The Listuguj Education, Training & Employment (LETE) is proud to launch our official logo today along with our new website. Since bringing together the Listuguj Education Directorate (LED), the Listuguj Mi’gmaq Development Centre (LMDC) and the Elawsimgewei Gina’muo’guom (First Nations Regional Adult Education Centre) in 2015 to form LETE, we have been searching for a logo that seamlessly represents us all.
Naturally, we looked to the LED logo, designed by the late Donna Isaac-oq, for inspiration. When LED was first established, LMG had recently reclaimed control over education in Listuguj and Donna was working closely with Gail Metallic-oq, LED director, as part of their work on council. Donna’s cousin Diane Mitchell fondly recalls her working on the design and explaining how each triangle around the sun represented one of the seven Mi’gmaq districts. We wanted to ensure that the LETE logo held a similarly special meaning for Listugujewaq while also encompassing everything we do now.
In December of 2017, LETE formed our vision statement – Siawinnui’sulti’gw, Siawimegitelsulti’gw, Siawignu’tmasulti’gw – as a strong reminder that we (ginu) continue to speak our language, we (ginu) continue to take pride in who we are, and we (ginu) continue to learn. Our values and standards echo this statement as they’re rooted in Mi’gmaw worldviews, concerns, and priorities.
With all this in mind, we chose the Mi’gmaq hieroglyph for Ms’t, meaning All, as the foundation of our logo. Each line of the hieroglyph is colored and modified slightly to depict a horizon – or all of creation – allowing you to create your own story of what ms’t means to you. We hope that it inspires our community of life-long learners to grow in their Mi’gmaw identity, discover their potential, and know that LETE is here to support them every step of the way.
