Cape Breton creative hub in Sydney now called Eltuek Arts Centre
“Now, after today, in a very small but important way, we are honouring the first language and people of this land.”
SYDNEY, N.S. — A traditional Mi’kmaw naming ceremony welcomed the first sunlight of Friday morning and also welcomed a new beginning for New Dawn’s creative hub in Northend Sydney.
The Convent , as it was formerly known , is now called Eltuek Arts Centre.
The Mi’kmaw word eltuek, pronounced “el-du-eg”, means “We are making (it) together,” with the “it” being whatever the community decides to make — art, food, music, social change, a brighter future.
Words matter
Christie MacNeil, manager of the arts centre, said the name change came from almost two years of discussions with the organization’s elders advisory committee comprised of elders from all five Mi’kmaw communities in Unama’ki, and a desire to create a space and a creative community that is safe, inclusive, and accessible.
“Words matter,” she told the crowd on Friday.
“Now, after today, in a very small but important way, we are honouring the first language and people of this land.”
Dozens gathered at sunrise for the traditional Mi’kmaw naming ceremony led by Elder Lawrence Wells of Membertou, a member of the elders advisory committee, which took place around a scared fire on the front lawn of the centre. A chilly morning wind moved most people inside, where speeches, prayers, and songs took place. Outside, traditional Mi’kmaq four cent bread and eel stew were served. The ceremony was followed by a breakfast feast.
Historic building
The arts centre is housed in the former Holy Angels convent on the corner of Nepean and George Streets, adjacent to the former all-girls high school that closed in 2011. It was built in 1885 and occupied by the Sisters of the Congregation of Notre Dame for 126 years. The school was the first all-girls boarding and day school east of Montréal.
New Dawn purchased the property in 2013 and, with almost $9 million in initial government funding, began renovations to the future arts centre in 2017.
The building re-opened quietly in 2020 amid the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic under the name the Convent, an homage to the history of the building and the contributions of the Sisters of Notre Dame.
In light of the history and lasting trauma of the residential school system in Canada, and the direct involvement of religious organizations, a renaming process began, culminating in Friday’s renaming ceremony.
Reconciliation in action
Robert Bernard of We’koqma’q First Nation, who convenes the elders advisory committee on behalf of New Dawn Enterprises, said the renaming ceremony marked a new way forward.
“In the spirit of reconciliation, we are gathered here together today with the intention to build stronger relationships together, to build a stronger sense of cultural understanding, and to build a stronger future together where everyone’s voice matters and where everyone gets to be seen and heard,” he said.
Inside and outside the building, signage is written in English, Mi’kmaw and Braille, and all spaces are accessible. Indigenous and non-profit rates are available to make services and programming accessible and welcoming. An unceded land acknowledgement, drafted by the elders advisory committee, is displayed prominently at the entrances.
Transformative work
In addition to Wells, the elders advisory committee is made up of Ernest Johnson of Eskasoni, Anita Basque from Potlotek, Pauline Isadore of Wagmatcook, and Dolena Mary Poullette of We’koqma’q, and works with New Dawn staff MacNeil, program coordinator Melissa Kearney, and president/CEO Erika Shea.
MacNeil said the discussions with the group have been transformative for her, and she hoped those in attendance at Friday’s ceremony take the morning’s spirit of sharing and inclusivity into their own lives.
“I hope you feel inspired, and that you take that inspiration as an obligation to make your little corner of the world a better place … and to commit to reconciliation, to honour the land, the sacred teachings, and to embark on your own journey of decolonization and healing.”
