September 16, 2005 Source: University College of Cape Breton: http://www.capebretonu.ca/capebretonu_main/newsrel/NewsDetail.asp?NewsID=104 TLC Key to Successful Sunflower Project for Mi’kmaq September 16, 2005 TLC Key to Successful Sunflower Project for Mi’kmaq Children
Funding from The Mounted Police Foundation To Support Project (Sydney, NS) – Today, Dr. Cheryl Bartlett at Cape Breton University received a $5,000 grant from The Mounted Police Foundation (MPF). The grant supports the Toqikutimk Sunflower Booklet project; part of a larger special sunflower project for Mi’kmaq youth. The funding was presented by Assistant Commissioner Ian Atkins, of the Nova Scotia RCMP to Dr. Bartlett who is a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Integrative Science, and to her team. RCMP Superintendent Ted Upshaw notes, "As the District Policing Officer of North Eastern Nova Scotia, (NEN) I recognize First Nations Policing is a priority for NEN, and in particular the Youth. I welcome the opportunity to support such community-based partnerships that will assist our Youth to understand that life can be filled with challenges however with the proper root support they can develop into a healthy adult with the ability to contribute to our Diverse Society.” The booklet is a sub-project of Dr. Bartlett’s Integrative Integrative Health & Healing “Aboriginal community-based, participatory action research project” and IWK community outreach project called, “Toqikutimk Growing Together”. The sunflower project is designed to help Mi’kmaq children from grades primary to six learn to see and identify with life resiliency shown by growing plants. The children are encouraged to plant sunflower seeds throughout their communities in the spring, and care for the plants over the following four to six months. With the support from the MPF, the booklet was created and printed, allowing the children to identify with the development of their flowers. “The Toqikutimk Sunflower Booklet is so significant because it provides relational understandings and suggests tender loving care (TLC) possibilities for the children looking after the sunflowers,” notes Dr. Cheryl Bartlett. “The booklet teaches children that living things require and appreciate TLC - an important component for growth." “With support and encouragement from the local RCMP, this book came to life and will help reinforce children’s sense of relationships with other living, growing things - the whole purpose of this project." Three local Aboriginal youth planted new seeds today as part of the project. Guests also heard more about the Integrative Science programs at Cape Breton University and community projects. To date, more than 620 sunflower booklets and seeds have been given out at partner schools which include Eskasoni Elementary, Membertou Elementary, and Baddeck Academy. Additional packages were distributed at the Eskasoni Pow-Wow, the Membertou Trade and Convention Centre and the Mira River Provincial Park. In addition, the project will be offered to other interested schools via video-conferencing and the on-line availability of the booklet. The project is also available via SchoolNet to numerous Canadian schools through the Atlantic Canada First Nations’ Help Desk. Bartlett notes support from the First Nations communities played a critical role in the initial success. Specific contributors include Murdena Marshall, Elder, Eskasoni First Nation (and retired Associate Professor, Cape Breton University) who provided assistance with the booklet contents and language translation. Members of the Integrative Science research team at Cape Breton University contributed significantly to the project’s conceptualization, creation and realization. "Today’s support from The Mounted Police Foundation is much appreciated and this is a partnership we look forward to continuing," said Cape Breton University President John Harker. "When we see the concepts of Integrative Science come to life in the community and especially with Aboriginal youth, it is rewarding to witness the sheer joy in learning and the outcomes." The project acknowledges the power of seeing the living relationship between growing sunflowers and growing children. It is important that the children understand the metaphoric relationship with the growth of the sunflowers and their own growth. The involvement of the RCMP is to link the growth to crime prevention, for example, by showing that plants and people may hit rocks when securing roots and that plants and people may not grow well in polluted soil. The project begins with an in-school instructional puppet presentation by Andrew Sark, the IWK Mi’kmaq Youth Activities Coordinator. Sark then presents a Sunflower Booklet and packet of sunflower seeds to each child. He helps the children plant the seeds throughout their community, encouraging them to observe the plants as they grow from seedling to flowering to seeding stages. The Sunflower Booklet depicts various TLC possibilities along with activities that promote the child’s metaphoric identity with the growth, vigor, and beauty that they will see in the sunflowers. Financial partners for this project include the IWK Health Centre Foundation, Cape Breton University, Unama’ki Institute of Natural Resources, Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Canada Research Chairs, and Social Sciences and Humanities Council of Canada. For additional information on the project, related curriculum links, puppet shows and field trips, contact Andrew Sark at 902-563-1981 or visit www.oursunflowers.ca -30- Contacts: Irene Khattar
Manager, Communications & Public Relations, Cape Breton University
Tel: (902) 563-1896; E-mail: irene_khattar@capebretonu.ca Kelly Rose
Communications Officer, Cape Breton University
Tel: (902) 563-1638; E-mail: kelly_rose@capebretonu.ca Andrew Sark
IWK Mi’kmaq Youth Activities Coordinator, Cape Breton University
Tel: (902) 563-1981; E-mail: andrew_sark@capebretonu.ca Jeffrey Christie, S/Sgt
Detachment Commander, Eskasoni First Nation
Tel: (902) 379-2822; Cell: (902) 565-7375 | 