On Nov. 14th, the StFX German Society and German classes hosted a discussion and a Q&A session entitled, Building Bridges—Our journey with Alan Syliboy. It was the fifth event the German Society has hosted with Mr. Syliboy, a celebrated Mi’kmaw artist, writer and musician, who recently received the prestigious Portia White Prize.
“We shared our years of collaboration with Alan Syliboy, translating his three books into German, writing about Mr. Syliboy as an artist, and having an event about his childhood in Mi’kmaqi,” says German instructor Marlis Lade.
During the session, Ms. Lade says the students talked about the challenges of translating the books into another language and what they learned about their own language during this process. The students, she says, emphasized how much they learned about Mi’kmaq culture by listening to this great storyteller.
“The students see reconciliation as a vital part of their education at StFX. Translating books related to Mi’kmaq culture is a beautiful and inspiring way to engage and contribute to reconciliation.”
Ms. Lade says the event provided much discussion with attending students asking many questions, which ranged from how Mr. Syliboy includes the essence of Mi’kmaq culture in his art and music to how he adapts Mi’kmaq legends and history for a broader audience, to the challenges he’s faced as an Indigenous artist and to any future projects.
At the end of the event, Ms. Lade says Mr. Syliboy applauded the students, saying “you are the best example of living reconciliation.”
