Wake the Giant welcomes First Nations students to Thunder Bay with dancing, music and incredible performances – CBC
Sep 17, 2023
Weekend music festival welcomes students at DFC high school to the city
The 2023 Wake the Giant festival welcomed students from Dennis Franklin Cromarty to Thunder Bay, ringing in another school year.
The Wake the Giant initiative supports Indigenous students who travel to Thunder Bay to attend school. Its goal is to make the city a more welcoming place. Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School teacher Greg Chomut, who is one of the festival organizers, said 150 DFC students were there Saturday.
Chomut says he has seen the positive impact the festival makes on students who are coping with change.
“They’re making a great sacrifice to come away from home, their families, friends and everything they’ve known to get a high school education, something we all take for granted,” said Chomut. “This is all about bringing the community together, to embrace them and give them a warm welcome.”
Saffron Fiddler, a jingle dress dancer from Sandy Lake First Nation, said she kept coming back year after year because it’s a positive force for First Nations youth in the city.
