(08 10 15) Tomson Highway speaks to KiHS students

(08 10 15) Renowned Cree playwright Tomson Highway spoke via video conference to students at Keewaytinook Internet High School about writing, success and the importance of getting an education.  Highway is splitting his time in Thunder Bay between two upcoming cabarets and a Magnus production of his award-winning play, The Rez Sisters.  A self-described boarding school graduate, Highway studied music and liberal arts at the University of Western Ontario.  Highway love of Cree storytelling, his passion to learn and study hard and his love of his parents and his family all inspire him and his work.  Highway told the students that a positive attitude and hard work are the keys to success.  “Identify what you are good at and work hard at it everyday.  If you want to play piano, you need to play four hours a day.  If you want to be a swimmer, you need to swim across Deer Lake twice a day,” he said.He told the students that they should read everyday and at least 15 minutes before going to bed.  “You need to read everything.  You need to learn from the Masters.  I studied Shakespeare in university.”  Photos will be available in the KORI gallery and video clips of the presentation will be available on the KORI media player.