Local Author Spotlight – Emma Metallic

Emma Metallic is from Listuguj, and is currently employed at Alaqsite’w Gitpu School as an Education Assistant. She has completed her Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of King’s College in Halifax, Nova Scotia. She has completed level two of the Adult Mi’gmaw Immersion program in the community. Her most recent accomplishment is having her story, Nipugtug published.

The story Nipugtug (meaning forest) is about a girl named A’le’s who snowshoes through the forest and Gespe’gewa’gi trails. On her journey, she meets various animals and trees who guide her while she faces the challenges and emotions of learning the Mi’gmaw language. The story can be interpreted as a bit of an autobiography for Metallic. She said, “It does get challenging learning Mi’gmaw full-time, for me what really helped was going out in the woods and snowshoeing. That’s when I found that nipugtug is what grounded me with my language journey.” Being in the woods and being with nature really helps Metallic find a deeper sense of connection with her language.

The story was brought to life when Metallic’s good friend, Natalie Laurin was completing her undergrad for her degree, and for her final project, she needed to create an exhibition. She reached out to Metallic to collaborate and the two were able to use the Treaty Space Gallery in Nova Scotia to showcase their work. Laurin was responsible for supplying the illustrations, while Metallic provided the text in both English and Mi’gmaw. The exhibition was a complete success, and afterward, many people asked Metallic and Laurin if the story was published or available anywhere. This positive feedback gave Metallic the motivation to seek a publisher.

Metallic was informed that Ontario’s Indigenous-owned publishing company, Kegedonce Press, was accepting manuscripts. After she sent in a copy of her story, she heard back that it had been accepted.

Metallic wrote Nipugtug first in English and then wrote it in Mi’gmaw to the best of her ability. She received help from her teachers and classmates in the Adult Mi’gmaw Immersion program. She also sought guidance from community elder, Joe Wilmot, and her father, Dr. Fred Metallic. The book is published together in two different languages and consists of beautiful illustrations done by Natalie Laurin.

“It feels very empowering to have a story published in Mi’gmaq and English. It’s something very special to me. Especially this story in particular. It’s a story I’ve been thinking about for a very long time,” said Metallic.

Nipugtug is now available for purchase on Kegedonce Press’s website. The community is incredibly proud of Emma Metallic and her accomplishments and looks forward to what she has in store for the future.

By Ann Marie Jacques