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DFC students celebrate NNEC’s 25 anniversary

Amid the laughter and surprises, Dennis Franklin Cromarty (DFC) High School was in full motion as it celebrated NNEC’s 25 anniversary on October 15. DFC is one of the best schools commented one Wunnimun Lake student Starr Martin, 18. She notes that although it is fully hard “adjusting” to a new environment, she says it’s the “new friends” that make it a fun stay.

One of the reasons, why 19 year old Michael Goodman came to school at DFC was because “they have everything” from sports, to services that are for free he says. Goodman, a first year student at DFC, says that although he has never been to a high school in an urban setting, he says that DFC is a school worth going to because “everybody (is) being nice to everybody” he explained.

Nearly after 25 years of showing educational support to the Nishnawbe Aski-Nation (NAN), Northern Nishnawbe Education Council (NNEC) celebrated 25 years of on going dreams that become a reality. "Our Culture is unique and must be kept alive for our children"  the NNEC's website explains.  "Education must include knowledge of our language, culture, history, values heritage, and spiritual beliefs."

NNEC which also provides in school support for their students, say that it provides "Educational programs (that) must be culturally relevant with curricula designed, developed, and delivered by First nations people."

Into celebrating the 25th year, the school gathered all the students into the school gym where each one took a cake along with a hot cup of tea and coffee and shared a few laughs as they watched Team DFC playing against the DFC staff. (I figure they hate me now because I was acting like a pysho "di-killing papparazzi" at the gym with the tiny digital that was given to me by the school for me to use that afternoon... )

From communities as far as Fort Severn, to as far west as Sandy Lake - from the east side of Moosonee to the nearest Thunder Bay - each student says that NNEC means a lot to them.

We give it a “4 thumbs up” says students Pamela Chapman, Jenelle Matthews and Cheri Quequish of Kitchenumaykoosib Innuwug, (Big Trout Lake). Chapman, a third year student at DFC, says that the school offers a lot of programs that she thinks students would really like. “They have almost everything” cited Quequish, 16. The trio explained that although the school doesn’t have the sports they play, such as kick-boxing, and baseball, they say that the school remains awesome.

Goodman explains that although his first year experience is rewarding, he says he would recommend others on coming however, it would be “up to them” withier they’d like to or not. NNEC is also collaborated with the Pelican Falls First Nations High School in Sioux Lookout, Northern Eagle in Ear Falls and the Wahsa Distance Education which is a correspondence school delivered via radio.

By James Benson