Ouje-Bougoumou has received yet another international honour. The community was informed on August 20 that it has been selected as an official project of the Universal World Exposition, EXPO 2000, to be held in Hannover, Germany from June 1 to Oct. 31, 2000.
The community was chosen to present an exhibition because the world’s fair believes O.J. represents the fair’s theme: “the balancing of humankind, nature and technology.” O.J. has already won several awards from the United Nations and in Canada.
“This level of international recognition is truly humbling,” commented Chief Abel Bosum. “And at the same time, it confirms what we have said over and over for many years, that if you give aboriginal people the resources to build their own futures according to their own philosophies, there takes place an enormous unleashing of creative energy which is positive not only for us but for the larger society as well. Aboriginal self-government is a win-win situation.”
