NSCC students bring Mi'kmaq artifacts to life through 3D printing
Bridging technology and tradition
Four NSCC students are bridging technology and tradition to preserve and share Mi'kmaq heritage. In a groundbreaking project supported by the RBC Student Works program, the students are working alongside Dr. Elder Gerald R. Gloade, a respected Mi'kmaq Elder, using cutting-edge 3D printing technology to recreate rare Indigenous artifacts and develop educational materials.
Digitizing and sharing culture
The project came to be when Charmaine Borden, Campus Librarian at NSCC's Truro campus, supported Elder Gloade in exhibiting his art exhibition at the McCarthy Gallery.
Within the Library & Learning Commons, Charmaine had recently integrated 3D printing services as part of their library services, and was excited to demonstrate the technology to Elder Gloade. Together, they brainstormed the possibility of using the 3D technology to recreate a collection of rare Indigenous artifacts that Elder Gloade uses for educational engagement.
Elder Gloade, who is a Cross Cultural Facilitator at the Mi’kmawey Debert Cultural Centre, shared this idea to the centre's leadership who gave permission for the project to move forward. The two outlined a plan with two main components: to 3D print and digitize six artifacts and create educational storytelling materials to share the history and culture behind them. Elder Gloade provided education, instruction, resources and feedback to the team throughout the project.
Preserving history, empowering students
To support the project, Charmaine resourced the RBC Student Works program to create paid on-campus positions to get students involved with the project’s IT and creative aspects. This brought together four Truro Campus students: Samreen Kaur, Emma Kuca, and Grace Penney from the 3D Digital Animation program, along with Lucas Sharkey-Chouinard from the Game and Interactive Art program, with guidance and technical feedback from NSCC Digital Technology Analyst John Laska, and Faculty Debbie Smith and Crystal Marshall on 3D technologies and printing, and Business and Creative Industries Faculty, Peter Labelle, for artistic and academic feedback on educational materials.
Samreen refers to the opportunity as transformative for her education and career. “This practical application of knowledge not only deepened my understanding but also boosted my overall confidence in my field.”
Grace also reflects gratefully on the experience: "The project plays hand in hand and supports my learning in the Digital Animation Program by allowing me to express creativity outside of my schoolwork. Elder Gloade was great at teaching us Mi'kmaw history and culture and guiding us on what type of content he wanted to see."
Education for Truth and Reconciliation
The project's reach extends far beyond NSCC's Truro Campus. Elder Gloade is supporting goals for truth and reconciliation by sharing the knowledge and materials with other educational institutions so they can print the artifacts and access the educational materials to share and teach Mi’kmaq and Indigenous history and culture.
“The ability to 3D print the artifacts allows students that come to visit, to see and handle the artifacts,” says Elder Gloade. “It gives them a greater understanding of the size, especially compared to artifacts from different ages, such as 13,000-year-old Paleo Artifacts for hunting Paleo Animals that no longer exist, in comparison to the size of the projectile points used to hunt today’s animals at the point of European Contact and all the time periods in between.”
Elder Gloade adds that students can now take the artifacts back to school with them, whether it is a copy of the printed artifacts or the file they can use to print their own set at schools or community libraries that can 3D print the artifacts themselves.
Shaping future careers
Through initiatives like this, NSCC continues to demonstrate its commitment to Truth and Reconciliation, fostering innovation and supporting student success.
"This project provides tangible connections to our history and cultures as Mi'kmaq People that supports the preservation of Mi'kmaq culture,” says Denise Pictou Maloney, Senior Advisor, Mi’kmaq and Indigenous Initiatives, NSCC. “This also supports a movement to return original artifacts to their rightful communities, as it reduces the need for originals to be held in educational institutions which allows for a more inclusive approach to interpreting history, where Mi'kmaq perspectives are incorporated into the narrative, ensuring a more accurate representation of our Mi'kmaq history."
As these students continue their academic journey, they carry with them not just new skills, but a deeper understanding of Mi'kmaq culture and the power of technology in preserving and sharing Indigenous history.
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