lives and are pleased to support Indigenous students at MSVU,” says Leslie McLean, who is also a member of the MSVU Board of Governors.

Samantha Rioux, MSVU alumna (MA in Child and Youth Study, ‘21), Program Officer, Public Health Agency of Canada, and Part-Time Instructor in Child & Youth Study at MSVU says access to post-secondary education for Indigenous youth is an important stepping stone on one’s path to success.

“Having access to education not only supports one’s own ambitions, but also supports the greater community,” she says. “Obtaining a postsecondary education comes with complex barriers, one being financial. This gift will help Indigenous youth to achieve their post-secondary goals.”

We encourage you to follow our progress as we move to advance Truth and Reconciliation at MSVU. We will continue to consult, listen to and learn from Indigenous community members. We will walk with Indigenous community members on a healing journey, recognizing that the truth needs to be heard and acknowledged in order to advance long-term sustainable change. We will continue to foster an environment that attracts incredible gifts for incredible students and use such generosity to impact change.