TORONTO – The Ontario Heritage Trust is pleased to announce the creation of the Harvey McCue (Waubageshig) Internship for Indigenous Youth. The internship will provide opportunities, mentorship and support to young Indigenous persons interested in the fields of heritage conservation, education or culture. Applications will open in fall 2021, with the first internship placement beginning in 2022.

The program is named in honour of Harvey McCue, former Chair of the Ontario Heritage Trust. McCue is an educator and consultant who launched Canada’s first Indigenous Studies program at Trent University in 1969. His work over the past 50 years has been instrumental in shaping the teaching of Indigenous history and culture across Canada, and has empowered students and youth.

“To this day, Harvey McCue’s leadership and commitment to bettering Indigenous education has had an enduring impact across Canada,” said John Ecker, Chair of the Ontario Heritage Trust. “It’s only fitting that an internship to support the next generation of Indigenous leaders in heritage conservation, education and culture would be named to celebrate his contributions.”

The program will provide a 16-week paid internship to a recipient each year. Interns will work directly with Trust staff and other professionals to gain work experience in a variety of heritage conservation disciplines such as archaeology, education, interpretation and commemoration, and community development.

“We look forward to providing opportunities to young Indigenous leaders through the internship,” said Trust Board Secretary Bob Taylor-Vaisey, who was an undergrad student with McCue at Trent University. “The internship program is a fine tribute to an educator who I have always admired and respected.”

“I’m delighted and pleased that the OHT has created this internship program for Indigenous youth as it will increase awareness among Indigenous youth of the importance of heritage and offer them the opportunity to engage in meaningful heritage work in Ontario,” said Harvey McCue. “To establish the program in my name is a generous and thoughtful recognition of my association with the Trust.”

The Trust is accepting donations in support of the Harvey McCue (Waubageshig) Internship for Indigenous Youth.

About Harvey McCue

Harvey McCue (Waubageshig), an Anishinabe from the Georgina Island First Nation, is a consultant specializing in aboriginal issues in the areas of health, education, self-governance, gaming, public relations and economic development. McCue helped found and develop the Native Studies Department at Trent University, where he taught for 14 years. He was Director of Education Services for the Cree School Board in northern Quebec for five years, and was the first First Nations Director General of Indian Education at Indian and Northern Affairs Canada in Ottawa. McCue joined the Ontario Heritage Trust’s Board of Directors in 2009, was appointed Vice-Chair in 2015 and served as Chair from 2017-20.

Learn more

• Find out more about the Ontario Heritage Trust and its programs.

Contact

Patricia Njovu, Senior Marketing and Communications Specialist, Ontario Heritage Trust. Patricia.Njovu@heritagetrust.on.ca, 437-248-1439

About the Ontario Heritage Trust

The Ontario Heritage Trust (the Trust) is an agency of the Ontario Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries. The Trust conserves, interprets and shares Ontario’s heritage. The Trust conserves provincially significant cultural and natural, tangible and intangible heritage, interprets Ontario’s history, celebrate its diversity and educates Ontarians of its importance in our society. The Trust envisions an Ontario where we conserve, value and share the places and landscapes, histories, traditions and stories that embody our heritage, now and for future generations.

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