Every year, the Dal Reads Steering Committee selects a book as the title of the year. Through this program, members of the Dal community can obtain copies of the book and attend events designed around the theme of the book without any cost.
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This year鈥檚 . Rita Joe is a distinguished Mi鈥檏maq poet, who published several poetry books and received an honorary Doctor of Laws from Dal in 1993. Rita Joe鈥檚 works examined many themes, including identity, Mi鈥檏maq language, and her residential school experience. She was the first author to be selected posthumously for the Dal Reads title for the year.
One of the events organized to explore a significant theme in Rita鈥檚 works, Mi鈥檏maq language, was the Komqwejwi鈥檏asikl (hieroglyphs) Birch Bark workshop last Thursday.
The event was led by , a versatile L鈥檔u (Mi鈥檏maq) interdisciplinary artist, poet, and author who grew up in unceded L鈥檔uk territory in We鈥檏oqma鈥檘, Cape Breton. Her recently published book of poetry, Kiskajeyi - I AM Ready, uses Mi鈥檏maq (L鈥檔uk) symbolic language to contemplate contemporary social issues.
Michelle, pictured above, has been involved in the preservation and education of the Mi鈥檏maq language (L鈥檔uk) for several years. 鈥淚 am doing my Ph.D. in Philosophy of Education at Simon Fraser University, and I am going to be creating a Mi鈥檏maq hieroglyphic curriculum, that was the original intent, but I soon realized that I had to promote the language.鈥�
Michelle鈥檚 artistic and academic efforts are directed toward reclaiming her people鈥檚 historical narrative. 鈥淭he workshop is an opportunity to plant seeds about the history of the Mi鈥檏maq language,鈥� she said. Komeqwejwi鈥檏asikl (hieroglyphs) are part of a complex system of communication that the Mi鈥檏maq people of the L鈥檔uk Nation used as maps and for keeping records.
Participants at the workshop received two dictionaries: English to Mi鈥檏maq and Mi鈥橩maq to English. These dictionaries contained various L鈥檔uk symbols which captured not just words, but ideas and concepts. They served as a spring from which participants could draw inspiration for their compositions. 鈥淭he workshop is about going back to the source,鈥� said Michelle.
Each participant drew their L鈥檔uk hieroglyphic message on a piece of birch bark. The symbols enabled participants to express themselves poetically. The participants had complete creative autonomy: they selected the colors, the message, and the birch bark for their composition.
Jessica Hepworth, a Dal student in the social work program, created a message for her family and friends: 鈥淲hen I am weak we are strengthened for as long as you live, you have great love.鈥�
Another participant, Chandler Jennings, drew L鈥檔uk symbols that represent,听 鈥淓arth who is an elder.鈥� He explained that he was attracted by the beauty of the symbols.
鈥淧eople remember more when they create their own art,鈥� said Michelle.
