Mi'kmaw History Month

Tuesday Night Talk, free at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic
2024-10-01 18:30 - 21:00 (America/Halifax) | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, 1675 Lower Water Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3J 1S3, Canada
Mi’kmaw artists are creating a wide range of imaginative and beautiful work using the skills and traditions of basketry weaving given to them by their elders and ancestors.
Peter J Clair is one of nine artists presented in The Art of Mi’kmaw Basketry (FORMAC publishing), which was released in 2023.
Peter was among the first to break new ground in the 1980s when public interest was rising in Indigenous contemporary art. As a master sculptural weaver he uses natural materials to create thought-provoking pieces using traditional and contemporary forms. He often uses Black Ash, willow and other tree barks.
Peter is also a poet and fiction writer. As our guest speaker, he will present in English, with occasional commentary in Mi’kmaw.

Living History, 25 years after the Marshall decision
2024-10-02 09:00 - 2024-11-29 15:00 | Eltuek Arts Centre, 170 George St., Sydney, Nova Scotia, B1P 1J2, Canada
The Marshall Case stands as a beacon in the history of Indigenous treaty rights in Canada, its waves rippling through the legal and cultural landscape of our time.
At the heart of this landmark ruling is Donald Marshall Jr., a Mi’kmaw from Membertou, Unama’ki, Cape Breton, whose name would come to echo through the chambers of justice and be embodied in Mi’kmaw youth on land and open waters. The decision upheld Indigenous rights to earn a livelihood from the harvest and sale of fish, wildlife, wild fruit and berries as set forth in the Peace and Friendship Treaties of 1760 and 1761.
Photographing and connecting with proud, young Mi’kmaw harvesters, conservationists, and activists, it was plain to see that Junior’s sacrifices were not in vain. Each face tells a story of enduring spirit within the community.
Living History is on at Eltuek Arts Centre in Sydney, Unama’ki, Cape Breton from Monday through Friday 9am-4pm and Saturday’s from 9am-3pm until November 29.
Free. All are welcome.
Steve Wadden is a settler photojournalist and avid fly fisher, living and working in unceded and unsurrendered, beautiful Unama’ki, Cape Breton Island.

Fall Food Festival (Carving Workshop With Michelle Sylliooy)
2024-10-05 10:00 - 16:00 | Potltoek Fishery Dome
We are hoping to host a weeklong event centered around the Fishery Industry. We have applied to the Gord Downie Blanket Fund for the majority of our events. We just did a workshop with Michelle Sylliboy and thought it would be a great addition to our Fall Lineup. We are applying to you to cover the cost of a Bone Carving Workshop. Through the Blanket Fund, we applied to host a Fall Feast with traditonal cooking techniques, a Salmon Hide Workshop, Excursions on the Annie Tena Barge, and Nightly Eel Fishing. The addition of the Michelle Sylliboy Carving Workshop will be a tie in to our activities. Michelle is a well known Artist and has showcased her beautiful whale bone carvings. This has intrigued us, and although she will be teaching cow bone carving, she will be teaching a whale tail design to participants, in keeping with our Fishery Industry theme. She will share stories behind her whale carving display and also her previous experiences with her art shows throughout the world. It is our hope that community members will be enticed to continue this
craft.
Potltoek Fishery Dome
107 Fishery Rd
Potlotek

Wasoqopa'q First Nation Harvest Feast
2024-10-05 13:00 - 22:00 | Rose Purdy Recreation Field, 15 Burbine Street, Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, B5A 4V8, Canada
The Wasoqopa’q First Nation Harvest Feast will be held on October 5th, with festivities starting at 1:00 PM at the Rose Purdy Recreation Field. The event will feature traditional Mi’kmaw dance, crafts, a Big Bounce, and a Bingo Bonanza, along with live music from The Relatives. Food will be served from 2:00 to 3:30 PM, and the celebration will conclude with a fireworks display at 7:30 PM. The event is free, open to everyone, and will be alcohol and drug-free.

Mi'kmaw Food and Knowledge Initiative
2024-10-08 08:00 - 2024-10-29 17:00 | Millbrook Community Hall., 820 Willow St, Truro, Nova Scotia, B2N 6N7, Canada
The Mi’kmaw Food and Knowledge initiative is to further educate our staff about Mi’kmaw culture by facilitating food-focused workshops that promote sharing knowledge pertaining to traditional Mi’kmaw foods, their nutritional value, how to
harvest the ingredients, and how to prepare for consumption.
ln 2007, the Government of Canada released an updated version of the Canada Food Guide titled ‘Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide – First Nations, Inuit and Metis’ (see attached). The guide lists various traditional foods that the Mi’kmaq have been harvesting for thousands of years, and bow to incorporate those foods with typical western diets. Some traditional foods we will be using in the workshops include pkwimao, nme’juey, tapatat, and tiam (tentative menu attached). The project will demonstrate how adding traditional foods to our diets embraces the Mi’kmaw concepts of netukulimk and etuaptmumk by using traditional harvesting methods that promote sustainability, food security, and food sovereignty.

Blair J. Bernard Memorial Feast in the Highlands
2024-10-10 12:00 - 15:00 | Nova Scotia
The Blair J. Bernard Memorial Feast in the Highlands is an annual gathering held on October 10, 2024, from 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM at Hunter’s Mountain Airstrip. This year’s feast, called Jukwita’q, provides an opportunity for community members to come together in healing and unity, especially during the ongoing moratorium on moose hunting. The event honors Tiam (the moose) and emphasizes the importance of protecting moose and their habitat. Organized by the Unama’ki Institute of Natural Resources (UINR), the feast includes community participation and aims to strengthen relationships with the land. Everyone is welcome to attend, and participants are encouraged to bring a lawn chair.

Bear River First Nation Harvesters Gathering
2024-10-18 08:00 - 2024-10-22 20:00 | BRFN Cookhouse, 154 Reservation Road, Bear River, Nova Scotia, B0S1B0, Canada
The Harvesters Gathering has been held annually the 3rd week of October since 2014. The gathering starts with the lighting of a 4 day sacred fire, a smudge and a prayer. Throughout the week, we have meals to sustain our bodies, multiple activities, booths for learning and interactions, and a large potluck supper to close off the event. We take this time to appreciate and honor our hunters, gatherers and medicine carriers. This event is a community driven event where we can celebrate our elders, youth and providers and everyone gets to see and participate in this form of respect and ceremony. There will be multiple activities throughout the event

Mi'kmaq History Month Speaker Series: Ernest Johnson
2024-10-18 14:00 - 15:30 | Millbrook Cultural and Heritage Centre, 65 Treaty Trail, Millbrook Mi'kmaw Community, NS, b6l 1w3, Canada
Ernest Johnson will be at Millbrook Cultural & Heritage Centre on Friday, October 18th, at 2:00 PM for a discussion on tanning hides. Everyone is welcome to attend!

Tuesday Night Talk, free at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic
2024-10-22 18:30 - 21:00 | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, 1675 Lower Water Street, Halifax, Nova Scotia, B3J 1S3, Canada
“…to share our culture, our spirituality, our customs, our traditions, our honour, our integrity: to be able to share that with settlers, that way we learn from each other.” –Debbie Eisan
Debbie Eisan is an Ojibway Anishinabe kwe from Batchewana First Nation, and was born in Sault Ste Marie, Ontario.
Debbie will share personal experiences and stories that have shaped her identity – from her youth, military career and community involvement – to her current work today, and the cultural thread that has been woven throughout her life.
During her 36-year military career, Debbie served numerous tours of duty, highlighted by her involvement in the close out operation of the United Nations Base in Rwanda, Africa, and her posting to the HMCS Iroquois.
The Maritime Museum of the Atlantic is also honoured to feature Debbie in our continuing exhibit, Ta’n me’j Tel-keknuo’ltiek: How Unique We Still Are, sharing her Indigenous and female perspective as a veteran in the Canadian Armed Forces.
Debbie Eisan, CPO2, CD2(Retired) Chief Petty Officer Second Class (Ret’d), is currently the Community Events Coordinator, Mi’kmaw Native Friendship Centre in Halifax.

Mi'kmaq History Month Speaker Series: Gerald Gloade
2024-10-29 18:00 - 20:30 | Millbrook Cultural and Heritage Centre, 65 Treaty Trail, Millbrook Mi'kmaw Community, NS, b6l 1w3, Canada
Gerald Gloade will be at Millbrook Cultural & Heritage Centre on Tuesday, October 29th, at 6:00 PM to discuss types of food and the best seasons for fishing and hunting. Everyone is welcome to attend!

Mitji - Let's Eat!: Mi'kmaq Cooking for Kids (Kids Event, Age 10+)
2025-10-08 15:30 - 17:30, 2025-10-15 15:30 - 17:30 | Bridgewater Library, B-135 North Park St, Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, B4V9B3, Canada
Celebrate Mi’kmaq history and culture by cooking delicious dishes from Mitji-Let’s Eat! Mi’kmaq Recipes from Sikniktuk by Margaret Augustine and Lauren Beck. Try new foods and learn about Mi’kmaq culinary history and traditions. Registration required, call 902-543-9222

Seven Sacred Teachings Presentation (Adult Event)
2025-10-09 18:30 - 20:00 | South Shore Public Libraries, B-135 North Park St, Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, B4V9B3, Canada
Join Mi’kmaw artist and teacher Jessica Jerome to learn about the 7 Sacred Teachings and how they relate to our lives today. Registration required, call 902-543-9222

Mitji - Let's Eat!: Mi'kmaq Cooking for Kids (Kids Event, Age 10+)
2025-10-10 15:00 - 17:00 | Lunenburg Library, 97 Kaulbach St, Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, B0J2C0, Canada
Celebrate Mi’kmaq history and culture by cooking delicious dishes from Mitji-Let’s Eat! Mi’kmaq Recipes from Sikniktuk by Margaret Augustine and Lauren Beck. Try new foods and learn about Mi’kmaq culinary history and traditions. Registration required, call 902-634-8008

Mi'kmaq Storytelling with Petroglyphs (All Ages)
2025-10-11 13:30 - 15:00 | Bridgewater Library, B-135 North Park St, Bridgewater, Nova Scotia, B4V9B3, Canada
Celebrate with a reading of Snow Bear’s First Hunting Trip and Moon Shadow’s First Mawio’mi by Mi’kmaw Author Holly Meuse of Bear River First Nation!
Stories followed by a coloring activity. Drop in!

Mitji - Let's Eat!: Mi'kmaq Cooking for Kids (Kids Event, Age 10+)
2025-10-14 15:00 - 17:00, 2025-10-28 08:00 - 17:00 | Liverpool Library, 54 Harley Umphrey Drive, Liverpool, Nova Scotia, B0T IK0, Canada
Celebrate Mi’kmaq history and culture by cooking delicious dishes from Mitji-Let’s Eat! Mi’kmaq Recipes from Sikniktuk by Margaret Augustine and Lauren Beck. Try new foods and learn about Mi’kmaq culinary history and traditions. Registration required, call 902-354-5270

MILLBROOK CULTURAL & HERITAGE CENTRE: Brian Knockwood Powwows/Singing
2025-10-15 18:00 - 20:00 | Millbrook Cultural and Heritage Centre, 65 Treaty Trail, Millbrook Mi'kmaw Community, NS, b6l 1w3, Canada
Join us as we celebrate Mi’kmaw History Month with four incredible speakers who are ready to share their knowledge with everyone throughout October.

Seven Sacred Teachings Presentation (Adult Event)
2025-10-18 10:30 - 12:30 | Lunenburg Library, 97 Kaulbach St, Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, B0J2C0, Canada
Join Mi’kmaw artist and teacher Jessica Jerome to learn about the 7 Sacred Teachings and how they relate to our lives today. Registration required, call 902-634-8008

Kluscap Storytime (Kids Event, Age 3+ Recommended)
2025-10-20 08:00 - 17:00 | Lunenburg Library, 97 Kaulbach St, Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, B0J2C0, Canada
Listen to readings of traditional Mi’kmaq stories about Kluscap in a read-aloud for all ages & create your own artwork inspired by the tales.

MILLBROOK CULTURAL & HERITAGE CENTRE: Trevor Gould Seven Districts/Millbrook
2025-10-22 18:00 - 20:00 | Millbrook Cultural and Heritage Centre, 65 Treaty Trail, Millbrook Mi'kmaw Community, NS, b6l 1w3, Canada

Seven Sacred Teachings Presentation (Adult Event)
2025-10-25 14:00 - 16:00 | Liverpool Library, 54 Harley Umphrey Drive, Liverpool, Nova Scotia, B0T IK0, Canada
Join Mi’kmaw artist and teacher Jessica Jerome to learn about the 7 Sacred Teachings and how they relate to our lives today. Registration required, call 902-354-5270

MILLBROOK CULTURAL & HERITAGE CENTRE: Alanna Syliboy Netukulimk/Etutapmumk
2025-10-27 18:00 - 20:00 | Millbrook Cultural and Heritage Centre, 65 Treaty Trail, Millbrook Mi'kmaw Community, NS, b6l 1w3, Canada

MILLBROOK CULTURAL & HERITAGE CENTRE: Michael R. Denny History of Kojuas
2025-10-29 18:00 - 20:00 | Millbrook Cultural and Heritage Centre, 65 Treaty Trail, Millbrook Mi'kmaw Community, NS, b6l 1w3, Canada
