NB Update: Mi’kmaq language education program fosters pride | Alternative court program offers path to healing [video]

This edition of the NB Update features reports from an ongoing series of media workshops at Elsipogtog First Nation hosted by the NB Media Co-op.

The first interview highlights an alternative court program in Elsipogtog that aims to divert Indigenous people from the prison system, where they remain overrepresented due to the forces of systemic racism.

To learn more about the Healing to Wellness Court, the NB Media Co-op spoke to Matthew Habermacher, a criminal defence lawyer with the New Brunswick Legal Aid Services Commission.

Habermacher, who travels to Elsipogtog every week for court sessions, believes the program should be extended across New Brunswick. This report also features perspectives from Elsipogtog residents about their experiences with the Healing to Wellness Court.

This edition of the NB Update also shines a light on a new initiative helping parents and other community members in Elsipogtog to understand what their children are learning in Mi’kmaw immersion classes in school.

The first-ever Mi’kmaw language and culture camp for adults took place this summer at the Elsipogtog School. Krystal Francis is in charge of the program and Donna Augustine is the supporting Elder.

They sat down with the NB Media Co-op to speak about the program in a conversation that delved deep into language, history and cultural identity.

The NB Update is a collaboration between the NB Media Co-op and CHCO TV. Reporting by Belle Huston, Lance Francis, and Lisha Francis, with production support from Wowkwis Augustine, Trisha Augustine, Charles Francis, Manny Simon, and Jolene Sock; editing and production by David Gordon Koch. 

This reporting has been made possible in part by the Government of Canada, via the Local Journalism Initiative. We also acknowledge support from the Canadian Race Relations Foundation with funding from the Government of Canada. Thank you to St. Thomas University’s Aotiitj program for providing access to the classroom at the Elsipogtog Community Service Centre.