Various Anishinabek Nation youth recognized for their achievements
By Rick Garrick
THUNDER BAY—Kettle and Stoney Point’s Aven George and Fort William’s Daanis Pelletier were among 40 youth and two youth groups who were recognized at the 14th Annual Northwestern Ontario Aboriginal Youth Achievement and Recognition Awards (AYARA).
George, a Westgate Collegiate and Vocational Institute student, was presented with one of five Academic Awards during the AYARA ceremony, which was held on May 2 at the Italian Cultural Centre in Thunder Bay. She credits “studying hard” and doing her homework for maintaining an 80 per cent average in her high school courses.
“The exams can always be very stressful for me to study for, but in the end, I keep pushing through until I get to where I want to be,” George says. “I have been working on this since the beginning of Grade 10 to really bring up my average. And I’ve also been known for my art, because I have my art put up all over the school. So that also brings me a lot of joy.”
George follows the Pow Wow trail near her home community during the summer.
“I dance mostly jingle,” George says. “I always go to Pow Wows down in southern Ontario where my family is and some in America. But I’ve been putting it off lately to focus on my education.”
George was “very honoured” to be recognized with the Academic Award.
“I do work very hard to achieve my academic future, which is a nurse,” George says. “I can see that my hard work has really paid off tonight.”
Pelletier, a Pope John Paul II Senior Elementary School student and member of Fort William’s Sugar Bush family, was presented with one of four Sandra Kakeeway Cultural Awards during the AYARA ceremony.
“The Sugar Bush is something that I find really important to me and my family,” Pelletier says. “I’ve enjoyed taking part and collecting sap and boiling it and giving it away to people in my community.”
Pelletier began working on the Sugar Bush about six years ago when she was seven-years-old. Pelletier’s mother was one of the group of Fort William citizens who helped reestablish maple syrup harvesting on Mt. McKay.
“I think it is important to continue on with it because there is a tradition in my community,” Pelletier says.
Pelletier also enjoys beading, sewing, making birch bark baskets and participating in the sweat lodge and other ceremonies. She made her skirt for her sweat lodge ceremony and is currently learning how to make a jingle dress.
“It’s amazing being inside the sweat lodge,” Pelletier says. “I’m proud I got to experience that.”
The AYARA ceremony also recognized other Anishinabek Nation youth for their achievements, including Pic River’s Nodin Moses, who received a Sandra Kakeeway Cultural Award; Pic River’s Lily Moses, who received a Heritage Keepers Award; Fort William’s Duane Bannon, who received a Heritage Keepers Award; and Red Rock Indian Band’s Jermaine Palmer-Thompson, who received an Employment and Apprenticeship Award.
“It’s really important to acknowledge the positive things that our young people are doing,” says Fort William Councillor Michele Solomon. “I believe the more that we acknowledge our young people, the more that behaviour will be repeated and they can be role models to their peers and they will continue to stay on a healthy path.”
Red Rock Indian Band’s Ron Kanutski emceed the AYARA ceremony while the opening and closing prayers were delivered by Elder John Gagnon and the opening and closing songs were performed on Fort William’s Chi Anemikii Traditional Drum.