It wasn't until she came up against hurtful stereotypes because of her aboriginal back-ground that she realized she needed to raise awareness about her culture.

"It's the typical stereotypes that (we) get our education paid for, we don't pay taxes and we live off the land for free," said Morrison, 18, a member of the Namgis First Nation of Alert Bay.

"There was an incident in one of my classes regarding being first nations and getting stereotyped that it caused me to transfer out of that class."

When she started her final year at Eric Hamber secondary last September, Morrison figured it was the perfect time to start a First Nations Culture Club.

Most of the aboriginal students at the Vancouver school didn't know one another and she thought a united front might get her classmates thinking differently about her culture.

Morrison's club, Four Directions, brings together 20 First Nations students at her school for weekly meetings where they share stories about their culture and learn about each other's bands.

"This year was basically starting - a foundation," Morrison said. "Sitting down with all the students and (seeing) what they knew about first nations culture and what they wanted to learn. My mom was making ban-nock, which is an Indian type of bread, and we shared that. And there was a lot of interest in creation stories."

The group has given presentations at school assemblies and hopes to hold a larger Cultural Day celebration for a number of different high schools. Thanks to the club's efforts and the school's first class of First Nation studies, Morrison said Eric Hamber students have become more comfortable discussing things like residential schools, and the stereotypes have been declining.

"Now people are more aware of what they say," she said.

The club founder, who is also co-president of the Compassionate Leadership Club at her school, recently won a $70,000 TD Scholarship for Community Leadership.

Morrison now attends the University of B.C., but said her priority right now is Four Directions and encouraging her peers to get involved in things they're passionate about.

"I think some students get involved because they believe in a cause," said Morrison. "That's why, for me, I try to tell people around me to find a passion and get inspired and do some-thing positive with it."

mravindran@vancouversun.com Twitter.com/manniehall