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A Dene Scholar at the University of Toronto

James Bird is a Dene from western Canada and now an Ontario resident. He is a parishioner at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish who – when he is able-  attends the daily 8 o’clock morning Mass. After Mass one morning God touched him to forgive the church for the residential schools he attended, and he developed a more positive attitude to life.

Source: the author.

He enrolled at the University of Toronto and completed his Bachelor Degree in Arts and Science with highest grades and for this he received the President’s Award as the Outstanding Indigenous Student of the Year at the First Nations House at the University of Toronto on December 6, 2018.

Currently James is working on a Master’s Degree in architecture and has directed professional architectural exhibitions at the university. For the next academic year he has been invited to enter the doctoral program at the university. After daily Mass a few years ago, James was inspired to find academic success at the University of Toronto.