Old Fort Niagara plans Native American Education Center to honor Indigenous history

Old Fort Niagara has launched a campaign to build a Native American education center as part of its commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, according to an announcement on the fort’s website. The hewn-log structure will reflect 18th-century Native dwellings built near the fort during the Revolutionary War and will serve as a space for storytelling, teaching and cultural workshops.

The center is expected to deepen understanding of Native history and culture, military alliances and survival during wartime. A co-chair of the fundraising campaign, Chief Brennen Ferguson, Tuscarora, Turtle Clan, was quoted as saying that the project “will support the efforts of Native staff at the Fort and help share a fuller story — one that honors the presence, contributions and strength of Indigenous Peoples.” The fort has raised $200,000 toward its goal. The fundraisers seek an additional $50,000 by early September. The center is scheduled to open in spring 2026.