North Sydney Library Hosts Free Seminars on Mi’kmaw Culture

A series of free educational seminars focusing on Mi’kmaw culture and history will take place at the North Sydney Library starting on October 7, 2023. These sessions, coinciding with Mi’kmaw History Month in Nova Scotia, aim to foster understanding and reflection on the contributions of the Mi’kmaw people to Canada.

Retired Mi’kmaw Studies teacher Bryan Sweeney will lead the seminars, joined by local Mi’kmaw Elders. “This will be a reflective time for us to acknowledge the profound impact the Mi’kmaw people have had on Canada as a nation,” Sweeney stated. He emphasized the significance of the Mi’kmaw as one of the original nations to establish contact with European sailors, highlighting their essential role in shaping early interactions between two distinct worlds.

The seminars will employ the guiding principles of Etuaptmumk—a concept known as Two-Eyed Seeing, developed by Eskasoni Elder Albert Marshall. This approach advocates for the integration of multiple perspectives to achieve better outcomes. Each session will feature Mi’kmaw Elders, ensuring participants gain a comprehensive understanding of the topics discussed.

Seminar Schedule and Topics

The first session, titled “Pre-Contact: Mi’kmaq/L’nu, their Land and Territory,” will take place on October 7. Following this, the second session on October 14 will delve into “The Creation Story and Mi’kmaw Ceremonies.” The third session, scheduled for October 21, will address “Post-contact and the Impact of the Doctrine of Discovery, Colonialism and Assimilation.”

On October 28, the fourth seminar will explore “Post-Contact, Treaties, the Royal Proclamation of 1763, Legislation and the Indian Act.” The final session, on November 5, will discuss the “Role and Progress of Reconciliation and Decolonization.” Each seminar will run from 6:30 PM to 7:45 PM.

Pre-registration is encouraged via email at [email protected], although all individuals are welcome to attend. Sweeney expressed a desire for broad participation, stating, “Everyone is welcome to come to learn and process reconciliation and how colonization has affected everyone living in Cape Breton, Indigenous and non-Indigenous.”

This initiative is sponsored as a community service by the Adventist Reconciliation Ministries of North Sydney, reflecting a commitment to fostering dialogue and understanding within the community.