Since Robbie Robertson's death, donations have poured in for Woodland Cultural Centre near Six Nations, Ont.

Following the recent death of Robbie Robertson, thefamily of the famed Canadian musician made a heartwarming request.

"In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that donations be made to the Six Nations of the Grand River to support a new Woodland Cultural Centre," said the statement.

Since his death, the centre, which is in Brantford, Ont., and dedicated to the preservation of Indigenous language and culture,has received an outpouring of donations more than $50,000 in his name and international attention.

Robertson, the guitarist and principal songwriter of the Band,died on Aug. 9at age 80 afteralong illness. Born in Toronto, hewas alsoa member of Six Nations, the First Nations community where his mother was born.

The centre's executive director, Heather George, told CBC Hamilton she hasdone dozens of interviews in recent weeks,including withRolling Stone magazine.

"It really highlighted that Woodland exists," George said."I think that not everybody knew that we were here."

Aging centre needs upgrades

The centreis on the site of the former Mohawk Institute Residential School and isclose to Six Nations. Itserves as a museum, gallery, resource library and educational centre.

George said that before Robertson's death, the musician was co-chairing acapital campaignto helpconstruct a new building for the centre. Its current facilitywasbuilt in the 1950s as a gymnasium and has serious structural issues, George said.

"It's something that I think he really was committed to, and to have his familyadd their support to that is so, so kind and so generous," she said.

George said thegoal is to raise $65 million. The donations made in Robertson's name will gotoward hiring a staff member to co-ordinate the project, George said.

Six Nations member Kelly Boutsalissaid the call for donations was "really touching."

"I was really surprised when I saw that," Boutsalistold CBC Hamilton in August."It really made me feel like he did have that connection to the community."

Boutsalis, who lives in Toronto,works asan associate programmer with the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) and as a freelance journalist.

She said the Woodland Cultural Centre is one of her favourite museums.

"They're doing a lot of work... so that people can see what residential schools were all about. The contents of the cultural centre have just been, I feel like, lovingly maintained for so many years."

Robertson's connections with Six Nations

Growing up on Six Nations, Boutsalis remembers her dad playing Robertson's music as a child.

Shebecame even more of afan herselfin 2019, whenresearching ahead of theTIFF premiere of Once Were Brothers:Robbie Robertson and The Band, thedocumentary about his early life and formation of the group.Boutsalisinterviewed Robertson at the time.

"I was just so excited to speak with him, and he was great. He was really nice, very excited to speak with me too, which is something that you don't always get with someone of his status."

Robertson had previously discussed the importance of his Six Nations connections.

In an interview with CBC'sMetro Morning in 2017, he spokeabout the childhood memories in the community that influenced his art.

He said he was about eight years old when, on a trip with his mom to see relatives, it struck him that "everybody there could play, or sing, or dance or do something with music."

Robertson recalled moments thatsparked his love affair with the guitar.

"To see somebody sitting beside you in a chair and hear their fingers moving on the instrument, and hear them breathing when they were singing, all of that, it gave me chills."

In a statement after his death, the Woodland Cultural Centre also referenced those beginnings.

"Robertson's career was influenced by early trips with his mother Rosemarie to visit family in Six Nations of the Grand River a community known for supporting musical and artistic talent," it said.

"His greatest legacy will be the opportunities his trailblazing work continues to provide other artists to celebrate and promote Indigenous culture."