The Rotary Club of Guelph has great pleasure in announcing Alexis Hamilton as the winner of the 2019 Youth Award at the annual “Turtle Island Heritage Festival” in Wellington County. The Award Certificate was accompanied by a $500 cheque from Rotary to help Alexis further her education.

 

The annual Turtle Island Heritage Festival celebrates Indigenous history and culture. The event is hosted by the Wellington County Museum and Archives in coordination with the Upper Grand District School Board (UGDSB), the Grand River Métis Council, and other representatives from the community. 

 

Each April, the museum invites both high school and elementary school groups to spend a day at the museum participating in interesting and informative workshops. With about 300 students attending per day, this year’s festival was attended by some 1,200 local students over a four-day period. 

 

 

 

Each year, the organizing committee of the Turtle Island Heritage Festival selects a student of Indigenous ancestry to receive Rotary’s annual Indigenous Youth Award for demonstrating leadership qualities in the community and in the promotion of Indigenous culture. 

 

Alexis Hamilton, this year’s Award Winner is 16 years old and a grade 11 student attending College Heights Secondary School (CHSS).  

 

Alexis is the daughter of a 60's Scoop survivor, and has become a key member of her Anishinaabe Community.  She is a part of the Community Health Centre Indigenous Healing Advisory, the UGDSB First Nations, Métis and Inuit (FNMI) Council, and has attended many ceremonies with Nancy Rowe at the Kinomaagaye Learning Lodge. Last year she also helped orchestrate the Guelph Walkout in protest of Doug Ford's curriculum changes to Indigenous Curriculum.  During this protest, Alexis made an impassioned speech addressing identity problems concerning Indigenous Youth.  Alexis has also created presentations on the Indigenous Water Crisis, and Social Justice Issues in Indigenous Communities, and has presented to many different classes at CHSS.

 

Alexis has participated in three Sweat Lodge ceremonies as well as the 13 Moon Teachings Ceremonies at the Kinomaagaye Learning Lodge.  She attended the Pow Wow at Conestoga College.  She has also attended many Indigenous Workshops at the Guelph Community Health centre, e.g. beading, moccasin making, and shaker making.

 

The Rotary Club of Guelph is proud to honour exceptional students such as Alexis, and sincerely hopes she will one day become a Rotarian as she continues to live up to Rotary’s global motto of“Service Above Self”.