Excerpt of the article: "On May 7, Cornell students presented a handmade canoe to Hickory Edwards, Onondaga Nation Turtle Clan member and founder of the Haudenosaunee Canoe Journey, a program that guides Indigenous youth through ancestral waterways in upstate New York. More than 500 people from Cornell, the greater Ithaca area and neighboring Indigenous communities gathered to witness the ceremony at the inaugural Canoe Fest in Ithaca’s Cass Park.

'The canoe is a symbol of strength and connection to the waterways, and it has held great significance for many Indigenous cultures, including the ones joining us today. It is a vessel that has carried people across the waters for centuries and connected many communities,' said Celine Santana ’23, one of the 28 students who built the canoe and organized Canoe Fest.

'I can’t express how grateful I am for this canoe,' Edwards said standing next to his 10-year-old daughter, EllieRose, who will join the 13-day, 150-mile journey from Seneca Lake to the Mohawk River this summer. 'This is for our next generation.'"

For more, check out: https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2023/05/students-donate-handmade-canoe-haudenosaunee-youth