THUNDER BAY – The National Aboriginal Day Committee are accepting nominations for its Honouring Our Men Recognition Award. The award will be given to an outstanding First Nations, Métis or Inuit leader, mentor or individual who has made a major difference in the lives of Aboriginal people in the Thunder Bay area.
The awards will be given on National Aboriginal Day, June 21, at Fort William First Nation Pow Wow grounds (Mount McKay).
“National Aboriginal Day happens to fall on Father’s Day this year and our committee felt it was important to honour our men as part of this year’s event to celebrate the important role they play in supporting and nurturing positive change in our community,” said Dr. Amy Farrell-Morneau, chair of the National Aboriginal Day Committee. “We want every day, unsung heroes who live and work among us to be recognized, therefore we are looking to the community to identify those individuals and nominate them.”
The National Aboriginal Day Men’s Recognition Award will recognize men for honouring and demonstrating the teachings of the Seven Grandfathers: Wisdom, Love, Respect, Bravery, Honesty, Humility and Truth. The three categories are youth, adult and elders. Nominees must also be male. We welcome 2-spirits who identify as male.
In addition, nominees must be from the Thunder Bay area, and be of First Nation, Métis or Inuit descent.
“We require a nominating letter to the awards committee detailing the relevant achievements of the candidate,” Farrell-Morneau said. “This year gives us a special opportunity to put the special achievements of our community’s men into sharper focus and we look forward to the submissions from the community as we look to this year’s National Aboriginal Day festivities that fall on Father’s Day. We also invite the broader community to come out and join in our celebrations as we will be hosting a special ceremony to honour all men in our community.”
Nomination forms can be found on the National Aboriginal Day website at www.nadtbay.ca or by calling Nikki Louttit. Deadline to nominate is Friday June 5, 2015 at 5 pm.
National Aboriginal Day is held annually on June 21st (the Summer Solstice) to acknowledge the rich contributions Aboriginal people have made to shaping Canada.
CONTACT: Nikki Louttit, communications and nominations sub-committee lead, National Aboriginal Day Committee – Cell: 807-355-2880
