Students participate in Aboriginal Youth Education Day

Brad Robinson and DJ McGregor hosted a Grandfather Big Drum workshop during Aboriginal Youth Education Day.

For the fourth consecutive year, Rainbow District School Board partnered with organizers of the Northern Aboriginal Festival to coordinate and host an Aboriginal Youth Education Day.  The event, which took place on October 3rd, 2011 at Tom Davies Square in Sudbury, was made possible by the financial support from Vale.  Students from Rainbow Schools and local First Nation community schools enjoyed a day filled with a variety of activities and special guests.

“The Youth Education Day component of the festival provided students with the opportunity to explore secondary and postsecondary programs and career pathways,” said Kathy Dokis-Ranney, Principal of First Nation, Métis and Inuit Education with Rainbow District School Board. “Students also had the opportunity to participate in cultural workshops and sample traditional food. Métis Elder Marie-Claire Vignola from Laurentian University shared a teaching about Respect with all students.”

This year, as part of the keynote gathering, the featured musical guest was Jacinthe Trudeau and her seven-year-old daughter Isabelle Seguin. Jacinthe owns a school of music in Sudbury. She is a Canadian Fiddle Champion and 2010 Aboriginal Peoples Choice Music Award Winner. Jacinthe’s daughter Isabelle wowed students by singing O’Canada in three languages (English, French and Ojibwe). Isabelle also performed songs that highlighted her fiddle and step dancing skills. 

All students who attended the Aboriginal Youth Education Day, as well as all the presenters and guests, received a copy of the newly released book by the Union of Ontario Indians, We Are All Treaty People.  Author Maurice Switzer presented a workshop to students entitled As Long as the Grass Grows.  This workshop allowed students and teachers to learn more about the relevance of Treaty promises made to First Nations by governments in Canada over the last 300 years. 

Patrick Madahbee, Grand Council Chief, and Glen Hare, Deputy Grand Council Chief, made a special guest appearance at the event.  Staff and students enjoyed their participation and contributions in the various workshops they attended. 

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Media Contact:

Nicole Charette,

Senior Advisor, Corporate Communications and Strategic Planning,

Rainbow District School Board, 705.674.3171, ext. 7217