College students raise flag to honour Louis Riel 130 years after hanging

One-hundred-and-thirty years after Louis Riel was hanged, students at Confederation College marked the occasion by raising the Metis flag.

The ceremony kicked off Aboriginal Awareness Week celebrations at the Thunder Bay school, an occasion that will include movie day on Tuesday, a bead-in in honour of missing and murdered Aboriginal women and a student meet-and-greet on Wednesday, craft workshops on Thursday and a pow-wow and cultural celebration to end the week on Friday.

Bryanna Scott, the manager of student life and Aboriginal initiatives at the college, said it’s important to bridge the cultural gap and teach all students about indigenous heritage. Hosting Aboriginal Awareness Week is also welcoming to the school’s growing First People’s population.

“What we are trying to do is create a process and assist in the reconciliation amongst the Aboriginal people and settler Canadians,” Scott said.

“What we really want to do is ensure there is an accurate history of perspectives, culture and different pedagogies here at the college in our curriculum and throughout our school.”

The goal is to engage students in a safe place.

“We’re really student-friendly here I think, in the sense that nothing is forced. We’re just trying to create an atmosphere here where people can come out, learn about culture and share in activities where we can provide some teaching and awareness about Aboriginal people.”

Paul Robitaille, a forest technician graduate and the youth representative on the Thunder Bay Metis Council, said it’s important for Aboriginals to learn about their own culture.

“To take pride in it and to form a community over it and find those commonalities between ourselves,” Robitaille said.

“For the broader student body, it’s just an opportunity to learn about other cultures, especially our First People’s. Ultimately Canada is a very diverse country and we celebrate our diversity. By doing that we can come together and build stronger communities.”