Mi'kmaq Matters

Residents on the Great Northern Peninsula—some of them Mi'kmaq—have condemned the Wilderness and Ecological Reserves Advisory Council (WERAC) report, encouraged by compromised cabinet minister Christopher Mitchelmore. Has the provincial government finally released the conservation plan only to kill it? This week, we speak with biologists Victoria Neville and Bill Montevecchi, who resigned from WERAC over the delayed report release.

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Uninvited, federal fisheries officer crossed a checkpoint at Listuguj, set up to mitigate the threat of COVID-19 transmission, even though the community manages its salmon. This week, we speak with band councillor and traditional leader Gary Metallic Sr. about the recent visit, the fight for salmon rights, and the lessons that can be learned from the Listuguj process for current Mi'kmaq rights negotiations in Nova Scotia.

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While the band was giving aquaculture company Mowi a clean bill of health after the mass salmon die-off in 2019, it was receiving financial benefits from the company in the form of a fishing vessels and other equipment. This week, we review two leaked documents that detail the relationship between the Miawpukek First Nation and the aquaculture industry with watchdog Bill Bryden.

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Dean Simon left Flat Bay and crossed the water to live in Eskasoni so he could hear Mi'kmaw whenever he walks down the road. He says you, too, can take back your language—if you want it enough.

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A quarter century after he finished his Master's thesis, Jerry Wetzel's paper remains a powerful statement on the history of the island of Newfoundland as told from a Mi'kmaw perspective, rather the European view that has colonized minds for hundreds of years. This week, we speak with Wetzel about his thesis.

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In a study published in journal Genome, Steven Carr, a biologist at Memorial University of Newfoundland, finds genetic continuity between Beothuk and modern persons, and says delayed research into possible Mi'kmaq-Beothuk overlap may fill gaps in our knowledge.

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This week, Cathy LeBlanc and Dave Chapman of "Mi'kmaw Moons" describe how our people relied on the moon to guide them through the cycles of life, and the significance of the next full moon (happening on May 7 based on the Gregorian calendar), known to many Mi'kmaq as Frogs Croaking Time.

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Based on an environmental study of the Hope Brook gold mine, three months of quiet time are needed at Valentine Lake to protect caribou in the region, says Brian McLaren, professor of natural resources management at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario. McLaren, who analyzed the data of the study, says restrictions on operations during calving and migration seasons are imperative.

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Due to COVID-19, Qualipu council has been conducting meetings without members. Regardless, the band has continued its discussions with developers about the Valentine Lake gold mine—even though the environmental impact assessment has yet to be completed. This week, financial analyst John Sclodnick explains why the Valentine Gold Project is the darling of Canadian investors. A message to our listeners: the Mi'kmaq Matters team hopes you are all staying safe during this difficult time. Now, more than ever, we thank you for supporting independent Mi'kmaq journalism. Stay safe, and take care.

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With little involvement from Mi'kmaq fishers, the Assembly of Nova Scotia Chiefs appear on the verge of signing a deal that may undermine treaty rights. Cory Francis, who has worked on fisheries policy for Indigenous organizations, calls for a re-think and more transparency.

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