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Elver photo novel now available!
April 14, 2010 - Last summer the Gespe'gewaq Mi'gmaq Resource Council (GMRC) began research on the American eel. The purpose of the research is to gather information on the number of elvers (young eel) travelling through certain areas of Gespe'gewa'gi.
During the early stages of the project Janine Metallic, a PhD candidate in Educational Studies at McGill, was asked to share some of her knowledge on research methods relating to indigenous ways of knowing. Janine was born and raised in Listuguj and occasionally consults GMRC on various research projects. One of the ideas she presented to the staff was the use of a photo novel as a unique way of telling stories and sharing information.
Photo novels are like comic books, but pictures of real people in real settings are used along with caption bubbles and text. So far the concept has been well received by the youth and older generations as well. An early copy of the photo novel was shown to a group of grade 5 students. Craig Isaac, who assisted on the project and features in the photo novel, recalls one of the kids saying “Wow, I really like the pictures! Can I keep it?”.
This new tool is an example of how GMRC adds value to their approach to resource management through the incorporation of traditional knowledge and a focus on raising awareness and educating the public on environmental issues.
"We strongly believe that passing traditional knowledge from the elders to our youth is key to strengthening the Mi'gmaq culture and ensuring it's survival," says Victoria Metallic, GMRC's Environment Manager. She adds, "With this unique approach, we are providing information about what we've learned from our elders, and at the same time transferring that knowledge to our youth."
The Gespe’gewaq Mi’gmaq Resource Council (GMRC) is a non-profit environmental consulting organization that has received ISO 9001:2008 certification. Download an electronic copy of the photo novel on GMRC’s website at http://www.migmaqresource.org. You can also find other exclusive content on GMRC’s Facebook Page.
