Several major events and ongoing initiatives are planned at StFX this month and beyond to celebrate Mi’kmaw History Month.
Each October, Mi’kmaw History Month educates and celebrates Mi’kmaw history and culture. This year’s theme is Mi’kmaw Traditional Games & Sports.
A number of events are planned at StFX, including a Learning Lodge celebrating L’nu Elder, Dr. Sister Dorothy Moore on Thursday, Sept. 28, and the 2023 National Day of Truth and Reconciliation commemoration on Friday, Sept. 29. The month of October will be filled with activities, while several ongoing initiatives, including the recent installation of a new Indigenous crosswalk outside Morrison Hall and upcoming changes to the StFX website and Moodle to reflect StFX’s presence in Mi'kma'ki, are among efforts to make StFX a more welcoming, inclusive campus.
StFX Learning Lodge – Thursday, Sept. 28
A StFX Learning Lodge celebrating the life, work, and wisdom of L’nu Elder, Dr. Sister Dorothy Moore will take place on Thursday, September 28th at 3 p.m. in Schwartz Auditorium. During the Learning Lodge, Mi’kmaw Elder Dr. Sister Dorothy Moore, a cultural scholar, survivor, educator, activist and friend, will share her experiences of hope. As well, Dr. Mary Jane Harkins (Mount Saint Vincent University) will screen her documentary Sister Dorothy Moore: A Life of Courage, Determination and Love. Tim Bernard from the Confederacy of Mainland Mi’kmaq will share stories about the future of Mi’kmawey Debert Cultural Centre. The event will also have popcorn and molasses cakes. Following the film Dr. Sister Moore and StFX anthropology professor Dr. Jane McMillan will have a chat about Sister Moore’s book, A Journey of Love and Hope, which will be available for purchase and the proceeds go to the Mi’kmawey Debert Cultural Centre. Everyone is welcome.
National Day of Truth and Reconciliation commemoration – Friday, Sept. 29
On Friday, September 29th, the 2023 National Day of Truth and Reconciliation commemoration at StFX will take place starting at 5:30 p.m. at the Joyce Atrium, Mulroney Hall, and will include a ceremony and ribbon tying. The ceremony will be followed by a free, all-ages, all-community concert featuring Alan Syliboy and the Thundermakers with special guest, and StFX graduate, Morgan Toney. This event takes place in Bloomfield Centre starting at 7 p.m. Everyone is welcome to attend.
Also on Friday, September 29th, the event ‘Reconciling through Landscapes,’ which will feature a viewing of the Indigenous Peoples Atlas and interactive activity, will take place in Desmond Hall from 1-3 p.m.
A month-long schedule of events in October
In October, a month-long schedule of events is planned for Indigenous students as well as several public events. These include Sisters in Spirit Take Back the Night happening on Oct. 4th from 5-7 p.m. on the football field; a Medicine Garden luncheon taking place starting at 12:15 p.m. on Oct. 11th in the StFX Warren Gardens; and a Waltes night planned for Oct. 25th in KIKNU from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Waltes is an ancient Mi’kmaw dice-and-bowl game.
Crosswalk installation reminder we are all Treaty People
Visitors to StFX campus may have also noticed an orange painted sidewalk installation, just outside Morrison Hall, the main meal hall. “The sidewalk installation commemorates the lives of missing and murdered Indigenous peoples, is a visible reminder that every child matters, and that we are all treaty people,” says Megan Fogarty, StFX Director of Human Rights and Equity. A team comprised of Ms. Fogarty, Terena Francis, Indigenous Student Advisor, Dr. Jane MacMillan, Janine Linthorne, Special Event Coordinator, and Indigenous student peer mentors organize the annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation commemoration events at StFX. Last year, Ms. Linthorne saw that this had been done in another community and immediately brought the idea to the committee. The plans were interrupted by Hurricane Fiona last year, but this year, with the support of the Facilities Management team, the sidewalk installation was completed in a high traffic area of the campus.
L'nu symbol and land acknowledgement; rebranding Moodle as KWE’
This month, visitors to the new StFX website will notice the addition of the L’nu symbol to the university’s land acknowledgement. L’nu is a word the Mi’kmaq use to describe themselves, meaning “human being” or “the people.” The symbol is a hieroglyph originating in ancient Mi’kma’ki, with its curves representing the life cycle. A sign of cultural pride and unity, the symbol is displayed in recognition of the Mi’kmaw people and the land of Mi’kma’ki.
StFX will also be rebranding Moodle in 2024 as KWE’. Kwe’ means “Hello” in many Indigenous languages including Mi’kmaq. “We wanted to ensure that the platform was welcoming, inclusive and acknowledge that wherever a student may be—whether online somewhere else in the world or right here in Antigonish—that this place is Mi'kma'ki,” says Matea Drljepan, academic technologist, StFX Online, who has been working in collaboration with the StFX Indigenous Student Office.
Additionally, during the upcoming month, please watch the news section of StFX.ca for profiles celebrating Mi’kmaw History Month.
