First Nations Carving - in the heart of the city.

We went to Granville Island recently for something to do on a sunny summer day, and came across a totem pole carving in progress. It was nice to see such fine craftsmanship. I believe the artist is Haida carver Clarence Mills.

Visiting other FN spaces

My wife and I spent some time up near Whistler this month. Nairn Falls is a beautiful location, spiritually important to the local peoples. It's great to get out and hike the trails.

 

We also visited the Squamish Nation centre in Whistler's Upper village.

"Endangered Languages

Find out more about the "Endangered Languages project, and contribute to the language database if you have any facility with the Mi'kmaq language. 

"Humanity today is facing a massive extinction: languages are disappearing at an unprecedented pace. And when that happens, a unique vision of the world is lost. With every language that dies we lose an enormous cultural heritage; the understanding of how humans relate to the world around us; scientific, medical and botanical knowledge; and most importantly, we lose the expression of communities’ humor, love and life. In short, we lose the testimony of centuries of life." (From the "about" page)

Speaking and Texting Indigenously

Spark: Episode174 – March 4 & 7, 2012 
http://www.cbc.ca/spark/2012/03/spark-174-march-4-7-2012/

I was very interested to hear the segment on "Spark" about Squamish language texting. I wonder if there are folks doing this in Mi'kmaq?

"Indigenous language activist Dustin Rivers blogs and podcasts to teach Squamish to youth whose parents and grandparents can’t speak the language. His big dream is to use the internet to create a new tribe of language speakers. (Runs 8:17)"

More on Dustin:
http://www.nsnews.com/life/story.html?id=5531356

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Basic Facts for Kids (and others)

"Native American Facts For Kids" was written for young people learning about the Mi'kmaq for school or home-schooling reports. The site also has Mi'kmaq language and culture pages for in-depth information about the L'nu. The creators of the site have assembled answers to the questions they are most often asked by children.  


(The director and cofounder of Native Languages of the Americas is Laura Redish. The original owner of this site is Orrin Lewis. He is a Cherokee man who has done work in linguistic preservation with many Indian languages of Oklahoma. This site has an American perspective. There are a a number of ads.)

Mi'kmaq Portraits Collection

I've been looking through a set of very interesting images in the Nova Scotia Museum's Mi'kmaq Portraits Collection. This is a database of more than 700 portraits and illustrations that provides a some insight into the history of the Mi'kmaq of Atlantic Canada. You can browse the images here. I think there are some great images for anyone looking to incorporate Mi'kmaq traditional designs into their artwork.

NFB - Mi'kmaq Family (Migmaoei Otjiosog)

Watch this on the NFB site - very well done.


"This documentary takes you on a reflective journey into the extended family of Nova Scotia’s Mi'kmaq community. Revisiting her own roots, Mi'kmaq filmmaker and mother Catherine Anne Martin explores how the community is recovering its First Nations values, particularly through the teachings of elders and a collective approach to children-rearing. Mi'kmaq Family is an inspiring resource for both First Nations and non-Native audiences looking for ways to strengthen their own families and traditions."

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.