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F4: Netukulimk and Msɨt No’kmaq

Overview

This Learning Experience introduces two primary Mi’kmaw concepts to learners: netukulimk and msɨt no’kmaq. They are fundamental to understanding Mi’kmaw culture and practice. If learners do not have a basic understanding of these concepts, it will be difficult for them to understand Mi’kmaw decision-making during treaty negotiations as well as in other contexts.

Learners will...

Absorb age-appropriate definitions of netukulimk and msɨt no’kmaq.
Articulate the meaning of these concepts in their own words.
Understand that these concepts are important to understanding Mi’kmaw history and culture.
Know that they will encounter these concepts in future LEs.

Focus

We recommend opening this Learning Experience with two (very short) introductory videos from the Unama’ki Institute of Natural Resources. They can be found at http://www.uinr.ca/programs/netukulimk/. Some vocabulary preparation may be helpful including the terms interdependence, sustenance, and sustainability. Learners will work with more age-appropriate definitions on the worksheets, but reviewing this vocabulary will help when viewing the videos.

Another excellent starting place for learners would be with the Netukulimk film produced for Mi’kmaw History Month in 2018. This short film has the advantage of young people speaking about netukulimk, so learners may relate well to it. See http://mikmaqhistorymonth.ca/video/

Using the provided worksheet, learners will read the definitions of netukulimk and msɨt no’kmaq (alone or in pairs as appropriate). They are then asked to rephrase the definition in their own words and to provide three examples of each. As a final element, learners are asked to use the illustration space on the worksheet to draw a picture that shows the relationship between the two concepts.

Printable Learning
Experience (pdf)