Sable Island Post-Secondary Award 2022

Our second annual “Inspired by Sable Island” – an award for post-secondary students, in partnership with Parks Canada – was another rewarding experience! Students who had completed at least one year of post-secondary education (in any discipline) and were returning to studies in the fall of 2022 were eligible to apply. We are thrilled to announce that Ella Stevens was selected as this year’s recipient of a day-trip to Sable Island National Park Reserve and $500 for her proposal “Mi’kmaq Connections to Sable Island”.

Sable Island has been inspiring people for centuries, and Friends of Sable Island keeps that tradition alive through our education program and by supporting ongoing research and promotion of the island. This award helps us continue to inspire the hearts and minds of the next generation of young people who will care for Sable Island National Park Reserve.

The Review Committee was very impressed with Ella’s application and rated her most highly on creativity and clarity. Her full proposal was original and highly relevant, providing an opportunity to learn more about Sable Island’s cultural history. She demonstrated a genuine interest in the topic, strong support from her reference, and an intent to collaborate with diverse researchers. It is clear that she has been inspired by Sable Island! Her proposal summary follows:

My name is Ella Stevens. I grew up in the coastal community of L’ketuk (Port Medway) in Queens County. I currently attend Dalhousie University in the pursuit of a degree in Social Anthropology and minor in Indigenous Studies with the intent to pursue archeology as a career. I am extremely passionate about the environment as well as protecting Indigenous heritage, knowledge and artifacts. Keeping that in mind, I’ve constructed a proposal I believe to be important to my personal goals and education as well as being significant to the history of Sable Island. I would like to research the past existence of a possible Mi’Kmaq presence on Sable Island, while also viewing the island in context as part of Mi’kma’ki.
It will be important to complete research prior to visiting the island regarding the only known projectile point recovered from the island and Mi’kmaq seafaring methods. I will then spend my time on the Island exploring the past ecological environment of the island by looking at the stratigraphic layers in the sand and plant life. By looking into methods of transportation and past island plant life it will help determine if there is a possibility the Mi’kmaq could have left the projectile point on the island or whether it ended up there some other way.

Ella Stevens, Proposal Summary submitted for the “Inspired by Sable Island” 2022 Award

Ella travelled to Sable Island National Park Reserve on October 28, 2022 with Parks Canada staff and two Friends of Sable Island board members. We look forward with great anticipation to sharing the results of her trip and research in 2023!