What's in a name?

One of the important things we can do as a people is to honor those place names that Mi'kmaq have used for generations.

It may not be practical to rename every town, lake and mountain, but I think every Mi'kmaw should know at least some important place names in the original tongue.



Here's a document I found that lists many places alongside the Native equivalent: (some examples follow)

NUJIO'QON   - ST. GEORGE'S 
SIINALK  - PORT-AUX-BASQUES
QALIPUE'KATIK  - DEER LAKE
MIAWPUKWEK  - CONNE RIVER
ELMASTUKWEK  - - BAY OF ISLANDS

Baskets as Culture

I heard a segment on a local CBC show recently that talked about basket weaving as a mainstay of Haida culture. One of the weavers said that it was learning how to weave hats in the style of his ancestors that reconnected him to his people and made him feel even more "Haida". It made me think about  Mi'kmaq art, and how I might rediscover it. I was browsing and found this site presenting Della Maguire, an artist who feels it's her responsibility to keep this art form alive. I guess it is true that these handicrafts are a way to reconnect us to our past and take traditional practices out of the museum and back into the sunlight. It's certainly a challenge to do this on the West Coast, so far from Ktaqamkuk! (The Big Island!)

And yet more about the Language

I'm going to see if I can master some aspects of the Mi'kmaw language using the lessons on the Conne River site. They have lessons, videos, online quizzes and games. I'm hoping I can pick up some phrases to use with my kids.

More about the language

I am very interested in language and now more than ever, I want to be able speak at least a few words in Mi'kmaw. The M.A.C. site (Mi'kmaq Association for Culture) has a good overview of how the language has fared over the years. There are apparently on-line courses as well; I'll have to look into this!

Amazing Inventions and Innovations

Looks like a great book for school! A Native American Thought of It, Amazing Inventions and Innovations. by Rocky Landon with David MacDonald. 


"Guess who came up with the idea for diapers, hair conditioner and hockey? Find out more about the innovations by Native Americans for what are now everyday objects such as syringes, kayaks, maple syrup and even insect repellent."

Collection of Legends

I came across this facsimile of a collection of Mi'Kmaq legends transcribed by the Reverend Silas T. Rand. He lived for years among the Mi'Kmaq of Nova Scotia and spoke the language. While the introduction to his book reflects a Eurocentric view of the world, his transcriptions are a window into the culture.

Mi'kmaq Music

Leo Crema

The Beaton Institute of Cape Breton has a collection of Mi'kmaq music on their site as well  as an easy to follow overview of the culture.  Here's an excerpt from the site:

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.

The Mi'kmaw fiddle tradition demonstrates a diversity of playing styles and repertoires, including tunes from the standard repertoire, as well as the adaptation of traditional song to fiddle (as in Lee Cremo's playing of Ko'jua).

I know my son Nathan would be very interested in the fiddle connection as he plays a wide variety of traditional fiddle music. Here's a link to Leo Cremo page with him playing.

I've embedded a player below so you can listen without leaving the blog if you prefer.

The Stone Canoe

Here's a great short animated film the tells in image and music the Mi'kmaq story of the Stone Canoe.

Mi'kmaq Language Instruction in NS

I was interested to see how well developed the Nova Scotian Department of Education policies are vis-à-vis the teaching of the Mi'kmaq language. In the "purpose" section of the document, the authors state that :

 "The Mi’kmaw/Miigmao community recognizes the need to reclaim and strengthen its language—-in homes, communities, and in schools. It is only through the pervasive use of the language that it will continue to live. The document provides the vision and structure for all subsequent Mi’kmaw/Miigmao language curriculum development."

Since the document dates from 2003,  I wonder how well Mi'kmaq instruction is faring in Nova Scotia today?

Mi'kmaq Creation Stories

Today, I happened across Debbie's blog (she is Mi'kmaw and lives in Boston) One of her posts has a link to an interesting site (Four Directions Teachings) that recounts creation stories from a variety of First Nations, including the Mi'kmaq. I enjoyed listening to the creation stories; they have such symbolic weight! (The animations are well done, and the stories are simply but reverently told.)