Honouring connections to place: Mi’kmaw language is included on signage
Prince Edward Island National Park
Indigenous peoples’ long-standing relationships with, and sacred responsibilities for, the lands, waters and ice have shaped their identities and influenced their cultures and languages for millennia. Many Indigenous place names have been replaced by colonial names through practices and policies, including some aimed at erasing Indigenous peoples, their cultures, and languages. By supporting the reclamation of Indigenous place names and the use of Indigenous languages in the sites it administers, Parks Canada is taking steps toward reconciliation.
Parks Canada has worked closely with Mi’kmaw leadership and community members to develop and implement trilingual (English, French, and Mi’kmaw) signage, interpretive panels, and displays throughout places administered by Parks Canada on PEI. As a result of this effort, signage at all principal points of access to Parks Canada-administered sites on PEI has been updated to reflect trilingual place names.
Work continues to expand the list of trilingual site names and to incorporate terms into visitor-facing signage and literature. It's not just about language; it's about respect, understanding, and honouring the Mi’kmaq for being caretakers of this land since time immemorial.
Name - English |
Name - French | Name - Mi’kmaw | Phonetic pronunciation | Mi’kmaw term lexicon |
---|---|---|---|---|
Brackley Beach | Plage de Brackley | Brackley qasqe’k | Ĝus-ĝeyg |
Beach |
Cavendish | Cavendish | Pemamkiaq | Bem-um-kee-aĝ | Long sand bar |
Cavendish Beach | Plage de Cavendish | Pemamkiaq qasqe’k |
Bem-um-kee-aĝ |
Long sand bar beach |
Cavendish Beach Trail | Sentier Cavendish Beach | Pemamkiaq qasqe’k awti’j |
Bem-um-kee-aĝ out-eej |
Path/trail |
Cavendish Campground | Camping de Cavendish | Pemamkiaq ewi’kat |
Bem-um-kee-aĝ eh-wee-gut | s/he is building his/her house; pitches a tent; camp |
Cavendish Dunelands Trail | Sentier Cavendish Dunelands | Pemamkiaq apatamkiaq awti’j | Bem-um-kee-aĝ ubb-udd-umk-eeaĝ out-eej | Sandy shore winding and turning |
Cavendish Grove | Boisé de Cavendish | Pemamkiaq umkutiaska’qamikt | Lots of trees (grove) | |
Clarks Lane Trail | Sentier Clarks Lane | Clarks Lane awti’j | Out-eej | Path/trail |
Covehead Bay | Baie Covehead | Nlukunejk | Nlook-oon-ejk | The place where there is a bump or lump |
Farmlands and Bubbling Springs Trails | Sentiers Farmlands et Bubbling Springs |
Ika’taqan aqq tgupoq awti'jl | Ig-uh-tuĝ uĝ tk-oop-oĝ out-eej | Garden/ cultivated land or field (farmland) and bubbling spring |
Greenwich trails | Sentiers de Greenwich | Msiku aqq atuomk awti’jl | Msigu-uĝ ud-oo-omk-out-eej |
Grass and sand paths/trails |
Havre Saint Pierre Trail | Sentier Havre Saint Pierre | Puku’samkek awti’j | Boog-oo-sum-geg out-eej | At the place where there are plenty of clams in the sand |
Tlaqatik Trail | Sentier Tlaqatik | Tlaqatik awti’j | Tluĝ-ud-ig out-eej |
The place where people gather, the gathering place |
Greenwich Dunes Trail | Sentier Dunes de Greenwich |
Elmamketik awit'j | El-mum-ged out-eej |
The place where the sand extends away from |
Gulf Shore Way East Trail | Sentier Golfe – Est | Wjipenuk qasqe'k atwi | Oojee-benoog-ĝusĝ-eyg out-ee |
Multi-use trail that runs parallel to the Gulf Shore Parkway in the central sector of the park |
Gulf Shore Way West Trail | Sentier Golfe – Ouest | Pekte'snuk qasqe'k atwi | Peck-days-snook ĝusĝ-out-ee |
Multi-use trail that runs parallel to the Gulf Shore Parkway in the western sector of the park |
Homestead Trail | Sentier Homestead | Apsi'kan awti’j | Ub-see-gun out-ee | Lodge, hut, small house (homestead) |
Prince Edward Island National Park | Parc national de l’Île-du-Prince-Édouard | Kanata Aqq Epekwitkewey Tepkistek Maqamikew Anko’tasik | Gun-ah-duh aĝ ebb-eg-wit-gay-way teb-gis-teg muĝ-um-ig-oh Unk-oh-duss-ig |
|
Robinsons Island Trail System | Réseau de sentiers de l’île Robinsons | Tapu Tuitn awti’jl | Dawb –oo doo-idn out-eej |
Double narrows paths/trails |
North Rustico | North Rustico | Tapu tuitn | Dawb-oo doo-idn |
Double narrows |
Oceanview | Oceanview |
Apaqtuk | Ub-uĝ doog |
Far out to sea (Oceanview) |
Stanhope | Stanhope | Atoqwa’su walney | Ud-oĝ-ah-soo wul-ney |
Trout cove |
Stanhope campground | Camping de Stanhope | Atoqwa’suwalneyewi’kat |
Ud-oĝ-ah-soo wul-ney eh-wee-gud | Trout cove |
Tracadie | Tracadie | Tlaqatik | Dluĝ-ud-ig | The place where people gather, the gathering place |
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