Students, staff, faculty and classes from local elementary schools gathered at Durham College (DC) to celebrate Aboriginal Awareness Day on January 22. Sponsored by DC’s  Aboriginal Student Centre (ASC), Suswaaning Endaajig, the festivities included performances by the big drum and a women’s hand drum circle, an Inuit throat singer and a Métis fiddler, as well as storytelling.

“We are very proud to share Aboriginal culture with the campus and wider community,” said Julie Pigeon, Aboriginal student advisor for DC. “It’s a culture that is alive and well and hosting Aboriginal Awareness Day is a way to bring focus to the strong traditions that are carried on today by First Nations (status and non-status), Métis and Inuit peoples.”

Four classes from local elementary schools also attended in the morning and afternoon, participating in the opening prayer led by Elder Shirley Williams, dancing to the drums, and learning more about Aboriginal culture by visiting vendor and informational booths that lined the perimeter of the Campus Recreation and Wellness Centre.

The ASC strives to recognize and support students through various activities and teachings with the assistance of Elders from all backgrounds and uses a holistic approach to education serving Aboriginal students focusing on their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual well-being.