Allison Bernard Memorial High School's video: Emma Stevens performs at the Inaugural UN-Habitat Assembly in Nairobi Kenya

Emma Stevens speaks about the Red Dress Movement in Canada (MMIW) and sings the Mi'kmaq Honour Song at the First Session of the UN-Habitat Assembly of the United Nations Human Settlements Program on May 27, 2019 in Nairobi, Kenya. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Kwe’! Ni’n teluisi Emma Stevens aqq tle’wi Essisoqnik, Mi’kma’ki, Kanata. Hello everyone! My name is Emma Stevens, and am truly honored to have been invited here today, to speak and perform for you all at this incredible event, here in the beautiful country of Kenya. This is my first time being abroad and I don’t think that I could possibly feel more welcomed. I would like to sincerily thank the UN for this incredible honor. In my language, Mi’kmaq, we say the word wela’lioq to say thankyou to a group of people. So.. wela’lioq to everyone here today from the bottom of my heart. My home is the community of Eskasoni First Nation on the island of Unama’ki in Nova Scotia, Canada. Like many places in the world today, being an indigenous person in Canada is not without it’s challenges. Even in a modern democratic country like Canada, indigenous people are still fighting for equality, justice and reconciliation. In the short time that I have here today, I would like to speak to you about two important issues that affect all indigenous Canadians that are near and dear to my heart. I would first like to take a moment to tell you all about the dress that I am wearing today. This dress is a traditional Mi’kmaw women’s ribbon dress. The ribbons are the colors of fire, because of the passion I feel for my culture, language and heritage. The color red also represents a movement we have in Canada called the Red Dress movement, which seeks to bring attention to Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women. It saddens me to say that 4,000 indigenous women in my country have gone missing or were murdered since the 1970’s and many of these crimes have gone unsolved. I wear this traditional Mi’kmaw ribbon dress, in red, to honour these women and girls, and to pay tribute to their loved ones who have lost their daughters, sisters, and mothers. For these women and girls, and for you, I would like to sing a song that is very sacred to the Mi’kmaq - the Mi’kmaq Honor Song. If you are able, please stand. The second issue I would like to talk about, is the rapid loss of my native language, Mi’kmaq. Like many indigenous languages around the world, Mi’kmaq is endangered. Today, there are less than 10,000 people left in the entire world who can speak Mi’kmaq and this number is rapidly in decline. It saddens me to say that it is believed that within 2 generations, Mi’kmaq is predicted to be lost forever. Unless we all come together, join hands, and work together to help save Mi’kmaq, and other dying languages of course, it is very likely that people like me in the not too distant future will have no one to speak to, in the languages that our ancestors have viewed the world through for thousands of years. With it being the UN international year of indigenous languages I would like to sing a song for you in Mi’kmaq that you all may know. My classmates, my teachers, and I, worked together to translate and record this song to help bring awareness to this important movement. I hope you like it. Wela’lioq http://www.abmhseskasoni.ca/ MI'KMAQ HONOUR SONG // LYRICS with PHONETICS UNDERNEATH: Kepmite’tmne’j ta’n teli-lnu’wulti’kw (Gebb me day dum uh nedge, dawn deli ulnoo wool deeg) Nikma’jtut, ke mawita’nej (Niggum-odge dude, gay ma we dawn edge) Kepmite’tmne’j ta’n wetapeksulti’kw (Geb me day dum uh nedge, dawn wedda beck sool teeg) Nikma’jtut, ke apoqnmatultinej (Niggum-odge dude, gay a bonna ma dool dee nedge) Apoqnmatultinej ta’n Kisu’lkw teli-ika’luksi’k (A bonna ma dool dee nedge, dawn ki-soolk deli ga look seeg) Wula wsitqamu’k, hey ya hey yo (Oolah sit qamu, (hey ah hey oh) - INTERTRIBAL CHANT SECTION - Way o hey hi ya ha, way o hey o hey hi ya, Way o hey hi ya ha, way o hey hi ya, Way o hey hi ya, Way o hey hi ya ha Way o hey hi ya hey oh!