History and heritage

Re: We’re not so different, Jan. 28. It is easy to overlook what is being done to educate youth on their history. This government, through the Department of Canadian Heritage, does fund programs that educate young Canadians about their history and heritage, including indigenous history.

For 76 years, the Society for Educational Visits and Exchanges in Canada has provided enriching educational exchanges to 5,000 Canadian youth and chaperones annually through the Youth Exchanges Canada program.

These exchanges create lasting connections between youth of diverse backgrounds, and provide an understanding and appreciation of our many distinct cultures, and our heritage. Exchanges with aboriginal communities, for instance, provide youth with a first-hand look at the complexity of the situation faced by young aboriginals today. Many non-aboriginal youth have gone on to work in the North and in these communities to make a difference as a result of these exchanges. The impact on all participants and families is remarkable.

This educational programming puts in place the foundation of understanding required to resolve the current issues we are facing between aboriginals and non-aboriginals.

FRANÇOISE GAGNON, Executive Director, Society for Educational Visits and Exchanges in Canada, Ottawa