Resources

Toolbox for Museum School Programs

The “Toolbox for Museum School Programs” is a resource to help museums, and similar institutions, develop and deliver successful school programs. This toolbox was created by the Nova Scotia Interpretive Working Group in partnership with the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development as a direct response to the current needs of museums, archives, libraries, cultural institutions and educators in Nova Scotia. 

The Mi'kmaq

Thousands of years before the arrival of European settlers, the Mi'kmaq called themselves L'nu'k, which simply means 'the people,' 'human beings.' Their present name, Mi'kmaq, derives from nikmaq, meaning 'my kin-friends.' Their descendants are still living in the area now known as the Atlantic Provinces and the Southern Gaspe Bay Peninsula. 

African Nova Scotians

As a founding culture, African Nova Scotian history is deep and storied. Today, there are 50 African Nova Scotian communities throughout the province of Nova Scotia. Since the 1600s, diverse groups including the Black Loyalists, Jamaican Maroons, Black refugees of the War of 1812, and Caribbean immigrants, established communities across Nova Scotia. Over 22,000 African Nova Scotians call this province home, contributing to the rich diversity that defines Nova Scotia. 

Nova Scotia and the War of 1812

Despite the fact that the War of 1812 was a near three year clash between the United States and Great Britain, it was arguably the British North American colonies (what is now Canada) that were most profoundly altered by the conflict. At the time, mainland Nova Scotia and Cape Breton Island comprised two of Britain’s colonies, and although the majority of the land battles took place in Upper Canada (now Ontario) and the United States, maritime and other aspects of the war affected Nova Scotia and its people.