An instrument inspired by basket making!
Thursday, October 18, 2018
Music: Cape Breton's Diversity in Unity | Mi'kmaq
"The selections chosen to showcase Mi'kmaw culture on this website fall into four broad categories: traditional songs, Catholic hymns, fiddle traditions, and contemporary works. The traditional songs largely draw upon the Ko'jua repertoire, a genre of dance music. The Catholic hymns can be divided into "old" and "new" traditions, where "old" refers to songs from the Gregorian chant tradition and "new" refers to more recent repertoire, such as "Immaculate Mary," that has been translated into Mi'kmaq.
Tuesday, October 16, 2018
Who are the Mi'kmaq ?
Learn more via the Canadian Encyclopedia
"Mi'kmaq (Mi'kmaw, Micmac or L'nu, "the people" in Mi'kmaq) are Indigenous peoples who are among the original inhabitants in the Atlantic Provinces of Canada. Alternative names for the Mi'kmaq appear in some historical sources and include Gaspesians, Souriquois, Acadians and Tarrantines. Contemporary Mi'kmaq communities are located predominantly in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, but with a significant presence in Québec, Newfoundland, Maine and the Boston area."
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Kwa'nu'te': Micmac and Maliseet Artists
A remarkable look at Indigenous art and spirituality
https://www.nfb.ca/film/kwanute_micmac_and_maliseet_artists/
"This film profiles a number of Mi'kmaq and Maliseet artists from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, showing their similarities and differences, samples of their work and the sources of their inspiration. It offers a remarkable look at Indigenous art and spirituality in Atlantic Canada."
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'Nitap: Legends of the First Nations'
Mi'kmaq and Wolastoqiyik Stories - Indie Games Plus
https://indiegamesplus.com/2018/10/nitap-legends-of-the-first-nations-shares-mikmaq-and-wolastoqiyik-stories
"Nitap: Legends of the First Nations takes players through the woods of New Brunswick, Canada, meeting various spirits and animals along the way. By helping these animals or interacting with the lands around them, players will learn about traditional medicines, hear legends and stories, and take in aspects of First Nations culture."
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Friday, October 5, 2018
When a Q sounds like H, you must be speaking Mi'kmaq
A window into Mi'kmaq culture
Learning Mi'kmaq has led to greater understanding of the culture, said Williams and Snook. "Once you start to learn, you realize how much it makes sense," Williams said. "There's a lot of words that there won't necessarily be an automatic translation for, because of the way the language works." Shane Snook started studying Mi'kmaq about five years ago. "It was mostly curiosity getting started, but I started learning more and more and hearing more interesting tidbits about what words meant, the root meanings," Snook said. "As you start to learn the language, you get to really understand how our ancestors thought and operated. It really helps you understand that perspective from years ago."
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Friday, August 31, 2018
Mi'kmaq History Month - posters
Yearly posters to Celebrate
Take a look at these beautiful posters that celebrate Mi'kmaw culture and history.
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Thursday, August 23, 2018
Membertou of the Mi’kmaq – A Stamp A Day
Commemorating
the man and the Nation
https://stampaday.wordpress.com/2018/08/22/membertou-of-the-mikmaq/
This stamp (Scot t#2226) commemorates both Chief Henri Membertou, but also is a reminder of the rich history and vibrant culture of the L'nu of Mi'kma'ki.
"Aboriginal people have always played significant roles in Canada's history. The spread of the fur trade, for example, and European exploration and settlement would not have been possible without the help of the First Peoples, who were relied upon for their knowledge and experience. Chief Membertou's pivotal role in ensuring the survival of French settlement in eastern Canada made him a natural choice to be featured on the fourth stamp of Canada Post's five-stamp French Settlement in North America series."
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Tuesday, July 10, 2018
How Jeremy Dutcher Keeps His Ancestors' Language Alive
"
Cousins" keeping their language through music
[...], at twenty-seven years old, Dutcher released his first full-length album, sung entirely in Wolastoqey. Wolastoqiyik Lintuwakonawa was released this April under an independent label so that Dutcher could keep creative control over his work. The eleven tracks feature Dutcher's voice alongside the voices of his ancestors, using Mechling's now digitized recordings. The album is an art project rooted in Dutcher's life and work, but it is also a tool for keeping his nation's language alive, helping it to thrive. Dutcher hasn't made an English translation of the album available yet, though he eventually will, along with a video showing Wolastoqey pronunciations. "This is me having a conversation with my community," he says. His priority is not "to translate [for other people] what I want to say and be concerned about that gaze."
Wolastoq Honour song (The refrain is so much like the Mi'kmaq version!)
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Wednesday, June 20, 2018
Mi'kmaq name Skmaqn added to P.E.I. national historic site
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https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-national-historic-site-renaming-mikmaq-1.4538786T
he waiting place."
"A Mi'kmaq name will be added to the Port-la-Joye—Fort Amherst national historic site in P.E.I., recognizing the traditional name for the site and its Indigenous history.The site will be renamed Skmaqn—Port-la-Joye—Fort Amherst National Historic Site of Canada, said Minister of the Environment Catherine McKenna. Skmaqn, pronounced Ska-MAA-kin, means "the waiting place." It is thought to have its origins in the years 1725 to 1758 when the Mi'kmaq of Epekwitk and French leaders met annually at the site to renew their relationship and military alliance and would have to wait for the French leaders to arrive from Cape Breton, N.S.
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