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First Nations expo reaches out to local school children

Sandra Abma, CBC News
November 1, 2017

A celebration of Indigenous cultures is going on at Ottawa City Hall until Sunday

It’s a history lesson told with music, dance and craft making, designed to open young minds and deepen their understanding of Canada’s Indigenous heritage.

The First Nations Confederacy of Cultural Education Centres Cultural Expo 2017 is a five-day showcase taking place this week at Ottawa City Hall.

The FNCCEC is a national non-profit organization whose mandate is to protect, promote and revitalize ancestral languages and culture.

“I want to bring my grandfather’s teachings, my grandmother’s teachings to whoever will listen,” said the president of the FNCCEC, Chief Morris Swan-Shannacappo.

The five-day event will include teachings about the relationship between Indigenous people and the environment, an evening of homemade bannock and jam, and performances of both ancestral songs and dance in traditional dress. Elders and young Indigenous leaders will also take part in panel discussion to share thoughts about reconciliation and hopes for the future.

Read more.