Mistissini, November 14th, 2023 – On the occasion of the 2023 annual conference of the Secretariat to the Cree Nation Abitibi-Témiscamingue Economic Alliances, Quebec lithium producer Sayona is pleased to announce a partnership with the Nibiischii Corporation to create Mishtikw ᒥᔥᑎᒄ, an educational program aimed at the local population and territory users. Sayona grants $95,000 over a three-year period to the Corporation to develop this innovative educational project.

Meaning “tree” in Cree, Mishtikw ᒥᔥᑎᒄ is a project with several branches. These include activities such as storytelling and legends, beadwork and skin tanning. These activities will be taught by animators from the Mistissini community.

Another component of the program will focus on the wonders of nature, with educational activities on various subjects, such as fauna, flora, geology and astronomy. Thanks to the Chishemahiikan (meaning “lone wolf”) mobile interpretation center and the new observatory equipped with a large telescope, the Corporation will be able to offer its customers a wide range of activities.

A schedule of the various activities will be presented in spring 2024 during an upcoming press conference.

“The Nibiischii Corporation has managed the Assinica and Albanel-Mistassini-and-Waconichi Lakes wildlife reserves for nearly 7 years. Since then, the corporation has established itself as a world-class tourism organization. We witnessed a growing interest in indigenous tourism and ecotourism in recent years and worked to improve the quality, diversity and four-season capabilities of our infrastructures and services. Each year, more and more visitors come to Eeyou Istchee to discover Cree culture and to experience nature at its best. Setting up a program of cultural and interpretive activities is the logical next step in our efforts to develop products and services, and the Nibiischii team – artists and knowledge keepers – are ready to tackle this new challenge together“, commented Andrew Coon, Chairman of the Nibiischii Corporation’s Board of Directors.

“We are very pleased to form this partnership with the Nibiischii Corporation and be involved actively in the development of the Mishtikw ᒥᔥᑎᒄ educational program. We believe it’s a great way to promote the rich Cree traditions and encourage their transmission to the Corporation’s current and future clientele. We’re proud to support this kind of initiative, which builds constructive and lasting relationships between partners, and we look forward to unveiling the activities that will be offered“, commented Cindy Valence, Sayona’s Executive Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer.

About Nibiischii Corporation ᓂᐲᔅᒌ

Corporation Nibiischii ᓂᐲᔅᒌ, meaning “Land of Waters”, manages the Wildlife Reserve of Albanel-Mistassini-and-Waconichi Lakes, Quebec’s largest wildlife reserve, covering more than 16,000 km². This magnificent boreal territory, steeped in a vibrant culture, is operated by the Cree Nation of Mistissini.

About Sayona

Sayona is a company dedicated to the exploration and development of lithium deposits; the raw material used in the manufacture of electric batteries. The company is developing various projects, all located in Quebec. Sayona operates the North American Lithium complex, which started lithium production in the spring of 2023. The complex is the centerpiece of the lithium cluster that Sayona intends to set up in Abitibi-Témiscamingue, alongside the Authier and Tansim deposits. Sayona also owns 60% of the Moblan project and 100% of the Lac-Albert project, both located in the Eeyou Istchee Baie-James region.

The company is a subsidiary of Sayona Mining Limited, listed on the Australian Securities Exchange (ASX). With a market value of close to one billion Canadian dollars, it was included in the S&P/ASX200, which comprises the 200 companies with the largest market capitalizations in the country. Almost all of Sayona Mining Limited’s activities are located in Quebec.

-30-

For more information or for media inquiries, please contact:

Cindy Valence
Executive Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer
C : (819) 277-5396
Email : cindy.valence@sayona.ca

Bianca Galimi
Communications and Community Relations Manager
C : (819) 856-3288
Email : bianca.galimi@sayona.ca