A young Prince Albert teenager is in the national spotlight after she submitted a video to Canada’s History Young Citizens Program. The video has earned her a finalist spot in the competition.
Charmaine Gamble, 14, made the video highlighting her Cree heritage as part of a class project on Canadian history. She was one of 200 students from across Canada to make short documentaries on what historic milestones in their communities matter most to them.
Students from across Canada did videos on everything from the Wheat Board to the War of 1812. Gamble says learning about her Cree history was an eye opener.
"Some people, they think they know who they are. But once you read and study up on your culture for a minute, you don't know who you really are,” says Gamble.
Canada's History Society sponsored the contest. Joanna Dawson, an organizer, says they hope it sparks a deeper interest in the history the students explored. “Many of them do choose to do something on personal history or local history, but it’s across the spectrum what these kids find interesting. Whatever matters to them at this moment, there’s a lot of choice to what they want to research and present.”
A national panel of judges will review the 30 finalist videos and select six winners. The winners will receive a trip to Ottawa in December for the Governor General’s History Awards, and have their videos showcased at the national history forum.
