A celebration of native heritage - Canadian Aboriginal Festival staged in Hamilton for the first time

It's being called the world's largest classroom.

That may or may not be true. But organizers of this weekend's Canadian Aboriginal Festival expect more than 7,000 students and teachers will show up at Copps Coliseum today to learn about native heritage and culture.

"It's something you can't get from a text book," says Lisa Jackson, a spokesperson for the festival. "We have authentic aboriginal people telling stories about aboriginal culture.

"The idea is for the young people to come away with a better understanding of our culture and background. It's a celebration. The whole weekend is a celebration," she said.