Kwe' — Welcome

This is a space to share the teachings, language, and ceremonies of the Wolastoqey people. A place for connection—where stories carry medicine, language carries breath, and together we walk the path our ancestors laid before us.

From the Fire

Messages

January 30, 2026

Test Post

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January 28, 2026
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Woolastook, elder, test, message, thank you. Wuliyun.
January 28, 2026

Test Email Post

This is a test email post to verify the email ingestion workflow is working correctly.
January 28, 2026
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Elder test message 1234 test 1234. A blossom was Willis stoked. William
January 27, 2026
Hello everyone! This is a test announcement from Test Elder. We are having a community gathering this Saturday at 2pm.

Her Journey

Biography

Opolahsomuwehs (Dr. Imelda Mary Perley, C.M.) is a highly respected Wolastoqey Elder, fluent language speaker, educator, ceremonial leader, and cultural knowledge keeper from Sitansisk (St. Mary's First Nation) and Neqotkuk (Tobique First Nation), of the Muskrat and Fox Clans.

For decades, she has stood at the forefront of Wolastoqey language revitalization and cultural resurgence, dedicating her life to strengthening identity, wellness, and intergenerational continuity through language, ceremony, education, and community leadership.

Together with her husband, Elder Dr. David Perley, she co-founded the Wolastoq Language and Culture Centre, which remains a cornerstone of Wolastoqey language revitalization across Wolastokuk. She has given Wolastoqey spirit names to more than 200 children and community members, connecting them to their ancestral identity.

As a Medicine Wheel Teacher, Ceremonial Keeper, Sacred Pipe Carrier, Sweat Lodge Keeper, and Storyteller, she has sustained and protected cultural teachings essential to Wolastoqey identity and continuity. For nearly three decades, she has led women's ceremonies including Placental Burials and the giving of Spirit Names—work that remains central to cultural continuity, healing, and the sacred cycle of life.

Honours & Recognition

  • Member of the Order of Canada (C.M.), 2022
  • Honorary Doctorate of Letters, University of New Brunswick, 2019
  • Governor General's Sovereign Medal for Volunteers, 2017
  • Queen's Diamond Jubilee Medal, 2012
  • Canada 150 Ambassador

Sacred Knowledge

Teachings

The Medicine Wheel
teaches us about balance
and the four directions.

Language is ancestral breath.
When we speak our words,
we breathe life into memory.

The Seven Generations
remind us to consider
those who come after.