Founded 15 years after the closure of the last federally funded Indian Boarding School, it symbolizes the cultural reclamation and celebration of Native American languages, identity, and arts. Located adjacent to Niagara Falls, the Turtle became a hub for fostering education, cultural preservation, and healing.

The Turtle was once the largest center for Indigenous arts in the Eastern United States but closed in 1996 due to financial challenges. After purchase by a developer nearly 30 years ago, the Turtle has been vacant, and the owner previously shared plans to demolish the building and replace it with a high-rise hotel. The bold colored stripes that once emphasized the Turtle’s zoomorphic form have been painted white, making the building’s original design harder to visualize, and The Turtle is not a protected local landmark.

The Friends of The Niagara Turtle coalition, made up of over 1,000 Indigenous and Non-Indigenous people, has engaged extensively with the Haudenosaunee Nations and other Indigenous communities, garnering support for revitalizing The Turtle as a cultural resource. The coalition envisions reactivating the building as a cultural center, to include exhibitions, dance and music performances, and educational experiences highlighting Native American heritage, culture, and languages. However, partnerships and funding are needed to make this vision a reality and “reawaken” the Turtle once again.