Photo Credit: Maureen Shaughnessy. See Maureen’s bio on Page 54.
are working on. CEO Keith Henry answered some great questions from community members. Two wonderful cooks from Fort Nelson prepared the supper. They have recently started their own cleaning business. The Fort Nelson school district has a large population of Métis students and Minister Pope and myself had the op-
portunity to meet with the district Superintendent, Diana Samchuck. Diana is a great supporter of Métis people and has been a part of the community for 27 years. We discussed the Métis community and how we can both ensure that the school reflect Métis culture and are welcoming to Métis students. I will be continuing my work with Diana and the Métis community with Minister Pope’s assistance. During our conversation, one of Diana’s colleagues commented on my last name when I gave her my business card. She asked me if that was the correct spelling for Hodgson. I said yes that my family is from Hodgson Manitoba. She informed me that Hodgson is also her family name and after figuring things out, we discovered that are families had trekked across the Rockies together and settled in the north. I have plans to return to the north (and further) and be involved in all the communities. Living in the North has given me an insight into some of the challenges that northern communities face. It also reminded me of how beautiful the North is. There is something about standing under the stars and feeling the cold wind on your face.
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Whispering Winds - Winter 2007/08