Awards to be "Aboriginal Order of Canada'

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In honor of the United Nations' International Year of he Worlds Indigenous people, The Canadian Native Arts Foundation is organizing its first National Aborigional Achievement Awards.

John Kim Bell, founder and chairman of the jury and President of the Canadian Native Arts Foundation, said the awards will be modeled after the Governor General's Award.

"It will be an Aboriginal Order of Canada - our national community honouring our own."

The awards are intended to acknowledge success and promote excellence. They will also show respect and create pride, hopefully offering up role models for today's Aboriginal youth, said Bell.

A prominent jury consisting of Aboriginal Canadians who have achieved success in their own right will determine which 12 nominees from First Nations, Inuit and Metis heritage have reached the highest levels in their respective occupations to receive this award.

Occupations such as business, law, the arts, agriculture and medicine are just some of the areas of excellence being considered.

The awards will be presented Feb. 28, 1994 at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. Prominent Canadian Aboriginals artists will be contributing their talents and support to this event.

According to Bell, this event is unique and a real milestone for Aboriginal awareness. The ceremony will be nationally televised by the CBC a week later. The national coverage will show Canadians that Aboriginals have much talent to offer and much to be proud of.

The idea for these awards emerged in June of this year.

"The department of Indian Affairs," said Bell, "hadn't really moved on a national project that would provide a combined project involving all the departments to honor the Year of the Worlds Indigenous People. We felt that Canada should do something special."

The cost of this event is approximately $800,000. Funding came from various organizations which also saw the worth of such an event.

"The awards will promote excellence and acknowledge success," said Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce chairman Al Flood. "They will encourage the development of role models which will stimulate further achievement among Canada's Aboriginal peoples while at the same time highlight their accomplishments to all Canadians."

Bell believes Aboriginals must begin to applaud the achievement of their people. Too often, high achievers are ostracized.

"It's time to say, 'We're here and we're doing really great things'."

Anyone can nominate an individual of Aboriginal ancestry. The deadline for nominations is Dec. 31.

For nomination forms, contact the Awards Secretariat c/o the Canadian Native Arts Foundation, 77 Mowat Avenue, Suite 508, Toronto, Ont. M6K 3E3, or by phoning 416-588-3941.