A unique partnership between Mi’kmaw basket weavers from across Mi’kma’ki, Mount Saint Vincent University, and Glooscap Elementary School is helping preserve and celebrate the traditional Mi’kmaw craft of basket weaving while bringing Mi’kmaw/Indigenous culture directly into local classrooms.
Over the past two years, Jennifer Guy, Tourism Program Coordinator and Assistant Professor at MSVU, together with partners from the Kinu Tourism Project, worked to secure handcrafted baskets created by Mi’kmaw artisans from communities across Mi’kma’ki. The initiative was developed in collaboration with Lorne Guy, Vice Principal of Glooscap Elementary School, with the goal of promoting appreciation and awareness of traditional Mi’kmaw basket weaving among students and staff.
To ensure broad community participation, Mi’kmaw communities throughout the region were invited to contribute to the project. The result is a collection of beautifully crafted baskets that now have a permanent home at Glooscap Elementary School.
The baskets will serve multiple functions within the school. While they may be used for classroom initiatives such as rewards, kindness tickets, treats, and student recognition programs, their purpose extends far beyond practical use. Each basket is intended to spark conversations about Mi’kmaw history, culture, language, traditions, and community life.
Students have already shown great enthusiasm for the project. Accompanying each basket is a biography of its maker, providing students with an opportunity to learn about the individual weaver, their community, and the rich tradition of basket making within Mi’kmaw culture. Glooscap Elementary teachers plan to incorporate these biographies into classroom activities and assignments, encouraging students to explore Mi’kmaw/Indigenous knowledge and cultural heritage.
“These baskets are more than classroom materials,” said Jennifer. “They are teaching tools, works of art, and cultural connections that help students learn about the people and traditions that continue to shape Mi’kma’ki today.”
As part of the initiative, students and teachers are preparing thank you messages and projects for the artisans who contributed their work. These expressions of gratitude will recognize the weavers’ generosity and help strengthen the connection between classrooms and Mi’kmaw communities.
By combining education, culture, and community engagement, the project highlights the importance of preserving traditional Mi’kmaw/Indigenous arts while creating meaningful learning experiences for young people. Through the stories of the basket makers and the baskets themselves, students at Glooscap Elementary are gaining a greater appreciation for Mi’kmaw culture, one classroom at a time.
Artisans who contributed baskets to Glooscap Elementary School included:
- Cynthia Googoo (We’koqma’q Mi’kmaq Nation)
- Ashley Moore (Lennox Island Mi’kmaq Nation)
- Lynn Battiste and her daughters Meagan Taylor Battiste and Hope Battiste (Eskasoni Mi’kmaq Nation)
- Della Maguire (Glooscap Mi’kmaq Nation)
- Elder Irene Condo (Gesgapegiag Mi’gmaq Nation)
- Elder Francis Jadis (Abegweit (Scotchfort) Mi’kmaq Nation)
- Hannah Martin (Millbrook Mi’kmaq Nation)
- Robin Mallette (Gesgapegiag Mi’gmaq First Nation)
For more information about the some of the artisans and their work, visit:
- We’koqma’q Cultural Shop
- Mother & Daughter Sweet Grass Creations
- Mi’kmawitasik member profile: Mi’kmaw Basket Maker & Cultural Educator Della Maguire
- Coop Micmac Handicraft – Gesgapegiag Tourism
- Indigenous PEI: About Elder Francis Jadis and Red Stone Ash Baskets
- Watch: Basket making with Elder Francis Jadis (video)