London's Juno Awards committee is partnering with area schools in an effort to further indigenous education and reconciliation.
A number of schools are participating in the legacy program started by the late Gord Downie, lead singer of The Tragically Hip.
His brothers, Mike and Patrick Downie, were in London Friday to help spread the word about The Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund (DWF).
The program is centered around Secret Path, the album and graphic novel that tells the story of 12-year-old Chanie who died running away from a residential school in 1966.
Mike explains, “Every school that signs up to be a legacy school is dedicating themselves to acts of reconciliation and basically teaching the kids about residential schools.”
The brothers were at Holy Rosary Catholic School speaking to a Grade 7/8 class after they participated in the program.
“They've had the Secret Path in their classrooms and they're studying it as a unit and for us it’s just confirmation of the lesson that's in there,” Patrick says.
One of the main aims is to bring indigenous and non-indigenous people together in the spirit of reconciliation through education, awareness and music.
In all, 35 London District Catholic Schools are participating in the legacy project.
“It’s surprising to know about how much kids 12 to 13 actually know about Gord,” Mike says.
And Patrick hopes, “This sets up for them to discover the legacy that Gord has left behind.”
