Truro, Nova Scotia: The Mi’kmaw History Month (MHM) Committee is excited to reveal this year’s History Month poster theme: food and its significance in Mi’kmaw culture. From sharing pɨteway (tea) at kitchen tables to harvesting and safeguarding traditional sources, food is central to Mi’kmaw life.

The poster is produced each year as a resource for teaching about the Mi’kmaq during History Month, emphasizing significant aspects of Mi’kmaw history and culture. The team from the Mi’kmawey Debert Cultural Centre, led by celebrated Mi’kmaw artist and storyteller Gerald Gloade, will be showcasing not only traditional food cycles and calendars, but also highlighting the ongoing efforts by the Mi’kmaw Nation to conserve our food sources and to protect its habitats.

“As stewards of the lands and waters of Mi’kma’ki, we are committed to protecting netukulimk for future generations. Our practitioners and harvesters teach us that climate change significantly impacts our resources and sovereignty, underscoring the need for ongoing stewardship.,” says Tim Bernard, Executive Director for the Mi’kmawey Debert Cultural Centre and chair of the MHM Committee.

Mi’kmaw History Month is a time to educate and celebrate our history and culture, offering a chance to deepen understanding of the Mi’kmaq’s relationship with food and pass on these teachings to the younger generations and beyond.

“We’re excited to invite everyone to our table!” continues Bernard.

The poster is printed in three languages: Mi’kmaw, English and French, and is made available to schools across the province. A PDF version will also be available for download from the MHM website: mikmaqhistorymonth.ca.

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About the Mi’kmaw History Month Committee:

The Mi’kmaw History Month Committee was established to promote awareness of Mi’kmaw culture, history and heritage and encourage educational and cultural activities during the month of October. The Committee, lead in the interim by The Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq, draws on the expertise of representatives from the Mi’kmaw Grand Council, Nova Scotia Mi’kmaw communities and organizations, as well as the Federal and Provincial governments.

About Mi’kmaw History Month:

In 1993, Premier John Savage and Mi’kmaw Grand Chief Ben Sylliboy declared October as the official month to recognize and celebrate Mi’kmaw culture and heritage. Each October, community activities, events, sharing and showcasing of Mi’kmaw history and culture takes place across Nova Scotia. All are encouraged and welcome to participate in Mi’kmaw History Month events.

Millbrook, Nova Scotia: The Mi’kmaq History Month (MHM) Committee are pleased to announce Mi’kmaw Traditional Games & Sports as the theme for this year’s History Month poster.

Mi’kmaq History Month educates and celebrates our history and culture, and the poster is produced each year as a resource for teaching and for helping audiences better understand significant aspects of Mi’kmaw life. This year’s poster is inspired by the thousand of athletes that will be gathering this July in Mi’kma’ki for the 2023 North American Indigenous Games.

As indigenous participants from over 750 nations compete in a range of sporting events, we see an opportunity to showcase and highlight our traditional and contemporary games and recreation. “From throwing atlatls to dancing ko’jua, games and recreation have been important activities for us for millennia. We always had time for fun, learning and friendly competition,” explained the Mi’kmaq History month co-chair, Tim Bernard.

The knowledgeable team from Mi’kmawey Debert Cultural Centre, including celebrated Mi’kmaw artist and storyteller Gerald Gloade, will share not only transformations of our traditional activities to several of today’s modern sports, but also ancestral practices like waltes and wapnaqn.

The poster is printed in three languages: Mi’kmaw, English and French, and is made available to schools across the province. A PDF version will also be available for download from the MHM website, mikmaqhistorymonth.ca and will be made available in mid-September.

The Mi’kmaq History Month Committee has also launched calls for the 2023 Community Activities Program Initiative and more details and downloads can be found at www.mikmaqhistorymonth.ca

 

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About the Mi’kmaq History Month Committee:
The Mi’kmaq History Month Committee was established to promote awareness of Mi’kmaw culture, history and heritage and encourage educational and cultural activities during the month of October. The Committee, lead by The Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq, draws on the expertise of representatives from the Mi’kmaq Grand Council, Nova Scotia Mi’kmaw communities and organizations, as well as the Federal, Provincial , Municipal governments.

About Mi’kmaq History Month: 

In 1993, Premier John Savage and Mi’kmaw Grand Chief Ben Sylliboy declared October as the official month to recognize and celebrate Mi’kmaw culture and heritage. Each October, community activities, events, sharing and showcasing of Mi’kmaw history and culture takes place across Nova Scotia. All are encouraged and welcome to participate in Mi’kmaq History Month events.

Truro, Nova Scotia: The Mi’kmaq History Month (MHM) Committee are pleased to announce Mi’kmaw Beadwork & the Art of Beading as the theme for this year’s History Month poster.

From pre-contact wampum to the beautiful pieces created today, beading has been part of Mi‘kmaw culture for generations. For centuries, the intricate designs and colour palettes has been beaded on an array of beautiful wearable art, adorning bodies, clothes and other Mi’kmaw objects. As Mi’kmaq History Month is about educating and celebrating our history and culture, this year we honour and celebrate our beading masters who have carried on our beading traditions, designs and patterns through their ceremonies and art.

“Mi’kmaw beadwork was used to not only beautify objects, but to also record important decisions and can enrich and enhance the stories we tell about our lives, experiences and history,” said Tim Bernard, Executive Director for the Mi’kmawey Debert Cultural Centre and chair of the MHM Committee. “Our Mi’kmaw beadwork artists have kept us connected with many of our traditional designs and have also brought forward the importance of beadwork in contemporary Mi’kmaw culture.”

The poster, produced each year as a resource for teaching about the Mi’kmaq during History Month, highlights a significant aspect of Mi’kmaw history and culture. The team from the Mi’kmawey Debert Cultural Centre, led by celebrated Mi’kmaw artist and storyteller, Gerald Gloade, anticipate this year’s poster will help audiences better understand and celebrate this artform that was preserved and passed down by our ancestors for many generations.

“We are excited to see all of the artists who are keeping the tradition of beading alive and hope that this year’s poster can be a resource for all those who want to learn more,” continued Bernard.

The poster is printed in three languages: Mi’kmaw, English and French, and is made available to schools across the province. A PDF version will also be available for download from the MHM website, mikmaqhistorymonth.ca

 

About the Mi’kmaq History Month Committee:

The Mi’kmaq History Month Committee was established to promote awareness of Mi’kmaw culture, history and heritage and encourage educational and cultural activities during the month of October. The Committee, lead in the interim by The Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq, draws on the expertise of representatives from the Mi’kmaq Grand Council, Nova Scotia Mi’kmaw communities and organizations, as well as the Federal and Provincial governments.

 

About Mi’kmaq History Month:

In 1993, Premier John Savage and Mi’kmaw Grand Chief Ben Sylliboy declared October as the official month to recognize and celebrate Mi’kmaw culture and heritage. Each October, community activities, events, sharing and showcasing of Mi’kmaw history and culture takes place across Nova Scotia. All are encouraged and welcome to participate in Mi’kmaq History Month events.

 

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For more information, contact:
Tim Bernard, Committee Chair

Mi’kmaq History Month
P: (902) 603-1027
C: (902) 890-5417
Email: tim@cmmns.com