Mrs. Universe speaks to First Nations youth in Membertou

Embrace your culture
http://www.capebretonpost.com/News/Local/2016-08-19/article-4620081/Mrs.-Universe-tells-First-Nations-youth-in-Membertou-to-embrace-their-culture/

 "The 2015 winner of the Mrs. Universe pageant, Ashley Callingbull, was a surprise guest of the Mi'kmaw Summer Games in Membertou this week where she served as a co-host for Thursday's princess pageant activities. The 25-year-old actress from Enoch Cree First Nation also gave a motivational speech and spent a portion of her Friday offering tips to the young participants to take through the pageant and their lives."

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A place called 'heaven' by Mi'kmaq

Partridge Island protected for generations to come 
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/partridge-island-bay-of-fundy-protected-nova-scotia-nature-trust-1.3730905

The stories and teachings are about real places:

"A Mi'kmaq storyteller is celebrating the preservation of Partridge Island in the Bay of Fundy near Parrsboro, N.S. — called Wa'so'q, or heaven, in Mi'kmaq — saying the Nova Scotia Nature Trust has helped protect an area of cultural significance.

Gerald Gloade, with the Confederacy of Mainland Mi'kmaq, said the island is known as Glooscap's grandmother's traditional campsite. According to Mi'kmaq legend, Glooscap was the first human, created out of a bolt of lightning in the sand."

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A rediscovery of roots

Learning all of it for the first time
http://strangerinmynation.blogspot.ca/2012/04/28-community.html


Heather writes about her journey of discovery:

"After I had been there a few times, the "Chief" as we call him, whose name is Roland, took some time to talk to me about where he came from and explained a bit to me about what was happening with the drum group. I was thrilled for this because I had lots of questions. For those of you who may be reading this blog for the first time, I have only recently discovered that I am of Mi'kmaq descent through my grandmother. It is part of my heritage and sadly I know little of it. My ancestors hid their Mi'kmaq identity and with that hiding, came a disconnect with the culture. This is not an unusual story for many of First Nation descent.  I am learning all of it for the first time. I eagerly listen to and absorb everything that anyone tells me about Mi'kmaq culture or any native culture to which they belong."

Mi’kmaq canoe headed for national museum in Ottawa

A place in Canadian history
http://www.kingscountynews.ca/News/Local/2016-07-07/article-4581194/A-place-in-Canadian-history%3A-Mi%26rsquo%3Bkmaq-canoe-built-in-Keji-headed-for-national-museum-in-Ottawa/1

"Todd Labrador, a master Mi'kmaq canoe builder, from the Wildcat Community, near Molega Mines (near Caledonia) built the 18-foot, six-inch ocean-going canoe last summer at Kejimkujik National Park. The Canadian Museum of History (CMH), actually in Gatineau directly across the Ottawa River from the Parliament Buildings, is opening a renovated and expanded exhibit hall next year on Canada Day. The Canadian History Hall will be a 40,000-square-foot exhibition space tracing Canada's history from "the dawn of human habitation to the present day." And Labrador's canoe will be a part of it."

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Protecting Mi’kmaq rights: Canada's stories

A story of advocacy
http://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/viola-robinson-on-protecting-mikmaq-rights/

"Viola Robinson, now 79—is a Mi'kmaq activist, lawyer, land claims negotiator, recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal—[Her] advocacy led to court cases overturning aspects of the Indian Act and validating the Mi'kmaq Treaty of 1752, thereby protecting Mi'kmaq rights in Nova Scotia.

Read more about her achievements in the complete article.

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"All Our Relations" - Study

Phase 1 of the Surrey Urban Aboriginal Social Innovation Strategy
https://www.surrey.ca/files/AllOurRelations_FINAL_WEB_VERSION.pdf

"The title of this report - All Our Relations - emphasizes a relational worldview shared by many Indigenous peoples and points to the many relationships that need to be created, strengthened or expanded in Surrey. The objective of the Surrey Urban Aboriginal Social Innovation Strategy is to build and strengthen relationships at all levels of the community so as to improve the economic participation, educational attainment, and health outcomes for the Aboriginal population in Surrey. Phase I of the project has helped to shine a light on the urban Aboriginal community in Surrey and some of the barriers or challenges that impede a positive experience of city life. Phase II of the project will be an opportunity to build on the findings and conclusions contained in this report ...."

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Celebrate the lives of Aboriginal Canadians

APTN series "All Our Relations"
http://aptn.ca/allourrelations/

"All Our Relations celebrates the lives of Aboriginal Canadians who have achieved international success and recognition. Every story documents a different featured guest; tribal Elders, historic experts, relatives and famous First Nation's people from the fields of sports, politics, architecture, diplomacy, movies and dance. All Our Relations takes a close look at Aboriginal celebrities' ancestral history and acknowledges their pride in their traditional culture, providing a unique insight into the personal lives of their public persona."

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Mi'kmaq artist uses Art as vehicle for change

"Art is a very powerful way to send a message"
http://www.cbc.ca/news/aboriginal/alan-syliboy-mikmaq-artist-st-francis-xavier-university-1.3601875

"Alan Syliboy has been appointed as the 2016 Coady Chair of Social Justice at St. Francis Xavier University in Antigonish, N.He plans to use his art to address environmental issues, missing and murdered Indigenous women and First Nations' housing issues. The Coady Chair of Social Justice was founded five years ago and looks to foster ways of solving local and global problems through different disciplines."

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Kids Learn Culture and Language at Surrey's Indigenous Preschool

Many families are hungry for cultural experiences
http://thetyee.ca/News/2015/02/13/Surrey-Indigenous-Preschool/

"Growing up, Terri Shouting, a member of southern Alberta's Blood Tribe, received little education about her Aboriginal background. Today as a mother of three young children in Surrey, B.C., she feels lucky to have a free preschool nearby where her kids have gained exposure to Coast Salish culture and its Halq'eméylem language.

"We never had any of the Aboriginal aspect growing up," said Shouting. All three of her children have attended Awahsuk Aboriginal Head Start program in Surrey's North Whalley neighbourhood.

"It just feels right," she said. "It's somewhere you belong to -- I'm never uncomfortable here."

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Visiting the Mattie Mitchell Monument

Ta'n me'j jilaptoq Mattie Mitchell
Some pictures of our great-great-grandfather's monument, taken by my cousin Matt.