Wapna'kikewi'skwaq - Women of First Light is dedicated to Indigenous Rematriation of the land at Tatamagouche Centre. It is about reconnecting the people to their ancestral land -a place for sacred gatherings and healing for the Mi'kmaq for thousands of years. 

 

30 years ago, when Mi'kmaq people were invited to the Tatamagouche Centre, they felt an instant Spiritual connection to the land and knew it was a Sacred place for their people. This journey began with a vision shared by grandmothers. A whisper rising from the land itself.

 

In 2022, we held a gathering of Clan Mothers/ Grandmothers and came to agreement to work towards rematriation of this land.  First we wrote to the Tatamagouche Centre board including that we recognized the need for Two Spirit, African Nova Scotian, Muslim and all BIPOC people to have a safe place.

 

A truly safe place. 

 

The land, under the colonial system is "owned" by the United Church of Canada (UCC) as a land trust. We did presentations and workshops at two AGMs of regional councils of UCC. We met with their Property Committees.

 

In Nov. 2023 we held a large gathering bringing together UCC, Tatamagouche Centre members and Women of First Light. We gained commitment to form a joint transition committee. We then held a Land Legacy series of webinars of community land trusts including with Indigenous communities across the land. 

 

In Feb 2025, the first meeting of the Transition Committee was held. We are currently working towards a Memorandum of Agreement that confirms that the land will come under the stewardship of Indigenous women through Women of First Light.

 

Rematriation is not just an idea for us—it’s a lived, breathing journey.
 

A journey of remembering. Of reclaiming. Of returning the sacred relationship to where it belongs.
 

That this place—once used for Christian education and outreach and later for social justice workshops and personal transformation—could become something more:
a place of Indigenous ceremony, learning, healing, and cultural leadership.