Wabanaki Midwinter Celebrations: February 10-13

Join Indigenous Student Services for Midwinter Presentations from February 10–13 at the Wabanaki Centre and the Dawn Russell Student Lounge.

Learn about different elements of Midwinter from presenters Merl Millier, Elder Alma Brooks, Edith Belanger, and Sherri Mitchell. This event is open to all, and food will be provided.

Midwinter Presentations Schedule

What is Midwinter?

Monday, February 10 | 1:30 – 3:30 PM
Wabanaki Centre, Sir James Dunn Hall
Presenter: Merl Millier

Clan Mothers & Grandmothers

Tuesday, February 11 | 3:00 – 4:30 PM
Wabanaki Centre, Sir James Dunn Hall
Presenter: Elder Alma Brooks

A Wolastoqey Perspective on 17th-Century Archives: Women’s Leadership, Governance, and Traditional Law

Wednesday, February 12 | 3:00 – 4:30 PM
Wabanaki Centre, Sir James Dunn Hall
Presenter: Edith Belanger

Indigenous Oral Tradition and the Sacred Element of Story

Thursday, February 13 | 3:00 – 4:30 PM
Dawn Russell Student Lounge, Sir James Dunn Hall
Presenter: Sherri Mitchell

Midwinter Presenter Bios

Merl Millier

Merl Millier, a Blackfoot from Alberta and member of Bilijk (formerly Kingsclear First Nation), spent much of his youth in Inuvik, N.W.T. A husband, father, and grandfather, he considers himself a helper in Indigenous traditions. As a member of Wampum CISM, he supports First Nation communities during crises by facilitating talking circles, healing circles, and critical incident stress debriefs.

He is also the Director of Indigenous Awareness and Community Support at the Department of Indigenous Affairs, working to advance reconciliation between government and Indigenous communities.

Elder Alma Helen Brooks

Elder Alma Helen Brooks holds a Bachelor of Arts from St. Thomas University, and studied at the New Brunswick College of Craft & Design. She also graduated from the Keyano College’s Community Wellness Worker program and completed advanced training in community addictions and counselling at the Nechi Institute.

A traditional Grandmother and sweat lodge keeper, she preserves and shares Indigenous knowledge. She is a keeper of traditional medicine and herbal baths, a member of the Wolastoq Grand Council, and a leader of water, full moon, and seasonal ceremonies. At St. Mary’s First Nation, she develops and facilitates healing programs for residential school survivors.

Edith Belanger

Edith Belanger, a member of the Wolastoqiyik Wahsipekuk community in Cacouna, Québec, lives on her traditional territory in Rivière-du-Loup. She is Director of Research at Institute Ashukan, which focuses on Indigenous education and research.

A mother of four and guardian of three parrots, she is completing a PhD in Indigenous Traditional Governance at Université du Québec en Abitibi-Témiscamingue (UQAT). She has authored two books on Wolastoqey culture and contributed to First Nations literary projects. Her passion for Indigenous traditions has led her to study philosophy, law, herbal medicine, and hypnotherapy.

Sherri Mitchell – Weh’na Ha’mu Kwasset

Sherri Mitchell, a Penobscot Nation member, is an Indigenous attorney, activist, and author specializing in Indigenous Peoples Law and Policy. She earned her Juris Doctorate from the University of Arizona’s Rogers College of Law. She is the award-winning author of Sacred Instructions: Indigenous Wisdom for Living Spirit-Based Change, and the founding Director of the Land Peace Foundation, which focuses on Indigenous leadership, environmental justice, land rematriation, and kinship building.

Sherri serves as a Trustee for the American Indian Institute, sits on Nia Tero’s Global and North American Indigenous Advisory Councils, and is a board member of the Post Carbon Institute. She has received multiple human rights awards for her advocacy.

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