"Local man national role model"

by Andrea Buma

SIX NATIONS - Years spent inspiring young people to stay in school and take responsibility for their lives were recognized when Donald B. "Donny Miles" Hill was selected to serve as National Native Role Model.

Nominated by former student Evonne Sabourin last fall, Hill and his wife, Louise, principal of I.L. Thomas Elementary, worked on a biography of his life to submit with the nomination.

Hill says he then forgot about the nomination when he didn't hear back from them for a long period of time. He says he was "pleasantly surprised" to get a phone call in March informing him that he was one of ten native role models selected from over 200 nominees.

Role models are selected from all different geographic regions in Canada. They serve for two years and make a minimum of ten trips to various communities during this time in order to speak to Native groups, mostly involving young people.

Sabourin wrote in her nomi-

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nation, "as a student who attended five years of high school with Mr. Hill as the VP, I can honestly say that he was a big influence on my life and the kind of person that I wanted to be and eventually became. He was exuberant yet sensitive and compassionate. He not only expected all students to have respect for different cultures and traditions, but he practised those values himself."

Hill says, "it's funny cause I never saw myself as a role model in teaching. I was just a person doing my job, which was chasing kids. I used to go after them wherever they were - check the pool halls, the Grand River area. But I am really looking forward to this opportunity because I love to travel, meet new people. Especially native people. I like to see how they live."

Hill says he is going to probably do a lot of speaking because he is the only one of the role models who is retired.

Hill is extremely busy, however. His "Hill's Native Foods" business sells lyed white corn and maple syrup to businesses and individuals on the reserve. He also raises herefords at the farm that has been in his family for over a century.

Hill will fit the speaking engagements into his schedule because he misses being involved in education. He is a strong proponent of life long learning, believing that "our learning starts in our mother's womb and it doesn't stop until we take our last breath of air."

Hill's parents stressed the importance of education to him, and he listened to them, becoming the first Native to complete a degree from the Ontario Agricultural College (now known as the University of Guelph).

He received his teaching certificate, and took a summer course for training as a Science Department head. He then attended a principal's course for two consecutive summers.

Hill became the first Native secondary principal of a high school in Ontario in 1989.

He says that his speeches as principal and vice-principal became so familiar to students that the grade thirteens would offer to give them to the grade nines for him. He would stress the three R's of reading, 'riting, and 'rithmetic, but would teach that respect, responsibility and reliability are fundamental.

Hill was in Montreal for a photo shoot last wee, and will be going to Ottawa to receive his award at the end of this week.

On Friday, April 24 he is invited to Rideau Hall, where Governor-General Romeo LeBlanc will present the awards and give a dinner for the recipients. Hill is taking his wife, Louise, Evonne Sabourin and her husband, and his two daughters and their spouses to the reception.