July 3, 2024
September 24, 2024
On July 2, 2024, Mi'kmaw Kina'matnewey hosted the second annual "Celebrating our Champions" awards banquet in Dartmouth. The event celebrates people who work in education who go above and beyond for their students, and students who excel in language, culture, academics and athletics.
"We often don’t take the time to stop and celebrate our accomplishments. Sometimes we just go about our day and do what we do and never expect any recognition for it," said Blaire Gould, Executive Director of Mi'kmaw Kina'matnewey. "At MK, we really want to take the time to recognize all of our award winners because what they have done is important and people do notice their hard work."
Speaking the language and promoting culture is one of the main priorities of MK. We also want to recognize the importance of sport and academics for our youth. It is not easy to keep a high average and participate in sport and we want to recognize those accomplishments. We also want to ensure that people who work in education feel recognized and appreciated for the work that they do.
Our Education Directors aslo wanted to institute leadership awards this year to be celebrated annually to recognize the amazing work or our principals.
The first student award that was celebrated at this event was the Chief Noel Doucette Award which is an award created by the Board of Directors in memory of Chief Noel Doucette, the first Chairperson of Mi’kmaw Kina’matnewey and a strong advocate for Mi’kmaw education and the preservation of the Mi’kmaw language and culture. This award goes to a student who does their best to promote and celebrate Mi’kmaw language and culture.
This year's recipients are:
Mary Katherine Joe
Jax Kennedy-Oakley
Shaine Pictou
Lyla Marshall
Raine Mulley
Kayleigh Prosper
Janelle Beadle
Kiera Mills
Devon Touesnard
Robert Sack Jr.
Holly Leblanc
Makayla Googoo
Trent Simon
The second award we presented is the Mi’kmaw Language Award. This award goes to a student who has the highest mark in their Mi’kmaw language class OR to a student who uses and promotes the use of Mi’kmaw both inside and outside of their class.
This year's recipients are:
Elle Gould
Oliver Coleman
Shyla Morrison
Ayson Sylliboy
Quinn Mudge
Valerie Paul
Cohen Pictou
Gavin Mombourquette
Enzly Mills
Malaki Maloney
Angelo Maskine
Becky Pierro
Cheyanne Peck
August Francis
The third student award is the Kji Keptin Alex Denny Memorial Sports Ed award. This award goes to a male and female graduating student who excel in sport and have a high academic average. The recipients must apply for this award and are selected by a committee.
This years recipients are:
Cohen Pictou
Elle Taylor Gould
Our Education award is being celebrated for the second year. Because each of our communities has autonomy and authority over their own education, we wanted to respect that and encouraged each community to recognize their own “Champion”. The recipients of this award have been selected by their communities using their own criteria.
This year's recipients are:
Dallas Sharp
Mike Corbett
Destiny Moore
Cindy Poulette
Mary Prosper Paul
Annie C Denny
Janice Googoo
Dawn Dugandzic
Lorena Tracey
Berk Desmond
Valerie Bernard
Jackie Alex
Mary Lou Bernard
Jacklyn Cameron
Marjorie Pierro
John William Cremo
Our first Leadership award is a new annual award that we are very honored to celebrate. The award is a memorial award which recognizes the outstanding contributions of Joanne Alex to Mikmaw education, the community of We’koqma’q, the students and the staff of We'koqma'q Mikmaw School and advocacy for diverse learners. Joanne was not only a dedicated educator but also a true leader in promoting Mi'kmaq language and serving as an exemplary role model for diverse learners.
Throughout her career, Joanne tirelessly championed the preservation and revitalization of the Mi'kmaq language, ensuring that future generations connect with their cultural heritage. She not only taught the language but also instilled a sense of pride and identity in her students, fostering a community of learners who embrace diversity and inclusivity. One of her greatest gifts of leadership was her unwavering dedication to supporting diverse learners. She created inclusive learning environments where every student felt valued and empowered to succeed. Whether through personalized teaching methods, mentorship, or advocacy, she made a profound difference in the lives of countless individuals. She was steadfast in her commitment to make sure every child’s gifts and talents were celebrated. Recognizing the legacy Joanne Alex has left as a symbol of extraordinary leadership, commitment, and dedication in providing this award is a tribute to all the hard work she provided to her school but also to the MK community. This award symbolizes our deep gratitude for her contributions to education, language preservation, and inclusive learning.
The winner of the inaugural Joanne Alex Leadership Award is Newell Johnson of ABMHS.
Our second leadership award is called the Rising Leader award. This inaugural award was created to honour a principal who is new to the leadership role in our MK family of schools. This award recognizes a principal who is demonstrating new and innovative ways of leading their staff and students that reflect Mi’kmaq ways of knowing and being .
The recipient was selected by the Education Working Group and the recipient is Christina Sylliboy.
The third leadership award, called the Principal Legacy Award was created to honour a principal who has been dedicated to working in a leadership role in our MK family of schools for many years. This award is presented to a retiring Principal and the recipient is selected by the Education Working Group.
This year's recipient is Irene Endicotte.