Mazda Rising Legends recipient still supports community
By Rick Garrick
ALGONQUINS OF PIKWÁKANAGÁN — Algonquins of Pikwákanagán’s Nevaeh Sarazin appreciates the opportunity to help support her community’s events through the $50,000 Mazda Rising Legends recipient award she received in 2023.
“The reason why I had put in for the Mazda Rising Legends award is because my community is struggling with addiction and we’re in a state of emergency because of the Opioid crisis that we have,” says Sarazin, a Grade 11 student. “There’s lack of funding and activities that go on for our community to help be a community, to come out together and support one another, such as community events or gatherings like Sweat Lodge or ound dances, pow wows, et cetera. So far I’ve been able to support our pow wow back in August 2024, I also sponsored our round dance last year and I will be sponsoring it again.”
Sarazin says she also hosted her own community pow wow over the Christmas break.
“I sponsored and I hosted the whole thing and it was a great turnout,” Sarazin says. “Hopefully I’ll be using it for a lot more things and chosen events over the March break, skiing trips for the kids or skating events.”
Sarazin says there has been a very positive reaction from the community about the events she has helped support with the Mazda Rising Legends recipient award, especially about the Christmas pow wow.
“We don’t have a pow wow during Christmas — a lot of people commented and I got a lot of feedback,” Sarazin says. “I can’t wait for the next one.”
Sarazin says it was important to help support her community’s annual pow wow, noting that it is hosted by her grandmother and attended by thousands of people.
“Being able to have that way of life and being able to share that way of life with everyone in a great way is very positive,” Sarazin says. “Everyone gets to come out and be together, which I’m really thankful for so I’m glad that I’m supporting something that other people enjoy as well.”
Sarazin says her heart stopped when she received a phone call during the middle of her Grade 10 science class about being recognized as one of the five recipients for the Mazda Rising Legends award.
“My heart stopped, I cried and I was so happy because it was something that I’d been really searching for,” Sarazin says. “This is finally a dream that’s coming true because now I’m able to support other people and my family and my community.”
Sarazin says Mazda Canada also created videos about her and the other award recipients on YouTube.
“I’m the only winner from Ontario, so it’s basically getting to see all the differences in people who have won and how they’re so different but yet still want to use that money or that recognition to help better their communities,” Sarazin says. “With that video, they just wanted to portray who I was and get to know me a bit better so that other people could see that as well. I’m someone that’s passionate about what I do and what I believe in, and I could show that and share that with everyone.”
Sarazin says her bead work was featured in the video.
“That’s one of my favourite hobbies,” Sarazin says. “My bead work is also something I’m very passionate about, so I make my pieces for my regalia or I also use my bead work to help support myself financially as well, but it’s also a way of being able to share my work with other people and have them enjoy it.”