The Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq
PO Box 1590 57 Martin Crescent
Truro, N.S., B2N 5V3
Tel. 902.895.6385
Toll Free. 1.877.892.2424
Fax. 902.893.1520
For Media and Other Inquiries Contact:
Tim Bernard, MDCC Executive Director
Tel (902) 603-1042 | Email: tim@cmmns.com
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Canada’s Thanksgiving: Celebrating Acadian and Indigenous Harvest Traditions
Mi’kmawey Debert Cultural Centre announces capital campaign
sharing our stories
I am a student at Acadia working towards a B.Ed. in elementary education. I am doign an assignment for a Language Arts class in which I have to describe a unit plan and lesson plan and I am interested in doing a unit plan on Mi’Kmaw literature, art and music. I am looking for resources that I would be able to use to help students become more aware of the richness of Mi’kmaw culture through books, music, art, etc… created by Mi’Kmaw people. I want to gear my pans aroudn grade 4-6 and want to focus on literature and art. I also would like any children’s literature related to residential schools. I have read a few written by Nicola Campbell but I am not sure if this would be representative of all First Nations people. I believe this is a topic that needs to be voiced and children’s books are a way to introduce this topic to a younger audience.
I would greatly appreciate any help. I have been to local libraries and disappointedly have not found much. They are willing to order resources when I have titles.
Sincerely,
Thomas
Hi Thomas,
There are materials for grades 4-6 (as well as the other content which can be easily adapted) in the Mi’kmawe’l Tan Teli-kina’muemk volume that fit your request. Let us know if you have any further questions.
Hello,
Can you tell me where I can find the curriculum resource mentioned on your website? I teach grade 9 social studies.
Thank you!
I would like to obtain a hard copy of your materials, Mi’kmawe’l Tan Teli-kina’muemk. I am teaching a pre university course at Dalhousie this year.
Please and thank you!
It is a great resource!
Sincerely,
Patti Doyle-Bedwell
Hi Patti,
Please send Sheila Pierro a note at sheila@cmmns.com with your address. Glad to hear you are happy with the volume.
MDCC Staff
Earlier in the year I requested copies of this reource. Was told that I would receive one, Have not received yet. Nor has my schools receoived it. Sackville High, Leslie Thomas & AJ Smeltzer. My copy can be sent to me at Sackkville High School – 1 Kingfisher Way, Lower Sackville, NS. Wela’lin 🙂
Hi Theresa,
The Department of Education has confirmed with us that Leslie Thomas and AJ Smeltzer Junior High Schools are on the distribution list, and should have received between 1 and 4 copies. Sackville High School would not be on the distribution list as it is a high school and the volumes went only to schools with grades Primary to 9. We have sent you a hard copy as well.
If you do not see the volumes at Leslie Thomas or AJ Smeltzer in the next week or so, please let us know, and we will follow up again with the Department.
Thanks!
MDCC Staff
Hello,
I am an Education Officer for the Durham District School Board in Ontario with the portfolio of First Nation, Métis and Inuit Education for K-12. We have many families in our school system who identify as Mi’Kmaw.
I also sit on a University Program Advisory Circle for a new degree program B.Ed- Indigenous at Trent University. They are developing a library of resources for their staff and students who will start in Sept. 2016 in this program.
I would greatly appreciate as many copies of this resource as you can share. I feel it is very important we connect our teachers with current and relevant information so all students learn about the rich culture, history and contributions of our First People of Canada.
I look forward to visiting your Cultural Centre on a summer trip to the East coast and expand my learning.
Hi Carolyn,
Thanks for your comment. We have no copies left! We will continue to upload the most current versions of supplementary and other materials here to the website. and of course you can download the full volume as well as all supplementary materials. You will also notice that a new page for pronunciations has been created. You will find all the Mi’kmaw terms on this page.
In the event that we reprint copies, we will post it to the website.
The Mi’kmawey Debert Cultural Centre is not yet built. We are still in the planning phases. So please come, but be sure we are open!
MDCC Staff
Hello,
I am a lower elementary school teacher. I would like to use some Mi’kmaq literature in my poetry unit. Could you please direct me to where I could find this?
Thank you,
C
Hi Christine,
One of the best places to peruse the available literature is on the Mi’kmaw Archives, http://mikmawarchives.ca/. For younger children see books by Michael Issac, Lillian Marshall and Murdena Marshall, Murdena Marshall, Patsy Paul Martin, Theresa Meuse, and Helen Sylliboy among others. There is also a new children’s book out by Alan Sylliboy, Thundermaker.
Good luck! We’d love to hear what you are doing in your classroom.
MDCC Staff
Thank you for the recommendations! I have been using them in my classroom! Who can I contact to discuss the possibility of someone coming out to our classroom. I would love to an art project or something with the students if you have programs like that.
Christine
Is there a background story about Toot and his magic flute?
What he does or his purpose? Where he lives? etc
Thank you in advance,
Anne Ward
Hi Anne,
We put it down on paper (finally)! Thanks for encouraging us!
https://www.mikmaweydebert.ca/home/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/Lil_Toot_Story_Dec2016.pdf
MDCC Staff
Good afternoon. Do you know if these resources have been given to schools in HRSB? I asked my administration last year and they said no. Is it possible to pick up a hard copy from your location in Truro?
Good day, the department of education would have delivered copies of our supplementary materials to all schools across NS. However, we have no published anymore hard copies. If you or your school would like to use any of the material you can go to our website, download and print and electronic copy: https://www.mikmaweydebert.ca/home/sharing-our-stories/education-and-outreach/school-curriculum/supplementary-materials-for-teaching-about-the-mikmaq/
Thank you for visiting us and your interest in the project!
Hi…sorry to say that I had not heard about the MD Centre or Trail until speaking with folks on Friday at a table in PowWow circle at Grand Pre 2017., and getting brochures .
An exciting developing resource for us all to learn, appreciate, and support .
My question is: for guided walks of the Trail, is there a specific day /time each week in the summer months that Mr Gloade or others do an over-view tour of theTrail for the general public & tourists …..or is it only by booking group tours ? ( this type of tour is available and advertised ifor a number of parks,large gardens,etc, in NS and allows folks like me to plan a visit to join in a tour when able to.) Thanks,Avis
Hi Avis, happy to hear that you stopped by to meet us at Grand Pre this past weekend. As far as guided tours at the Mi’kmawey Debert Trail, those are only done when they are booked through Gerald Gloade. For more information on booking a tour please contact Gerald Gloade at gerald@cmmns.com or by phone (in Truro, NS) at (902) 895-6385 ext. 280, or call toll free at 1-877-892-2424. Thank you for your interest and we hope to hear from you.
Good day,
We are doing lunch time trivia to increase college student engagement and cultural awareness. I’ve learned so much from your trivia and was wondering if I could use your questions and answers for one of our trivia sessions for students?
Sincerely,
Jennifer
Good morning Jennifer,
That’s great. We would be pleased if you used our information for your trivia. Have fun!
I am a Grade 7 French Immersion teacher in the Annapolis Valley. I am currently participating in the new curriculum pilot. I’ve been looking at a lot of your resources and stories that are related to netukulimk. I’m wondering if any of these resources would also be available in French?
Hi there! The curriculum resource is in the process of being translated into French. As soon as it is available we will be sharing and posting on our website.
Hello,
I am editing someone’s work and want to ensure the proper use of Mi’kmaw versus Mi’kmaq. I read in one of your resources that Mi’kmaw plays two grammatical roles: 1) it is the singular of Mi’kmaq and2) it is an adjective in circumstances where it precedes a noun (e.g. Mi’kmaw people, Mi’kmaw treaties, Mi’kmaw person, etc.). If I am writing of the larger community in general which form of the work is appropriate?
Hi Denise,
We hope we understand you correctly–you mean what word would you use for the people as a group in a noun form? That form would be Mi’kmaq. As examples, “The Mi’kmaq are the people of Mi’kma’ki” or “The Mi’kmaq live across the Canadian Maritimes as well as in Newfoundland.” Alternately, if you were talking about the larger community in an adjectival form, it would still be Mi’kmaw. An example would be “Within the Mi’kmaw Nation, the fluency of language speakers varies.” These are the guidelines as we understand them, but you will find variation in usage. One of the most public variations is “Mi’kmaq History Month,” which following these guidelines would be Mi’kmaw History Month rather than Mi’kmaq History Month.
As more and more speakers are also transliterating (writing the oral language down), there is growing consistency. The adoption of the Smith-Francis orthography has been key to this consistency. The number of speakers still outweighs the number of transliterators by a wide margin, however, and there are inevitable variations as the consensus across Mi’kma’ki grows.
Thank you for your care with the language.
MDCC Staff
Kwe,
As Mi’kmaq History Month closes, I wanted to thank all of you for sharing so many teachings through social media. I follow you on Instagram.
Your amazing work has helped me reflect on so many things. I am non-Indigenous and with each teaching it strengthens my understanding. I would like to let you know that I am sharing your posts and talking about the work of the Centre.
All of you have put tremendous amounts of time and effort into connecting us through education. I am watching for more in the months ahead, and maybe next year I the will have an opportunity to join you in person. 😊
Wela’lioq
Stefani
Wela’liek Stefani. Your words are appreciated.
I like to continue in stories passed in to me by my elders.
Mary Louise Bernard
Wagmatcook
Wela’liek Mary Louise. Do you have stories of your own to share? If so we would love to hear them. Feel free to email our communications officer at solange@cmmns.com.