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.