the research story is a narrative woven of [the author's] own self reflections, the voice of the co-researchers, and traditional mi'kmaw story characters. the story follows a group of community members from wildcat first nation and staff members from the north queens school as we collaborate and learn initially through a salmon project based in the community and then through the implementation of a native studies course in the school. both initiatives reflect our efforts to center and legitimate mi'kmaw knowledge in the school. as the work progressed, we were repairing and strengthening the threads of interconnectivity between people involved in the project and between people and other life of the land.