Calling all Listuguj community members who cater! The Listuguj Mi’gmaq Government is looking for someone to cater the 40th anniversary of Migwite’tm ‘81. The following items will be supplied for the meal: containers, salmon, fiddleheads and corn on the cob.
Please submit your bid by Friday, May 14, 2021 to Joanne Martin at joanne.martin@listuguj.ca. The date of the community feast will be Friday, June 11, 2021.
The Listuguj Police Department and Listuguj Fire Department are still on scene at the St. Anne’s Church. Please note that the area surrounding the church is currently closed to the public. Due to the high safety risk, children in particular are asked to stay away from the area.
Barriers have been put in place for public safety. Please respect the barriers and remain at a distance as the investigation is ongoing.
Last night a devastating fire swept the Saint-Anne’s Church which resulted in the damage of the Mi’gmawei Mawiomi Secretariat Headquarters and loss of the Mawiomi Treatment Center, Listuguj Powwow Headquarters, Saint-Anne’s Rectory and Chapel.
“Today the ripple effect of the fire is being felt in the community and beyond, with many experiencing grief and mourning, while coping with what seems truly unbelievable. The impacts of this once in a lifetime event will be felt long after the smoke and smoldering embers are gone. In the coming days we hope that people will continue to find ways to support one another while we process the emotions and reality of this devastating loss.” – Chief Darcy Gray
The Listuguj Fire Department (LFD) and Listuguj Police Department (LPD) coordinated efforts with our regional neighbors to maintain the fire and prevent spread to surrounding homes and LMG buildings.
“Our region has faced many challenges throughout the pandemic, but one thing remains the same is that in times of great need, we pull together as a region, and help one another.” – Councillor Ali Barnaby, Intergovernmental Relations file holder
We want to acknowledge the LFD, LPD, LMG Capital and Infrastructure, Service de Sécurité Incendie de Pointe-à-la-Croix, Campbellton Fire Department and Hydro Quebec, for their tireless work and collaborative efforts in managing the fire.
Fred Metallic, Ph.D. and Amy Chamberlin, Ph.D. Candidate
(Photo Credit: Sarah Arsenault, Facebook)
Saint-Anne’s Catholic Church, built of stone and wood, was the largest and tallest structure in the centre of Listuguj Mi’gmaq First Nation community. The first church in Listuguj, dedicated to Saint Anne, was built around 1740. The Catholic religion remains a part of the culture for many Mi’gmaq throughout Mi’gma’gi. This is a complex and sensitive history.
The relationship between the Mi’gmaw Nation and the Holy See began in 1610, with the Concordat and the baptism of Membertou, and his extended family. In the seventeenth century, Recollect Father Chrestien LeClercq arrived in Gespe’gewa’gi and documented Mi’gmaw knowledge systems, spirituality, political, legal traditions, and ways of living, albeit from a heavily slanted Euro-centric point of view.
In 1894, Capuchin Father Pacifique (Henri Buisson d’Valigny) arrived in Listuguj where, working with Mi’gmaq people, he learnt Mi’gmaw language, hieroglyphic writing system, and developed the Pacifique Orthography, which is still in use by some Mi’gmaq communities in the broader territory. The Catholic Church was also responsible for, and involved in aspects of, education in Listuguj from 1856 onwards, including inviting the Sisters of the Holy Rosary to teach at the Indian Day School, from 1903 until 1961/1969. The church was built on lands set aside for mission purposes and for the schooling of Indigenous children.
After 1961, the federal government deemed the school a provincial school and the Day School fell under the authority of Quebec’s school board. Yet, the church was still heavily involved in education, and the Sisters of the Holy Rosary continued to teach during this period of ‘integration’. This history – of the church, including its role in education for Mi’gmaq – needs to be remembered.
In Listuguj, the most recent church was built in 1912/13. In 1926, the interior burnt, but the walls remained standing, and the structure was quickly re-built. Saint-Anne’s Catholic Church stood in Listuguj until April 26, 2021, when it caught fire at around 9:30 p.m. Many Listuguj community members, and neighbours across the bridge in Campbellton, New Brunswick, witnessed its burning through the night. Many are showing solidarity with Listuguj today.
As a reminder, all LMG operations are closed today. As the Listuguj Capital and Infrastructure Directorate work to resolve the water pressure, we ask that you please use water sparingly today. Please reserve water for urgent matters only.
For all those who are looking to take part in the upcoming Listuguj Forestry season, please contact us by email at martin_cummings@listuguj.ca to show your interest by May 7, 2021. For those without an email address, please contact the Natural Resources Directorate by phone at 788-3022. Any expression of interest after this date will not accepted.
Here’s a list of available positions/equipment required:
Please provide your contact information, type of equipment, experiences, and the number of Listuguj community members who will be employed directly or indirectly with your forestry services.
The LMG will do a follow-up by calling the selected forestry contractors. Official registration with an LMG business number and contract will follow.
Dr. Fred Metallic, Director of Natural Resources
It’s 2021 Post-Secondary Graduation season!
To be included in the annual festivities, please be sure to complete the GRAD survey (sent to your emails). If you weren’t funded by PSSSP, and would like to be included please contact Jeanette Henry at 418-788-1347, or email jeanette.henry@listuguj.ca.
The Listuguj Mi’gmaq Government is extending the call for tender for the complete construction of the Waqatasg Elders facility on Isaac Lane. We would like to take this time to acknowledge and thank everyone who has dedicated their time over the years to bring this project to life.
The new deadline to submit a bid is 10:00 a.m. (Eastern time) and 11:00 a.m. (Atlantic time) May 6, 2021. Tender documents can be obtained and submitted on SEAO or MERX as per the links below.
Reminder to community members
The Federal Court approved a nation-wide settlement to compensate survivors of harms suffered while attending Federal Indian Day Schools. To be eligible for direct compensation, a person must have attended at least one of the Federal Indian Day Schools or Federal Day Schools funded, managed and controlled by Canada.
If you’re a community member and have attended the Mission Point Micmacs of Restigouche or another Indian Day School listed in Schedule K, you may be eligible for compensation under this class action suit. For additional information or to download the claim form, please consult the Federal Indian Day School Class Action website: https://indiandayschools.com/en/
Claims Process
The claims process is open to Survivors who suffered harms while attending Federal Indian Day Schools and Federal Day Schools. Survivors can now complete the Claim Form or call 1 (888) 221-2898 for assistance. Deadline to submit claims is July 13, 2022.
Once complete, you can submit your claim to the Claims Administrator in the following ways:
To: Indian Day Schools Class Action Claims Administration c/o Deloitte
By Mail: P.O. Box 1775, Toronto, ON, Canada, M5C 0A2
By Fax: 416-366-1102
By Email: Indiandayschools@deloitte.ca
This is a reminder that the Listuguj Mi’gmaq Government has dedicated Molly Bradstreet to assist community members in filling out the administrative portion of the form. She is available to meet with community members on Thursdays. Please call the LMG at 418-788-2136 to make an appointment. If you require immediate assistance filling out your application, we ask that you call the FREE Claims Process and legal support hotline: 1-888-221-2898.
The Listuguj Mi’gmaq Government acknowledges that by filling out your claim you may experience emotional distress. We offer a number of mental health services within our community that are available to help you: 418-788-2010. If you wish to seek support outside of the community, there is also a 24hr hotline dedicated to providing Mental Health Counselling and Crisis Support to claimants. To access these services, please contact: 1-855-242-3310.
