Eight Aboriginal youth from
Newfoundland and Labrador had the rare honour of
participating in the Opening Ceremonies of the 2010
Olympic Winter Games on Friday, February 12, where they
were among some 350 Aboriginal people who welcomed the
world to Vancouver, B.C. It was among their final
activities in Vancouver as part of an Indigenous Youth
Gathering, held January 31 to February 14.
"The Vancouver Organizing Committee
and the Four Host First Nations provided an opportunity
for Aboriginal youth in Canada to share their culture
with the rest of the world as part of the 2010
Indigenous Youth Gathering, and the Government of
Newfoundland and Labrador was pleased to support
involvement in this once-in-a-lifetime experience," said
the Honourable Terry French, Minister of Tourism,
Culture and Recreation. "We are proud of these young
ambassadors, and recognize the power that their
participation in the 2010 Olympic Games has in inspiring
young people, and in promoting physical activity, health
and wellness, and cultural pride in our province's
Aboriginal communities."
The Newfoundland and Labrador
Aboriginal youth contingent included Boas Mitsuk of
Hopedale; Ivy Campbell, Jennifer Michelin and Kerry
Pottle of Rigolet; Jenna Broomfield of North West River,
Matthew Pike of Happy Valley-Goose Bay, Thea Penashue
from Sheshatshiu, and Severn Jeddore of Conne River.
As part of the Indigenous Youth
Gathering, participants toured Olympic venues, watched
the world's best athletes train, met their sport heroes,
and spoke with business leaders and Aboriginal elders
from throughout the country. They also took part in
cultural performances at the 2010 Aboriginal Pavilion,
and the Governor General's 2010 Olympic Truce Youth
Dialogue: Promoting Mutual Understanding, hosted
on February 11 by Her Excellency the Right Honourable
Michaëlle Jean, Governor General of Canada.
"This was a unique opportunity for
Newfoundland and Labrador Aboriginal youth who continue
to inspire at home and abroad," said the Honourable
Patty Pottle, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs. "The 2010
Olympic Games and the Indigenous Youth Gathering have
provided these young people a chance to celebrate and
share their own unique and diverse cultural identities,
while taking part in an event that is showcasing
indigenous peoples and cultures on an unprecedented
scale. I encourage these young men and women to take
every opportunity to share their experiences with
others. To be a part of such an historic gathering of
Canada's indigenous youth is an inspiring experience."
The two First Nations (one Innu and
one Mi'Kmaq) and six Inuit youth were selected by the
Vancouver Organizing
Committee and the Four Host First Nations.
The programming for the Vancouver 2010 Indigenous Youth
Gathering was connected to the pillars of the Olympic
movement: sport, culture, and sustainability, as well as
the objectives of the Olympic Truce (youth, action,
legacy, awareness, and peace).
The Provincial Government invested
$12,000 to support two of the eight youth in attending
the
Indigenous Youth
Gathering. In addition to the
provincial support, two participants were financially
supported by Nalcor and the remaining four by the Inuit
Tapiriit Kanatami and the Nunatsiavut Government.
For more information on Newfoundland
and Labrador's involvement in the Vancouver 2010 Olympic
and Paralympic Winter Games see:
www.gov.nl.ca/2010olympics
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