App project to help Indigenous youth record and share their stories

A program calledMi'kmawRadio Rookies willusean app to help Indigenous youth in Nova Scotia tell stories about their communities this summer.

The app, called StoryCorps, will be used by15- to19-year-olds inPaq'tnkek,near Antigonish,and Eskasoni, Cape Breton,to create their own audio stories.

The app allows a userto easily record interviews ontheir phone and share it to the StoryCorpswebsite.

U.S. Library ofCongress

Each recording shared to the website is automatically archived to the American Folklife Center at the U.S.Library of Congress.

Richard Perry ofAntigonish created the program and thinks it's a unique way for Indigenous youth to tell their stories.

"I thought it would be a great opportunity to work with Mi'kmaqyouth here in Nova Scotia and to help them tell stories important to them," he said.

During the workshop, the young people will learnabout various audio and interview techniquesand how to record good sound, Perry says.

Carter Chiasson, themusic and tech teacher at Allison Bernard Memorial High School in Eskasoni, is helping co-ordinate the program there.

Cultural preservation

He says the program will give young people the opportunityto helpmaintain their Aboriginalculture.

"There`s this big push in the community to help preserve culture. We're really hoping ... that this project will instill in them the importance of that," hesaid.

Chiassonsays15 people have already indicated aninterestin the program.

Paq'tnkek starts its workshop this weekend;Eskasoni's will beginin August.

The program is funded by the Nova Scotia Department of Communities, Culture and Heritage.