News

Today, National Chief Shawn Atleo, the Honourable Bernard Valcourt, Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, Kji-keptin Antle Denny, Assembly of First Nations Regional Chief Morley Googoo, and Chairman of Mi’kmaw Kina’matnewey, Chief Leroy Denny, congratulated Wagmatcook First Nation for the dedication, perseverance, and hard work that has gone into making the Wagmatcookewey School a reality.

With the completion this spring of its final phase, the modern and culturally vibrant school is now ready to serve the students of Wagmatcook First Nation and is an excellent example of what can be achieved by working together.

Quality and culturally relevant education is absolutely vital to the livelihood of everyone in every First Nation community. With this as its guiding principle, in 2012, Mi’kmaw Kina’matnewey developed a new and collaborative strategic plan with its member communities – one that ensures that students continue to have the best possible educational experience.

Mi’kmaw Kina’matnewey’s mission stands to see that students achieve the highest standards in Canada in the broadest sense, and that they are comprehensively prepared for their chosen next steps after high school. The plan lays out MK’s guiding principles and directions of action:

- We operate in a way that is consistent with the seven sacred teachings of respect, honesty, courage, love, truth, humility, and wisdom;

- We are accountable and transparent;

- We continually uphold the importance of language, quality of education providing common opportunity, treaty, and aboriginal rights and land; and

- We ensure that education is provided in a way that our language, our culture, and our traditions are fostered in our students’ lives and embedded in their character;

The plan, and a four and a half year agreement with Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada, has also allowed MK to make contributions toward projects in its member communities - and in this instance, $6.3 million toward this tremendous milestone in Wagmatcook. In addition, and in collaboration with the contributions and efforts on part of Wagmatcook First Nation, Mi’kmaw Kina’matnewey Chiefs and management team worked together to maximize the use of resources to ensure this project became a reality.

“Without these types of solid partnerships and relationships, a project such as this one would take many more years to complete,” said Chairman of Mi’kmaw Kina’matnewey, Chief Leroy Denny. “It gives me special pleasure to see how our joint efforts have led here in Wagmatcook, and to the facilities that this community, starting today, will enjoy for years to come.”

The Wagmatcookewey School offers a concrete example of how the goals of the education system can be achieved, one community at a time, by Mi’kmaw Kina’matnewey, schools, and communities working together.

“It is important for us to work closely with each other on all issues that directly affect the quality of education of our people - not only the curriculum in our schools, but also to provide a holistic educational experience that enhances and celebrates our language and culture,” said Denny.

The facility has dedicated space for medicinal gardens; bright, inviting space where students feel comfortable and are encouraged to socialize with each other; rooms for culture and Mi’kmaq language studies; and environments where Elders and youth can learn from, and spend time with, each other.

“These are the most fundamental matters of our everyday life,” says Denny. “And in making them a priority together, as evidenced here today, we are proud to keep enabling prosperous communities and futures for our youth.”

Leadership in Mi’kmaw language revitalization will be the focus of three days of conversation when over 300 educators, Elders, researchers and community members gather at StFX from May 15-17, 2013 for the 9th annual L’nui’sultinej – Let Us Speak in Mi’kmaw language conference.

L’nui’sultinej is an annual conference which brings together Mi’kmaq people from across the Mi’kmaw Nation to look at education issues related to language preservation, enhancement and revitalization. It is a conference for parents, youth, Elders, community members, educators, administrators, counselors and researchers.

“L’nui’sultinej has always been about capacity building,” says education professor Dr. Joanne Tompkins.

“When people who are passionate about Mi’kmaw language work come together in one place it feels as if the forces of language revitalization are magnified and increased. There is tremendous urgency and hope in the sharing that takes place.”

This year’s conference has infused modern touches to allow for easier connectivity, sharing and learning. New technologies are being used to strengthen connections between Mi’kmaw speakers and non-speakers, and virtual speaking communities are being created, which connect speakers and learners from different, sometimes remote, geographic sites in virtual learning spaces. There are also new curriculum documents and materials being produced to support literary efforts in Mi’kmaw.

Sessions will deal with such topics as opportunities and challenges in developing Mi’kmaw language curricula, Mi’kmaw curriculum resources, translation and retelling of stories, technology assistance, paddle making, and how to engage youth in taking an active role in leadership language culture. L’nui’sultinej traces its roots back to 1998 and an idea between members of the StFX School of Education and Mi’kmaw Kina’matnewey to create a central place where people working around Mi’kmaw language revitalization could share ideas and resources.

Other partners who have helped support the conference over the years include the St. Francis Xavier University, Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development Canada, the Nova Scotia Department of Education, and the Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaw.

For more on the conference, please visit http://www.lnuisultinej.ca/

The Grade 9 class from We’koqma’q Mi’kmaw School has entered a name for the Sydney Park Project and has been chosen to be a top 5 finalist over 200 other entries!

The name the school submitted is “New Beginning/Piley Poqtamkiaq”. They have chosen this name because the Tar Pond Project has given the Sydney/Pier area a new beginning and a start to heal Mother Earth. We ask everyone for their support and please vote for the Grade 9 entry online at www.sydneyparkproject.ca.

You can vote one a day, every day, until June 3rd. Visit the website, click CAST YOUR VOTE, and click the box next to We’koqma’q Mi’kmaw School. Let’s unite and show our pride in Mother Earth and help our school and youth be heard.

Over 250 Mi’kmaw elementary to high school students from across Nova Scotia will come together in Eskasoni May 1 to celebrate math and cultural heritage during the annual Show Me Your Math! Regional Fair.

The fair, showcasing school projects detailing the math inherent in the Mi’kmaw culture, will be held at the Eskasoni Elementary and Middle School from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The public is invited to attend.

Primary to Grade 12 students from Mi’kmaw Kina’matnewey (MK) schools, the Strait Regional School Board, and the Cape Breton Victoria Regional School Board, will present individual and group math projects completed during this school year.

“The Fair was designed to get kids to think about how math is a part of their own cultural heritage,” says Dr. Lisa Lunney Borden, an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at St. Francis Xavier University, and one of the fair’s organizers.

Since its launch in 2006, over 3,000 Mi’kmaw students in MK schools have participated. Last year the fair expanded to include public schools in Nova Scotia that serve Mi’kmaw communities, such as the Strait, Chignecto Central, and Cape Breton Victoria Regional School Boards.

As part of their course work, students partner with elders, community craftspeople, family members, and friends on projects that explore the role of math in their everyday lives. The projects show students that math reasoning is an important part of their culture.

In the past, students have learned lessons such as the importance of Pi in crafting quill boxes, spatial reasoning inherent in traditional baking, and how math plays a role in constructing a canoe or traditional drums.

The idea of the Show Me Your Math! Fair began when Dr. Lunney Borden was pursuing doctoral studies after teaching for ten years at an MK school as a high school math teacher. While working with her supervisor, Dr. Dave Wagner, at UNB, the two spoke with Aboriginal elders and collected stories on how they used math in their every day lives. Dr. Lunney Borden and Dr. Wagnar decided the information ought to be a sharing of information between generations - students and elders - and the math fair was soon brought to life.

“At this fair the students become the researchers,” says Dr. Lunney Borden. “When you see them speaking passionately about math for hours upon hours with Elders, it’s truly a proud and heartwarming moment.”

More information about the Show Me Your Math! Fair can be found at www.showmeyourmath.ca

Curtis Michael, language instructor at the L’nu Sipuk Kina’muokuom, has been recognized with a Guiding the Journey: Indigenous Educator Award for Language, Culture and Traditions by Indspire.

The award was presented by Indspire Patron His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada, at the inaugural Awards at the National Gathering for Indigenous Education in Calgary.

Curtis is one of twelve educators from across Canada honoured for their work. Roberta L. Jamieson, President and CEO of Indspire said, “The contributions of all of award recipients honoured here, can be an inspiration to all Canadians. These are people who day in, day out are there for our students, helping them realize their potential.”

In recognizing Curtis, the citation noted:

“Curtis Michael revitalizes the Mi’kmaw language at the Indian Brook First Nation’s L’nu Sipuk Kina’muokuom School. A language instructor and a fluent speaker, Michael created and uses a picture dictionary with cards as a teaching tool. Students in grades primary to six have fun learning to speak Mi’kmaw while Michael guides their journey of cultural discovery.”

Curtis’s employment of storytelling, humour, song and dance to teach language helps students associate the sound of Mi’kmaw words with oral histories, laughter, music, and movement. He focuses on cultural connections and multiple ways of knowing. He gives students a chance to reclaim Mi’kmaw language, culture, and traditions.

Curtis’s reach goes beyond the Indian Brook First Nation community. He gives presentations throughout the Maritime Provinces at events like the Atlantic Native Teachers’ Education Conference. He conducts educational sessions for the Native Council of Nova Scotia, the Mi’kmaw Kina’matnewey Symposium, and other First Nation communities.

Last year, Curtis set up a sister school for L’nu Sipuk Kina’muokuom in Peru. He visited the sister school in the village of Lares and other Peruvian schools to exchange ideas about Indigenous culture.

Curtis has more than 20 years of community service to the Indian Brook First Nation community. He was a GED math tutor, adult language instructor, and a recruitment camp coordinator for First Nation junior high students who showed an aptitude for science.

“His dedication helps ensure that generations of students will have Mi’kmaw language, culture, and traditions to turn to.”

We recently spoke with Curtis about his experience at the Indspire awards and what this nationally-recognized honour means to him professionally, and personally.

Curtis says both his nomination and win came as a complete surprise. “I was pleased, and in a way, sort of puzzled as to why someone would nominate me, because there are many excellent Mi’kmaw Language Teachers here in the Maritimes.”

But everyone who knows Curtis, knows that his work is more than well deserving.

Curtis was nominated by Mrs. Cheryl LeBlanc-Weldon, an elementary teacher who teaches at Porter’s Lake Elementary in Halifax County. Curtis was pulling into his driveway after work when he received a call from Cam Willett of Indspire, informing him that he had won.

“He wanted to know if I was interested in flying to Calgary in March to attend the Gala Dinner Award Presentation, and I forget how many times I said “yes!”,” laughs Curtis. “I’m pretty sure he knew I was going.”

The ceremony, he says, was simply awe-inspiring. Prior to the ceremony, all twelve award winners gathered in a room with Indspire dignitaries, corporate sponsors, and government officials. Curtis said he was approached by a gentleman who asked who he was and where he was from.

It turned out that he knew where Shubenacadie was and Curtis quizzed him to see if he actually did know. “It was during the awards ceremony that I learned that this man I was grilling was the Governor General of Canada, the Honourable Mr. David Johnson,” smiles Curtis.

The experience is one he will never forget. “My wife and I were seated next to the stage and the atmosphere was electric,” he says.

Comedian and Hip Hop artist, Wab Kinew, was the emcee for the night. “He did a wonderful job,” says Curtis. “In fact, while he was introducing me, he struggled with a few Mi’kmaw words (like Mi’kmaw Kina’matnewey), and we shared a laugh as I walked by and I gave him a supportive thumbs up.”

Curtis thanks his nominator, Mrs. Cheryl Leblanc-Weldon, for the unforgettable opportunity. He also appreciates the efforts of Mrs. Yolanda Denny of MK, Prof. Anna Saroli of Acadia University, Mrs. Sarah Doucet of LSK, and Mr. Bryson Sylliboy of Indian Brook, for their letters of support.

Curtis says his love of the Mi’kmaw Language stems from many important people in his life. First, his grandparents, Noel and Rita Michael. Also, his grandmother, Margaret ‘Dr. Granny’ Johnson. He also gives credit to his good friend Michael ‘Dude’ Johnson from Eskasoni.

“As teens, Dude taught me many words, phrases and conversational pieces,” says Curtis. “He used humour and exaggerated facial expressions to teach me. I found his method of teaching Mi’kmaw to be very effective.”

His mom, too, he says was a great inspiration to begin teaching. Magdalene Michael’s dedication to teaching youth was seen first-hand by Curtis as her kindergarten student, so it just came naturally to him.

Curtis also credits his aunt Elizabeth ‘Ryan’ Paul for his success in Mi’kmaw language. “She taught me how to read and write Mi’kmaw in the Smith/Francis Writing System,” he says. “I copy her teaching method to this very day.” He also says his wife, Rose, has been a driving force - always giving him verbal encouragement and positive reinforcement.

After a wonderfully busy trip to the city of Calgary, Curtis has returned home to Indian Brook and is back to doing what he loves most - teaching his students at LSK.

“I’ve had my most proud moments at work. The moment that stands out most is when a few years back, I witnessed two Primary students converse in Mi’kmaw with one another. They didn’t see me coming down the steps. They said simple salutations to one another and asked how each other how they were doing.”

“Their homeroom teacher and I were so proud. We both smiled and are very pleased to say that this smile has never been wiped off our faces ever since.”