Vera Hill - Sharrow Award

The Vera Hill-Sharrow Award was established in 1987. Each year this award is given to a Native woman to recognize her outstanding contributions to the community. A beautiful Pendleton Blanket is given as a symbol of honour to these recipients.                           DIANA SOWDEN RECOGNIZED AS 2009 RECIPIENT                                                                          Judy Doxtator (L) and Lisa Marttin (R) President of                            NCNW present Diana Sowden (M) with her Award                            at the 26th Annual General Meeting. JOAN BARTON RECOGNIZED AS 2008 RECIPIENT Joan Barton was announced as the 2008 recipient of the Vera Hill-Sharrow Award at the Chapter's Annual General Meeting Sept., 14, 2008 Pictured above is Joan Barton (left), Lisa Martin, NVNW President, Joe Sharrow, Vera's son, and Linda Staats, Vera's daughter Joan was one of the Founding  members of the Niagara Chapter-Native Women Inc.  She even held meetings at her home in the beginning.  She has been an active member of NCNW and the FENFC.  Joan was very involved in fostering native children-she always wanted them to be placed with native families and even ended up adopting two while raising two children of her own.  She helped to start a group called, the Native Children's Support Group of Niagara and worked closely with Children's Aid Society to support native children in foster care or who were crown wards to stay connected to their native culture.  As a group, they took the children to pow wows, social events, local native friendships centre activities, etc.  Joan leads by example, even today.  There are other younger native families and individuals who are taking up where she has left off and working to keep native children in foster care and crown wards linked to their culture, and placed with family if possible and if not, with native families.  Joan and her husband Jack alsong with other partners, also started Frontier landing, where they has Tawiscaron Village in 1985 (or there abouts) to teach  the Iroquoian lifestyle, offer tours, hire native students and persons to work there.

Vera Hill - Sharrow Award Recipients


2008 - Joan Barton
2007 - Corine Nanticoke
2006 – Sharon Eagles
2005 -  Margaret Broderick
2004 – Valerie Ghosen
2003 – Corine Nanticoke
2002 – Loretta Hill
2001 – Joyce Hill
2000 -  no nominations
1999 – Shirley Hill
1998 – Kathy Owl
1997 – Dianna R. Sowden
1995 – Donna Jonathon
1994 -  Elaine King
1993 – Eleanor Heaton
1992 – Merle Hill
1989 -  Lou Martin
1988 – Norma General-Lickers
1987 -  Lou Martin