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| Club History A man with a vision - Ralph “Jigger” Mott, formed the Kinap
Athletic Club in 1982. The word Kinap (pronounced gin’AP) is
a Micmac word that means" someone who excels”. The eight-pointed
star on the crest is an old Micmac symbol, which represents the four
directions of the winds and the four races of people. The club colours
of yellow, green and blue represent the sun, earth and water. Our mandate to stimulate interest in and enthusiasm for the sport of canoeing. Our goal is to enable participants to achieve a positive self-image and attitude towards the sport and a spirit of cooperation and fair play, while providing paddlers the opportunity to develop to their full potential. |
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The Origin of “THE KINAP”
As with any peoples, the Mik’miq have their legendary heroes. There are legends about animals with special talents or characteristics. Sometimes there is a hero who has personified human characteristics. Perhaps the most famous of which is the “Kiqwaju” or manipulator. The Kiqwaju comes in many forms, sometimes as a badger, crow or fox.It is not surprising then, that a super-hero would play an important part in Mik’miq legends. The one character that excels in all things. The fastest runner, the best canoe paddler, the strongest swimmer, etc. “Kinap” is known to be capable of super-human feats of strength and endurance. Any mortal who performs feats of great strength, agility, speed or endurance, is suspected to be “Kinap”. There is very little available in the Mik'miq art to show what the “Kinap” was believed to look like. The few samples show a warrior person with shield and weapon in hand. In order to develop an appropriate symbol or logo for the Athletic Club, we have chosen “Kinap”, for obvious reasons. Any one who excels in any feat of human endurance would be suspected as a “Kinap”. This is the reason for the club logo and also for the highest levels achieved by the athletics. Most likely the strongest, fastest, most agile not to mention most cunning and experienced athletic members would be bestowed the title of “Kinap”. The logo also incorporates another Mik’miq symbol. The Sun, which is symbolized in Mik’miq art by an eight pointed, star. The eight-pointed star represents the four directions of the winds and the four races of people, while the sun who is life source to all, surrounds the “Kinap”. The colors, which were chosen, are some of the original colors, which were used by Mik’miq artists throughout history. The two predominant colors of Indigo (represents the water) and Gold (represents the sun) were chosen. The following are a list of totems which would represent various levels of achievement in the club:
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