Annual Report 2006-2007 Goals!

Mi'gmaq Resource Center

Plans are underway to establish a Mi'gmaq Resource Center at the Listuguj Education Complex. The Center will house books and resource materials related to Mi'gmaq history, culture and language. The Center will be open to community members who wish to conduct research or to learn more about their ancestry. The Center will be open to students from the surrounding schools who want to conduct research however they would have to call ahead and schedule a date and time for them to use the Center. The Listuguj Education Directorate will be asking community members and the LMG for Mi'gmaq artifacts to be displayed in the Mi'gmaq Resource Center. The Listuguj Education Directorate will invite the general public to a grand opening in the fall of 2006 or the winter of 2007.

Listuguj Education Advisory Board

The Listuguj Education Advisory Board (LEAB)is nearing its' first anniversary and is in the process of developing long term goals for education. The LEAB has undergone training over the last several months on the role and responsibilities of an elected board. At present the board is working in collaboration with the Listuguj Mi'gmaq Government and the Listuguj Education Directorate to ensure quality education for Listuguj community members. As soon as the long term goals are formalized they will be posted on this web site under the Listuguj Education Advisory Board.

Mi'gmaq Language Classes

The Listuguj Education Directorate is currently piloting an accelerated method of teaching the Mi'gmaq language. The method was developed by Dr. Stephen Greymorning, an Arapaho professor from the University of Montana.

Dr. Greymorning has conducted research among indigenous peoples in Australia; New Zealand; Timor; the United States of America and Canada. Dr. Greymorning has worked to develop strategies for native language restoration and had dedicated his life to revitalizing Aboriginal languages using a natural method of learning one's language.

The pilot program is currently being provided to staff from the following directorates and/or organizations: Listuguj Police Department; Listuguj Education Directorate; Listuguj Health Directorate; Listuguj Social Services; Listuguj Mi'gmaq Development Council; the Mi'gmawei Mawiomi Secretariate; Mawoltijig Day Care; and the Listuguj Head Start. The program is also being piloted at the following schools: AGS Elementary and Middle School; the Sugarloaf Senior High School; AGS Alternative School: and the LED Alternative High School.

The excitement of the instructors and the clientele is instrumental to the success of the program and is compounded only by the overall success of the language program and the ability of the clientel to construct sentences in Mi'gmaq after the first session. Upon initial review the method is one of the first that offers a degree of success after such a short period of time. It is our dream that we may be able to speak to the younger generations once again in the language of our ancestors.

The goals of the Listuguj Education Direcorate is to identify the funds required to hire a team of full time instructors to revive the Mi'gmaq Language among our people.

Mi'gmaq Social Studies Units

A Curriculum Development Committee has been formed between the community of Listuguj and Gesgapegiag to develop Mi'gmaq Study Units that can be incorporated into the regular curriculum at the Alagsite'w Gitpu School in Listuguj and the Wejgwapniag School in Gesgapegiag.

Staff from the Mi'gmawei Mawiomi Secretariate have offered their assistance and are willing to share the research that has been uncovered and compiled by their research coordinator, Fred Isaac. The Listuguj Education Directorate also has boxes of research that has been compiled by Joe Martin, a researcher who obtained his degree with a major in history.

The team is currently working with their respective staff to identify and prioritize the needs of the teachers and students. Once this phase is complete both communities will hire a consultant to develop the units using the format that has been pre-determined by the Curriculum Development Committee.

It is our goal to have approximately 25% of the project complete by the end of this fiscal year.

Mi'gmaq Native Studies Program

The Listuguj Education Directorate has identified the need to develop a Mi'gmaq Studies curriculum for grades 5 to 8. Once the funds are identified a consultant will be hired to develop the format and curriculum intended to familiarize our students with the history, culture, economy and social functions of the Mi'gmaq; and other First Nations families from within North and South America.