Deven Condo-Mitchell and Amanda Larocque Compete on The Amazing Race Canada

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People from all over Gespe’gewa’gi were excited to hear that The Amazing Race Canada will have its very first Mi’gmaq competitors.  Deven Condo-Mitchell and Amanda Larocque are competing in Season 9 of the fast-paced reality show.

Condo-Mitchell is from right here in Listuguj. He is a Conservation Officer with the Listuguj Rangers and has a passion for adventure and athletics.
Larocque is from Gesgapegiag. She is the Director of Health and Social Services for the community, is a mother of two daughters, is a dancer, and like Condo-Mitchell, she shares a passion for adventure.

The couple found out about the show after a mutual friend passed along information about the application process and were thankful for the opportunity. “We’re actively making history right now. We’re the first team from the East Coast, being Mi’gmaq. Representing Gespe’gewa’gi, Mi’gma’gi,” said Condo-Mitchell. The two hope that being featured on the show will push other Mi’gmaw people to set and achieve goals. Larocque said, “It’s an absolute honour to be the first Mi’gmaq team, and I know we’re not going to be the last. We hope to inspire other youth across all Mi’gma’gi.”

Both Condo-Mitchell and Larocque are excited to share their journey with their communities.

 “We want to thank both of our communities for all the love and support we’ve received,” said Condo-Mitchell.

The community of Listuguj is thrilled to see Condo-Mitchell and Larocque make history and compete on The Amazing Race Canada.

By Ann Marie Jacques

A LETTER FROM CHASTITY MITCHELL
THE INTERIM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF MMS

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As I address you today as the Interim Executive Director of the Mi’gmawei Mawio’mi Secretariat (MMS), I am humbled to continue my journey with the MMS organization during this period of transition and growth. Having been part of the MMS for over 20 years, I am aware of the incredible talent, dedication, and achievements that define our team. It is an honour to work alongside such motivating individuals, and I am excited to continue our collective efforts to drive success and make a lasting impact.

For nearly two decades, the Secretariat has been entrusted with the vital task of carrying out the directions of the Leadership from our three communities: Gesgapegiag, Gespeg, and Listuguj. Our overarching goal has remained throughout the years—to work tirelessly for the betterment of the citizens of Gespe’gewa’gi.

We work hand in hand with the Leadership and our fellow citizens to ensure transparency, accountability, and most importantly, to fulfill the will of the people.

As we move forward, our organization will be guided by the priorities set by our Leadership. We recognize that if it is not a priority for them, it is not a priority for us. This principle will shape our strategies and actions, as we remain dedicated to serving the needs and aspirations of Gespe’gewa’gi.

I encourage and embrace an open, transparent relationship between the Secretariat, the Leadership, and our citizens. We are all united in our common purpose—to protect and promote the Mi’gmaq values and principles on our territory. Together, we can ensure that the voice of Gespe’gewa’gi is heard and respected.

I invite you to join us on this important journey. Your participation, support, and feedback will be invaluable as we work towards a future that upholds the rights, and recognition of Gespe’gewa’gi.

Stay tuned for monthly updates as our team will continue to bring you all the highlights. Visit our  website www.migmawei.ca or send us your comments to stayconnected@migmawei.ca

Thank you for your trust in the Mi’gmawei Mawio’mi Secretariat. I am excited to embark on this shared mission.

Ap Namultes

NAIG Recap

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The Listuguj Mi’gmaq Government would like to acknowledge our 10 Listuguj athletes who competed in the North American Indigenous Games in Nova Scotia last week.

Based on all the videos and photos, NAIG will be a memorable time in their lives they will not forget. Our athletes celebrated their culture, trained hard, and showed incredible determination and sportsmanship.

The community is very proud of their accomplishments, and it was an honor to have them represent the community of Listuguj.

Thank you to the coaches and volunteers from Listuguj who assisted our athletes and attended NAIG.

• Ala’suinu Barnaby – GOLD –  19U Men’s Beach Volleyball

• Hannah Mills – GOLD – 19U Female  200M, 1000M, 3000M, 6000M Canoe/Kayak
• Harmony Isaac – BRONZE – 16U Female Swimming 100M Backstroke

• Erika Metallic – BRONZE  – 14U Female Swimming 200M Butterfly

• Davery Condo-Mitchell – BRONZE – 16U Men’s Basketball

• Jack Limoges – BRONZE – 16U Men’s Basketball

• Nash Molley – 19U Men’s Basketball

• Amelia Rioux – 19U Female Basketball

• Tamika Gideon – 16U Women’s Volleyball

• Ayden Barnaby – 16U Men’s 3D Archery

• Joe Barnaby – 16U Men’s Golf

CHIEF’S CORNER WITH CHIEF SCOTT MARTIN – JULY 2023

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Summer is in full swing, and we’ve had many great events and celebrations in the community! Indigenous People’s Day, the Listuguj Graduation Banquet, the Bike Rodeo, the NAIG athlete parade, and more! On behalf of the administration, we are incredibly proud of our local athletes and their accomplishments at the North American Indigenous Games in Nova Scotia. Up next, we are looking forward to the annual Listuguj Pow Wow! Thank you to the Listuguj Pow Wow committee for all their hard work and dedication to ensure we have a safe and successful Pow Wow season!

Reintroducing Listuguj’s Comprehensive Community Plan

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The comprehensive community plan (CCP) was developed in 2012 by Chief Dean Vicaire, his administration at the time, and was coordinated by Tracey Metallic in collaboration with Dalhousie University. The plan was put into motion to collect feedback from community members and to use this data as a tool for long-term community development. The plan was put on hold, picked up again in 2016/2017 by Economic Development, and coordinated by Alicia Simon (Isaac).  “Coming together and making a community-led plan was something that really spoke to me,” Isaac said.

Germain-Metallic joined the coordinating team in 2017. Simon and Germain-Metallic engaged with over 400 people, they held several events, feasts, and more. The plan was updated in 2017 and was given the title: Listuguj Mi’gmaq Community Plan (LMCP), it was adopted in March 2018 and has been in implementation since then.

It has been five years since the LMCP was revised and Germain-Metallic and Simon have returned to meet with community members and re-evaluate the plan. This time around, Germain-Metallic is taking on the role of Comprehensive Community Planning Coordinator, and Simon is the Assistant Coordinator. Germain-Metallic said, “To see it at the very beginning stage, to have it officially adopted, to go through five years of watching the community work on it, and grow with it, and then to be able to come back and do the revision, I’m excited about that.”

Back in 2012 and 2017, the data received helped identify four major action areas for Listuguj:

Action Area 1 – Healthy Community
Action Area 2 – Environmental and Resource Stewardship
Action Area 3 – Entrepreneurship and Employment
Action Area 4 – Mi’gmaq Laws and Governance

The CCP team will touch base with community members to see how they feel about these areas, if they still consider them a priority, and how Listuguj has been working to achieve these important aspects. They are expecting to receive similar results to the ones from previous years, with an emphasis on these four action areas.

This time around the team will be engaging with all community members but are really interested in the feedback from the youth in Listuguj. Since they are the future generation, it is important to hear their thoughts and concerns when it comes to the existing LMCP, and what they feel would be beneficial to adjust. They have met with various youths and Simon said, “We ask them, ‘What do you envision 25 years from now?’ It might seem like a long time, but it goes by so fast. The kids pick up on so much in the community.”


The team stressed that the community plan is so much more than a list of project ideas for Listuguj Mi’gmaq Government directors to take on. Germain-Metallic said, “It’s an overview of your entire community all at once, projected itnto the future.” Not only is the plan important for the constant growth and well-being in Listuguj, but if there is no plan in place, there is a chance the community will not be considered for funding opportunities.

The CCP team, which includes an advisory committee, is very eager to engage with various groups of people of all demographics.  Their goal is to collect data over the summer and craft a new plan with the updated information in the fall months. The plan will then be presented to the general community, and once it has been validated, it will be presented to Chief and Council for formal adoption. Once the plan has been adopted, the team can work with the entire Listuguj organization to put plans into motion to achieve some of these goals.

You can find Listuguj’s current community plan on Listuguj Mi’gmaq Government’s official website. If you would like to meet with the CCP team and share your opinions on the plan, or what you feel could benefit the community of Listuguj as a whole, you can contact Dawn Germain-Metallic at dawn.germain@listuguj.ca, or Alicia Simon (Isaac) at alicia.isaac@listuguj.ca. The team will also be hosting various workshops over the summer months open to all community members.

Be on the lookout for future Wi’gatign issues for updates on the Listuguj Mi’gmaq Community Plan!

By Ann Marie Jacques