SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Yellowknife students served as ambassadors for the NWT and showed off their modelling skills in Toronto last month.

Sir John Franklin high school students Peyton Straker and Danica Wouters were two of eight Yellowknife students who went to Toronto last month to take part in the Canadian Aboriginal Festival. - photo courtesy of Diane Lafferty

Eight students were chosen from five Yellowknife schools to take part in the Canadian Aboriginal Festival held in Toronto from Nov. 28 to 30.

"It's the largest aboriginal festival in Canada, so that alone was an experience," said Diane Lafferty, aboriginal language and culture co-ordinator for Yellowknife Catholic Schools.

The students were chosen from a group of 40 who auditioned when Turtle Concepts was in Yellowknife on Oct. 30. Turtle Concepts is an Ontario-based group that works with youth to raise awareness about self-esteem and holds workshops on youth-related issues, like peer pressure.

The eight students were among 60 youth taking part in the festival from across Canada.

The students participated in a fashion show, themed Confidence Meets Fashion.

"They looked like professionals out there. They did great," said Lafferty. "I watched them change and grow."

She said this group of students used their new skills as models for a photo shoot with Say Magazine, a publication for aboriginal youth. The kids were taking part in a shoot for the health issue of the magazine, which will be available in March.

Lafferty said they were also invited to Gathering of Nations in Albuquerque, New Mexico. There will be new auditions for another group of students to attend that event.

While in Toronto there was also a meeting between the Yellowknife students and Indian and Northern Affairs Canada representatives. The students gave INAC input on what can help encourage aboriginal student success in schools.

Danica Wouters, a Grade 12 student at Sir John Franklin high school, said the experience helped her build new friendships as well as confidence.

"You met so many new people," said Wouters, who added she is still in touch with many of her new friends.

She said the highlight for her was "probably the fashion show ... It was really fun."

Jayde Lafferty, in Grade 11 at St. Patrick high school, said the trip to Toronto "was awesome."

"You wake up at like six and you're done at like two in the morning," he said. Jayde said the trip included three days of modelling, which "was good. You work on your confidence a lot."

The highlight for Jayde was participating in the Canadian Aboriginal Music Festival.

"I'd hand out the trophy to the speaker and they would hand it to the winner," said Jayde of his role at the awards show.

Along with Jayde and Wouters, students who participated in the trip were Jarius Stewart, Peyton Straker and Krystal Anderson from Sir John Franklin, Brandan Michel from Weledeh Catholic school, Cheyenne Lafferty from St. Joseph school and Hugh Evalik from Range Lake North school.