When East Coast Music Award-winning fiddler Morgan Toney takes the stage at the first-ever Mi’kmaq Music Festival on Cape Breton’s Eskasoni First Nation this weekend, he said he’ll be doing so with a lot of pride. “It’s a huge deal not only for the community members there but for all Mi’kmaq people,” Toney said. On Friday, organizers were setting up the tent behind the Sarah Denny Memorial Cultural Centre, where the three-day event was set to kick off that evening. The premise is to showcase the very best in musical talent from Mi’kmaq artists. “Our culture is not like any other culture in the world, and for us to just come together for a weekend and to just be with one another, to listen to great music, to learn from our elders, it is a big part of who we are as Mi’kmaq people,” Toney said. “This is something that we have been talking about for a long time,” added Eskasoni Chief Leroy Denny. Denny said while the Mi’kmaq Music Festival may be a bit overdue, Indigenous artists from all over the Maritimes have been making their mark for quite a while. “We have so many artists that are part of the ECMA Awards and even Juno Awards, right, so it’s just a great opportunity,” he said. “Hopefully next year we will have an even bigger event and we may even do it outdoors,” added Tom Johnson, one of the festival’s organizers. The weekend will also include traditional food and dance, but the star of the show will be the music - which organizers point out has been a big part of Mi’kmaq culture since ancient times. “There were death songs that people worked on all their lives prior to their passing to the spirit world,” Johnson said. “Music has always been a part of our culture.” “We were meant to share our teachings with the world so hopefully we will have a great turnout,” Toney added. The first-ever Mi’kmaq Music Festival wraps up with traditional drumming and dance before the closing Sunday afternoon. For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page
