Sabrina Muise is proud of her heritage.
Muise is a 25-year-old Mi’kmaw woman who hails from Nujio'qonik, Ktaqmkuk (Bay St. George, NL).
She grew up immersed in Mi’kmaq culture through her family.
Now, through her work in the community, she’s playing her part to maintain that culture and keep it alive for the youth.
Muise, who gained a bachelor of sciences in Ontario with a double major in geology and psychology, moved back home to the Bay St. George area after finishing university.
She was able to re-connect with her community and has found a way to stay home to help pass on the values of the Mi’kmaq culture.
Muise is currently in her second year as the project coordinator at the People of the Dawn Indigenous Friendship Centre in St. George’s.
The centre is a non-profit organization that delivers culturally appropriate services to Indigenous people in urban communities.
In her role as project coordinator, she helps connect Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth, between the ages of 15 and 30, from across the province with inspiring adult and youth leaders of communities in the Bay St. George and Qalipu First Nation region.
Most recently she’s helping with a new online workshop/discussion series, offered by the Ka’qawej Youth Team.
It is called “Adulting 101: For the Aspiring Leader” and is hosted by the friendship centre and funded through the Government of Canada under the Service Canada Corps project.
These sessions provide youth with opportunities to meet their own people, gain insights on how to navigate “the fast life”, learn about Mi’kmaq culture and, most importantly to Muise, to be part of a province-wide kinship.
She was also, just this November, elected as a youth co-representative on the Qalipu First Nation’s council.
She felt accepting this nomination was one of the hardest things she had ever done. But having earned that trust was something she was grateful for.
“Public speaking is not my jam, but it’s a skill I am getting better at and it is something I am actively trying to improve on,” she told The West Coast Wire. “Having the youth believe in me and support me as their youth rep was super encouraging to me and is what continues to motivate me to keep pushing myself out of my comfort zone.”
Muise recently took part in a question and answer session:
Q. What is your full name?
A. Sabrina Muise
Q. Where and when were you born?
A. October 1995, Stephenville.
Q. Where do you live today?
A. St. George’s.
Q. What’s your favourite place in the world?
A. Flat Bay Brook. Most of my aunties and uncles have cabins up there and it's where I spend a lot of time in the summer. I consider it my happy place and I feel most connected to my ancestors there.
Q. What would people be surprised to learn about you?
A. I can whistle.
Q. Can you describe one experience that changed your life?
A. Night shift job at Esso. It was my first job that I got when I returned home from university. It helped me re-connect with the community and pushed me to turn my life around for the better.
Q. What is your favourite movie or book?
A. Any of the Studio Ghibli movies. I love all things cute and witty.
Q. How do you like to relax?
A. I like to run and be out on the land. It helps clear my mind, de-stress, and feel re-energized.
Q. What are you reading or watching right now?
A. Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Q. What is your most treasured possession?
A. My rescue kittens, Fisher and Suki.
Q. If you didn’t take this career path, what would have chosen?
A. Art and indigenous fashion as an entrepreneur.
Meet your Neighbour is a regular feature that profiles area residents. Want to suggest someone who should be featured? Email your idea to [email protected].
