Oakville students win scholarships for artistic achievement on World Poetry Day
Published March 21, 2023 at 5:29 pm
Three local students were recently recognized for their artistic achievement as part of Gimaa’s Allyship Poetry Contest.
Suha Tariq, from Sheridan College, Oakville student Dakota Tabicoe and Nicole Abiyo, from Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation (MCFN), read and presented their poetry live and on screen to the in-person, and livestream crowd, Treaty Day event at the Oakville Public Library on Feb. 28 and at the Truth and Allyship Event on March 4.
Tariq, Tabicoe and Abiyo also received scholarships to their post-secondary institutions from the Oakville Community Foundation.
In November, Gimaa (Chief) R. Stacey Laforme of the MCFN partnered with Debwewin: The Oakville Truth Project to launch the second Gimaa’s Allyship Poetry Contest.
Gimaa Laforme shared his own poem titled “Nii jii” which means “friend” in Anishinaabemowin and then invited post-secondary students from Sheridan, Oakville and MCFN to share their own poetry on what friendship or allyship looks like or means to them.
“I would like to say Miigwech to all of the students who participated and bravely shared their talents through their poems,” said Gimaa Laforme.
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“I encourage each of them to continue to use their voices and express themselves through their art. I am already looking forward to next year’s entries.”
The poetry contest received over 30 entries. The scholarship winners were selected by a panel of adjudicators for their work, which consisted of: Tiana Bone, Georgia Laforme, Kelly Laforme and Courtney Waddell.
All of the students’ creative pieces are available for viewing on the Debwewin: The Oakville Truth Project website.
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