Introduction
Karonhiaráhstha’s Post-Secondary Scholarship Fund was created in memory of Karonhiaráhstha Sky Junie Delisle, born on August 1, 2013, a healthy baby girl to Carla Skye and Iohahi:io Delisle. In December of the same year, Karonhiaráhstha and her family took a vacation to the tropical island of St.Martin. Tragically, on the night of December 27th, 2013, Carla found her baby unresponsive in their hotel room. The family took all necessary measures in an attempt to revive her; after a lengthy and complex process to obtain emergency medical services Karonhiaráhstha was declared deceased; the cause of death was Sudden Infant Death Syndrome(SIDS).
In an article that appeared in The Eastern Door in November of 2014, Karonhiaráhstha’s parents gave a heart-wrenching account of the events that took place surrounding their daughter’s death. In highlighting the insufficient medical services they received in St.Martin, they had a message to the community: Be grateful for the medical services available in and around Kahnawake. The death of Karonhiaráhstha was felt community wide and beyond, as she was featured in the Kateri Memorial Foundation’s first Give Where You Live direct mail campaign, along with Dr.Ojistoh Horn. The goal of the Give Where You Live Campaign is to support the underfunded needs of the Kateri Memorial Hospital Center. (KMHC)
By December 2015; Karonhiaráhstha’s family collaborated with the Kateri Memorial Foundation to launch the inaugural Christmas Tree Raffle Event titled, “Karonhiaráhstha’s Winter Wonderland” which raised funds for the Karonhiaráhstha Post-Secondary Scholarship Fund. The primary purpose of the fund is to support Kahnawakero:non students pursuing an education in the healthcare field, with the hope that they will help increase Kahnawake’s healthcare capacity. Karonhiaráhstha’s Winter Wonderland has been held annually since December 2015 with each annual event becoming more successful than the last, which keeps both the Post-Secondary Scholarship Fund and the memory of Karonhiaráhstha alive.
Purpose
The purpose of Karonhiaráhstha’s Post-Secondary Scholarship Fund is to provide financial assistance to Kahnawake students who are pursuing an education in the fields of medicine, nursing, health professions, and health sciences, including but not limited to traditional medicine and mental health professions. The Karonhiaráhstha’s Post-Secondary Scholarship Fund supports Kahnawakero:non in the following ways:
- By granting awards each year to students who apply to the Karonhiaráhstha’s Post-Secondary Scholarship Program
- By granting awards to community members in Kahnawake’s Paramedic Program
- By granting awards to all students accepted into the KOR’s Ratiwennanirats Program
- By reviewing funding requests from community members year-round related to health education and career-related costs (tuition, trainings, conference costs, etc.). Approved on a case-by-case basis
Karonhiaráhstha’s Post-Secondary Scholarship Program Eligibility
The Karonhiaráhstha Post-Secondary Scholarship Program is open to full-time and part-time students from Kahnawake. Students must be accepted and/or enrolled at accredited academic institutions (Canada or the USA) related to medicine, traditional medicine, nursing, or health science and technology. The program accepts applications from students at the following academic levels:
- Highschool
- CEGEP
- University programs
- Bachelors
- Masters
- PhD
- and Vocational programs.
Exceptions may be granted on a case-by-case basis.
*Students who have applied to an academic program and are awaiting acceptance may still apply, but they will only be awarded a scholarship if and when they receive an acceptance
Application Process
In order to be considered for Karonhiaráhstha’s Post-Secondary Scholarship Program, all applicants ,must:
- Be a Kahnawakehró:non student.
- Provide a copy of band card.
- Intend to practice or work in Kahnawake upon graduation
- Provide the most recent transcript
- Provide a Letter of Acceptance
- Write a 500-1000 word personal essay explaining why you should receive Karonhiaráhstha’s Post-Secondary Scholarship
- Provide a social insurance number (SIN) for RL-1 purposes
- Provide exactly two signed letters of recommendation
- Provide a copy of their CV
- Be available to attend an interview upon request if required
- Include a recent photo and brief biography
Selection
Applications are reviewed and evaluated by the Karonhiaráhstha Scholarship Selection Committee. Recipients are selected based on academic achievement, career potential, and personal commitment.
Applicants can expect to be notified within two months after the deadline to apply.
Scholarship Awards
| Academic Level | Award Amount | Payments |
| Highschool | $500 | 1 payment of $500 |
| Vocational Programs | $1,000 | 2 payments of $500 |
| CEGEP 2-year Programs | $2,000 | $1,000/year for 2 years |
| CEGEP 3-year Career Programs | $3,000 | $1,000/year for 3 years |
| University Bachelor Degree | $3,000 | $1,000/year for 3 years |
| University Masters Degree | $5,000 | $2,500/year for 2 years |
| University Doctorate | $10,000 | $2,500/year for 4 years |
Deadline to Apply
Applications for the 2024 Karonhiaráhstha Post-Secondary Scholarship Program will open until Monday July 1st, 2024
In collaboration with the Kateri Memorial Hospital Center, the Kateri Memorial Foundation works to support entertainment and activities for long-term care patients and their families. Recent activities that the Kateri Memorial Foundation has supported include a Valentines Day Tea Party, performance by Irish Dancers for St.Patricks Day, as well as performances by local musicians and performers.
