Teachings

COMMUNITY LIVING

"One night, Ben was away, and it was late. There was this noise, and someone was trying to break into our house. One of the boys broke our window so I called the cops, and they came and took him away. They wanted to lay charges, but I said no. After that when I would see him on the road, he would put his head down and not speak.

One day I caught up with him and I said, “Here is the key to the front door of my house, take this. Next time you won’t have to break in. “Later on, he came to me and apologized but we still didn’t speak until his brother died. I went over to the house, and I shook his hand, and he gave me a big hug. Since then, we’ve been talking, we’re friends again. It is too bad to use a tragedy for a time of forgiveness, but it happens." – Marie Sylliboy

"Living on the Reservation was different from living in Halifax. As in all Native communities, the people helped each other out. There are some people in Eskasoni who have helped me in more ways than I can say. There is a friendly atmosphere among my people that I have always known and felt...That is why I like living on a reservation, even today. It is like living with an extended family." – Rita Joe

"I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. I know a lot of people go away to Toronto or Boston but when they’re old or get sick they come back. The people will welcome you back. I guess we’re like the salmon, coming home to die. You know where you’re wanted, you know where you will be buried. I know some of our communities where people come back with AIDS or other illnesses, and they die in the community. They’re still welcome." – Grand Chief Ben Sylliboy

"We all live in a circle of life and within the circle we are all dependent on each other and are in a constant relationship with each other." – Dr. Marie Battiste

"The Mi’kmaq hold that all things are connected. Therefore, all of us must depend on each other and help each other as a way of life." – Dr. Marie Battiste

"In a Mi’kmaw community, a family is not just a mother and a father and siblings, it is a larger set of relationships that includes grandparents, godparents, aunts and uncles and cousins. In fact, a whole community becomes one’s relations." – Dr. Marie Battiste

"Mi’kmaw people share an alternative vision of society…its stress is on wholeness and relationships, in particular, on the responsibilities among families, clans, communities and nations…Everyone and everything are part of a whole in which the parts are interdependent on each other…The Mi’kmaw thought values the group over the individual and the extended family over the immediate or biological family. It is inconceivable to a Mi’kmaw that a human being could exist without a family or kinship regulation. There are not strangers in Mi’kmaw thought."  – Dr. Marie Battiste

TRUTH AND RECONCILIATION

I am the Indian

I am the Indian,

And the burden

Lies yet with me.

  • Rita Joe

I Lost My Talk

 

I lost my talk

The talk you took away

When I was a little girl

At Shubenacadie school.

You snatched it away.

I speak like you

I think like you

I create like you

The scrambled ballad, about my word

Two ways I talk

Both ways I say,

Your way is more powerful.

So gently I offer my hand and ask,

Let me find my talk

So, I can teach you about me.

  • Rita Joe

"If one wishes to be healed, one must dwell on the positive." – Rita Joe

"If we do not care about each other and about the animals, about the plants and their survival, about the trees and their survival, then we will not survive ourselves for very long." – Dr. Marie Battiste

"I hope my grandchildren won’t have to fight for their rights like we did. Today (1999) it is all court cases, we have to carry it all. It has taken time to get ahead but now we have educated people to fight the government. We are sharing with other communities in Canada. What did we go through and how did we do this? It’s kind of a brotherhood now, everybody is working together." – Grand Chief Ben Sylliboy

SPIRITUALITY

"Our ancestors not only believed but they also lived the spirituality of the circle which signified unity and equality among its people…the medicine wheel is a pathway to truth, peace and harmony... the sweat lodge ritual is not only a purification rite; it is also a prayer ceremony … a healing of body and spirit is experienced". – Sister Dorothy Moore

"It is my belief that a return to our traditional values and spirituality is an effective way to not only heal the wounded spirits among our people but to truly embrace and live a meaningful spirituality, firmly grounded in the Creator Spirit." – Sister Dorothy Moore

"When I dance in a powwow, I follow my heart. My heart is what has moved me all along. Nothing but your own heart has answers to the questions you ask. - We must use our own way, use what our own hearts tell us, no matter what we talk about." - Rita Joe

"I have always believed that Kisulkw (the Creator) appeared to my people because of their goodness, and the word Kisulkip (the One who made us) was In our Mi’kmaw vocabulary long before anybody “found” us. -Spirituality is a way of life for Natives. It is not a cult or a show. -Our spiritual tradition was always close to the basics of life for us, the very existence we lived from day to day. - When I dance in the powwow, I feel like a million wonders." – Rita Joe

"There is no doubt in my mind, that my Mi’kmaq ancestors lived and practiced a lifestyle that was deeply spiritual…Their belief was that every living thing was part of the great Creator Spirit, and respect and gratitude were shown by making an offering in return for everything that was taken. All was considered sacred." – Sister Dorothy Moore

"Grandmothers have respected places in our communities and St. Anne being the grandmother of Jesus carries the highest respect by us all. We turn to her for all our needs, in times of sickness, in times of death, in times of problems and in our prayers and devotions. St Anne is our connection to Nisqam, and she draws us closer to God through our prayers." – Sister Dorothy Moore

Video Teachings

Two-Eyed Seeing for Health; Albert Marshall; John R Sylliboy; Sharon Rudderham; Healing - 3:06

Battiste, Marie: What is Learning Spirit? Different Knowing -  6:00

Battiste, Marie; Knowledge as a Key Site for Decolonization Different Knowing; Indigenous Humanity, Knowledge System, Trying to restore and regenerate - 6:23

Battiste, Marie: Why Indigenous Humanities? Who Gets to Be Human? Indigenous knowledge and humanities, sustainability; Different Knowing - 5:37

Do You Speak My Language? 2010: Ben Sylliboy, Magit Poulette, We’koqma’q School and Community Elders Rod Phillips, Caroline and Marjorie Gould, Phyllis GooGoo - 16:11

Gentle Warrior: A Song in Tribute to Rita Joe: Kalolin Johnson

Rita Joe speaking, Inspirational, music, drumming and dancing - 6:30

Grand Chief Ben Sylliboy:      

Funeral for Grand Chief Ben Sylliboy: Grand Keptin speaks about Ben 18:04– 20:10

The Official Launch of the Grand Chief Ben Sylliboy Ferry - 2:09

Rodger Cuzner MP Honours the late Grand Chief - 1:11

Grand Chief Gabriel Sylliboy: NS Government 

Grand Keptin, Jamie Batiste, Joe B Marshall, Murdeena Marshall and elders - 5:46

Mawita’mk Being Together: Telile Production: 2011

Mawita’mk Society Celebrates Communities – Excellence in Client Services 2011 Celebrating Communities: Grand Chief Ben; Tiny Cremo, Marjorie Gould, Tracy Russell - 2:28

Rita Joe: Song of Eskasoni: Childhood Memories, Residential Schools - 1:08

Rita Joe: Conversation with Rita Joe: George Paul: March 2006 

Elderly Rita Joe, powerful interview with George Paul - 16:05

Everything is Circular: Alison Bernard Memorial High School 6:27

Young people, Albert Marshall 2:30 – 3:45

Environmental, Inspirational 4:34 - 4:45

 

Eskasoni First Nation: Eskasoni Today: Mental Health

Sharon Rudderham: Gaps in Services for Crisis; pride in community, make community better, cultural camps, reclaiming cultural identity, Mental Health - 4:59

Albert Marshall – Reconciliation with the Earth

Two Eyed Seeing, Every action has to be balanced in harmony with our earth - 9:33

Seven generations – every action I take –  3:58

 

Global Symposium Two-Eyed Seeing 2019: Albert Marshall:

Good heart, good mind, 7 generations, empower our youth, I am responsible for my own actions, Open our ears to hear and to really listen to other perspectives. Right path, human rights - 36:18

Green Interview: Albert Marshall

Blessed to meet Murdeena, Two eyed seeing, look at everything from another perspective, my efforts will be for the common good, this journey of co-learning -  6:38

 

The Elders: George Paul: Honour Song

Traditional elder, spirit world, you have a message to deliver, Honour song, that song helped them, spirit moves them - 5:03

The Mi’kmaq Journey: CBC Land and Sea

Don Julien, Lillian Marshall, Chapel Island Mission, Elders Council; Murdeena, Phyllis, Lillian,

Dorothy Moore, Smithsonian Visit, Old Mi’kmaq photographs, - 21:53

 

The Mi’kmaq Nation – A Story of Survival:  

Sister Dorothy Moore, Don Julien, Beverly Jeddore, Chastity Meuse, Ryan Ginnish, Kara Paul, Tuma Young - 26:31

 

What is the Medicine Wheel? – Teachings from Jeff Ward

Sacred Circle, Four Directions, Cycle of Life - 5:00

 

Smudging Ceremony Explained by Stephen Augustine

Kisu’lk Giver of Life, Mother Earth, Grandfather Sun; teachings on seven sacred directions - 4:57