April 7, 2016

Some 15 secondary school students from Sudbury’s École secondaire du Sacré-Cœur and Collège Notre-Dame will take part in a birthing ceremony of traditional Native drums on Friday, April 8, at 11:30 a.m. Members of the media are invited to attend this ceremony scheduled to take place at École secondaire du Sacré-Cœur, located at 261 Notre-Dame Avenue, in Sudbury.

On Monday, April 4, this group of students took part in a traditional Native drum fabrication workshop as part of the Conseil scolaire catholique du Nouvel-Ontario (CSCNO) Aboriginal Education program. Following the traditional teachings by Elders from Atinamikshing Anishnaabek (Whitefish Lake First Nation), the students cut up the deer hide in circles and strips before placing them in water. As prescribed in Aboriginal traditions, only after the birthing ceremony will students be able to bring the drum home and use it.

The CSCNO, whose Aboriginal Education program is amongst the most proactive in Ontario, is offering this opportunity to its students to support Aboriginal 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 Aboriginal 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.

INFO:

Paul de la Riva
Interim Assistant Director of Communications and Community Development
Conseil scolaire catholique du Nouvel-Ontario
(705) 673-5626, ext. 294
(705) 677-8195 – cell phone