This week, secondary school students from the Conseil scolaire catholique du Nouvel Ontario are taking part in a learning activity that will allow them to discover Native traditions. The activity was offered at Collège Notre-Dame on April 1 and will be repeated at École secondaire du Sacré-Cœur on April 3.

This activity, offered through the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples’ Find Your Voice Program, seeks to empower Aboriginal youth and provide them with the knowledge to make positive changes in their world. Collège Notre-Dame and Sacré-Cœur students will have the opportunity to become familiar with Métis, First Nation and Inuit historical figures that have influenced the history of Canada.

Sharing his knowledge with students was Marcel Labelle, from the Métis and Anishinaabe nations. Marcel Labelle is a proud Métis whose personal mission is to spread and develop the culture handed down by his Algonquin-Anishinaabe and French-Canadian ancestors. In his Mattawa family, he grew up appreciating the value and importance of propagating Métis songs, recipes and traditions. Today, Marcel gives back to his community by sharing the knowledge he has learned over the years from his mentors and Elders.

Participating students will benefit from the presence of an elder who will teach them the rudiments of birch-bark canoe building enabling them to build their own one-foot miniature birch-bark canoe. During this exercise, a 12-foot canoe will be on display in the secondary school.

The CSCNO, whose Aboriginal Education program is amongst the most proactive amongst French Catholic and public boards in Ontario, is offering this opportunity to its students to support Native students (First Nation, Métis and Inuit) and help them reach their full potential. The Board’s program includes initiatives that support awareness, learning and success at school, and seeks to instill pride and belonging towards the Native cultures.

The Conseil scolaire catholique du Nouvel-Ontario offers a French Catholic Educational Program that is widely recognized for its excellence. The CSCNO provides a quality academic program that runs from early childhood to adult education, with some 7,000 students in 27 elementary and 10 secondary schools.