Foundation grants scholarship awards

Page 19

Hard work and dedication have earned three Aboriginal students Millennium Excellence Awards from the Canada Millennium Scholarship Foundation.

Ariane Starblanket, a 20-year-old from the Starblanket Cree Nation in Saskatchewan, will receive an award for $4,000. Skawenniio Barnes from Kahnawake Mohawk Territory in Quebec, and Kelvin Redvers, a Metis student living in Vancouver, will each receive a national award worth $5,000 a year, renewable for three additional years to a maximum of $20,000.

"I was very overwhelmed when I first found out about this award," said Starblanket, one of 34 award winners in her category. "I was really excited and it was kind of a relief, because all of my hard work throughout my high school years has been looked at and I was being honored for it."

She told Windspeaker she heard about the scholarship just before the deadline to apply. Her teachers pushed her to go for it and, to Starblanket's surprise, she received a letter in the mail two months later saying she was selected.

"I was so frantic getting my stuff in, because I was cutting it close to the deadline date, and I said that I would just apply next year, but my teachers helped me to get it in," said Starblanket.

"My teachers actually drove me to the post office five minutes before it closed," said Ariane Starblanket, who said she will buy a computer with part of the money and will use the rest for additional school costs. She will attend the First Nations University of Canada and will study in the Indian Education program at the Regina campus. Starblanket currently works at the Wahpiimoontooxis Healing Centre where she does general office work.

Upon graduation Starblanket wants to teach grades six to eight.

"You can't define just how good it feels to find out that you have accomplished something like this," said Redvers, who will study film at Simon Fraser University.

Redvers was a student council president at his high school who decided to run for the position because he liked working with the teachers and students to try and make things for the better. He was also valedictorian for his graduating class.

"I have always strived to keep my marks as high as I could."

Redvers said he picked up his first video camera in 2002, and since then has become deeply passionate about film. He started making a few things and said he had a blast with it.

"I loved doing it so much that that was what I wanted to do in life," he said.

With the help of his dad, they were able to borrow some money and start a small video production company, and through that were able to purchase a good quality camera.

Redver's paid off the loan by making videos for local organizations and businesses. He has worked on two documentaries about making Native American crafts for the Smithsonian Institute's National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, DC.

The first documentary shows how to make a traditional porcupine bracelet.

"The Smithsonian Institute enjoyed that one so much that they decided to commission a second one featuring moose hair tufting," said Redvers.

He will be putting some of the scholarship money towards tuition and books. He said it would also take care of some of the extra costs in the film program.

"After graduation, I hope I will be able to get into the film industry as a writer or director."

Redvers said he truly enjoys film-making and it will always come first in his life. Film-making is a way for him to express his artistic side, as well to show people that anything is possible, regardless of where they come from.

"What I'm hoping to do is make people realize that just because you live in a small town or live in the North and are young that there isn't really much stopping you to doing these type of things.

You have to decide that you want to go out and keep your grades up or start a business. You have to work hard to stay with the flow, rather than waiting for people to show ou the way."

Skawenniio Barnes was unable to be reached for an interview.