Mawita’mk is a registered charitable organization that celebrates the gifts of indigenous people with disabilities.
The late Grand Chief Ben Sylliboy and his sisters Magit Poulette and Theresa Cremo were residential school survivors. The three siblings had a deep love and concern for Mi’kmaq people with disabilities and didn’t want to see them removed from their community, language and culture to access the supports they deserved.
Ben and his wife Marie, Magit and Theresa all volunteered and became friends of L’Arche Cape Breton, a community for people with disabilities that began near We’koqma’q in 1983. In 1999 Grand Chief Ben invited Tom Gunn, founder of L’Arche Cape Breton, and friends to create a new Mi’kmaq organization for people with disabilities. Elder Murdeena Marhsall suggested they call it Mawita’mk (Being Together).
In April 2007, Ni’kinen (Our House) was opened in We’koqma’q L’Nue’kati. Ni’kinen was the first group home in Canada located within an indigenous community.
The Grand Chief, Magit and Tom lobbied hard for services within the community. With the support of the Assembly of Nova Scotia Chiefs, we were able to open Ni’kinen as well as four assisted living apartments in We’koqma’q L’Nue’kati in 2007.
We are funded by Indigenous Services Canada through the Confederation of Mainland Mi’kmaq. We are licensed and inspected by the Nova Scotia Department of Community Services.
"We expect the Department of Indian Affairs (INAC) to treat people with intellectual disabilities and their families fairly. INAC, under their institutional care program should stop removing people from their culture and begin to support community-based services and supports within Mi’kmaq communities.” – Assembly of Nova Scotia Chiefs 2005
In 2023, through fundraising and volunteer efforts, we opened a new Centre called Ben’s Place. Together, we create art and craft projects that are sold in our beautiful gift shop. Ben’s Place is a craft studio but also a community gathering place, where we host elders and friends for cultural events and Bingo.
"We are trying to bring back whatever the residential schools took away from our people."
– Rosie Sylliboy
Mawita'mk News & Events
Hearing Their Voices: From Isolation to Self-Determination
About This Report
This report is a compilation of various sources of information and results included in the scope of work for the “Hearing Their Voices” project conducted over the time period inclusive of October 2021 to March 2024.
The sources for this report include contracted researchers’ papers and partner Wabanaki groups findings as well as from meetings and gatherings representatives either hosted or were invited to attend as presenters and as participants.
In all cases the Wabanaki research team endeavored to assure that all research meetings and work conducted under the scope of this project we completed by Indigenous persons and as much as possible Wabanaki persons with disabilities. We worked with Indigenous contractors as well as with various Indigenous service groups, representative organizations, community groups and those that are mandated to work within specific mandated topical areas such as education, health, housing, economic development, employment and training, social programs, youth, women, sports, environment and 2SLGBTQ and more.
This report is the result of the combined efforts of many people the Wabanaki team engaged with over the project time period.
Throughout this report generalized findings and results of these efforts are presented. The report does not provide all of the information gathered during the project period as one of the project goals was to control and manage the flow of information and to protect the Intellectual Property of Wabanaki Ancestral First Nations knowledge. With this as a project goal we adhered to the principles of OCAP® as developed by the First Nations Information Governance Centre (FNIGC)[1].
We sincerely thank everyone that supported this work and efforts and we are thankful to Accessibility Standards Canada for the opportunity to conduct this vital work.
Funded by Accessibility Standards Canada/the Government of Canada.[1] The First Nations principles of ownership, control, access, and possession – more commonly known as OCAP® – assert that First Nations have control over data collection processes, and that they own (IP) and control how this information can be used, stored and accessed. (Source: https://fnigc.ca/ocap-training/)
![Graphic with text reading "This project has been made possible [in part] by Accessibility Standards Canada/the Government of Canada." Below this text is the Canada wordmark and Accessibility Standards Canada signature](https://mawitamk.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/projectmadepossible-en.png "projectmadepossible-en")
OUR STORIES ~ NTA’TUKWAQNMINAL
Help us create more opportunities for Mi'kmaq people living with disabilities.