Kina’muokuom
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Living With Mi’kma’ki in Wikumkewiku’s
Animal Calling Time
Wikumkewiku’s (September) is known as Animal Calling Time, and we’ll learn about the tia’m (moose) this month.
The tia’m can be heard this time of year calling for a mate in other parts of Mi’kma’ki, but if you hear them on Lennox Island, it is probably just our students practicing. Traditionally, the Mi’kmaq made beautiful moose calls out of birch bark. Some people still use birch bark calls, while others use commercially produced calls, electronic calls, or even DIY calls made with a container and string.
We will also learn about the annual moose harvest in Mi’kma’ki. We are very grateful to the tia’m we harvest. They give us healthy and delicious meat, hide, bone, and antler. We look forward to enjoying meals of tia’muey (moose meat) this winter.
Other animal calls to listen for this time of year include the sinumkw (Canada goose) and many kinds of wild duck, all of which provide us with nutritious food.
Art by Loretta Gould, provided by the Mi’kmaw Moons project
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Located on Lennox Island, Epektwik, John J. Sark Memorial School has been welcoming Indigenous students through its doors since 1981.
About John J. Sark Memorial School
Named after John James Sark, a much-respected community leader and teacher, the school’s establishment would not have been possible without the perseverance of many community members.
Our Language and Culture
We aim to deepen students’ understanding of our Mi’kmaq language and culture while laying the foundation for a successful learning journey.
Learning from the Land
Drawing on the traditions of our Mi’kmaq culture, we weave land-based education and experiential activities into our curriculum at every grade level.