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ACHO DENE KOE/FORT LIARD
A medicine wheel with a Maple Leaf and a crown in its centre is the new crest and symbol on the flag for Echo Dene School.

Dave Nande, 15, holds the flag he helped to design for Echo Dene School in Fort Liard. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo

The flag was unveiled to applause and comments of approval during a community celebration in Fort Liard on Feb. 8.

Dave Nande, a Grade 8 student who designed the flag, was at the centre of the unveiling ceremony.

Chance to develop a crest

A school-wide contest was held last year allowing every student the chance to develop a crest for the school that would also be flown on a flag. The crest was expected to include symbols representing the community's Dene heritage, Canada and the monarchy, because the contest was organized as part of a larger celebration to recognize Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee, said Francis Amprako, a Grade 8 teacher and one of the organizers.

A panel of community members chose Nande's design as the best among the entries. Nande, 15, said the idea for the crest just came to him.

"It looked cool," he said about his choice to incorporate a medicine wheel.

Nande searched the Internet to get ideas for the rest of the flag, settling on a crown and Maple Leaf.

Nande had originally drawn the items individually, but Stan Bertrand, the runner-up in the contest and a Grade 10 student, helped refine the design and lay the three symbols one over each other. For their contributions to the crest both Nande and Bertrand each received an iPod touch as prizes.

"It looks good," Nande said about the final product. "I felt excited when I first saw it."

The number of people who attended the unveiling ceremony, which was also held to celebrate the community and the Diamond Jubilee, surprised Nande. Approximately 250 people crowded into the community hall for a feast and the unveiling. Many stayed for the entertainment provided by drummers from Fort Providence and Wrigley as well as Against the Grain, a band from Fort Nelson, B.C.

Canadian Heritage funding helped

The school received funding from Canadian Heritage to hold the celebration. The goal was to instil in the youth and all other residents a sense of pride in their Dene heritage, in Canada and also in the monarchy, and to build a lasting legacy through the symbolism in the flag, said Amprako.

"Our Dene heritage is very important. Our community is very, very important," he said.

The celebration was also a chance to gather students, their parents and other community members together.

"It's high time we enjoyed ourselves not just as individuals, but as a community," Amprako said.

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