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 WER...

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 neg...

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. Hosted on Acast. S...

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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. Hosted on...

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 listene...

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Newfoundland Liberals under Dwight Ball are among the worst of any provincial administration in terms of environment, both for actions and inactions, says former civil servant and biologist Douglas Ballam. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Victoria Neville and Bill Montevecchi, two senior members of the Wilderness and Ecological Reserves Advisory Council (WERAC), say there were mere window-dressings in a political game in which mining and other resource interests have the provincial government's ear, and conservation plans just gather dust on the desks of bureaucrats. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gary Metallic Sr., a member of the Listuguj First Nation band council and the hereditary tribal council, talks about the community's rail blockade in support of Wet'suwet'en, and the need to look beyond colonial structures toward Indigenous leadership. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Regional Chief for Newfoundland and Nova Scotia is relatively unique role in the Assembly of First Nations: She or he will serve one nation, the Mi'kmaq. This week, we ask Cheryl Maloney—whose complaints of harassment, along with others, led to the ousting of former Regional Chief Morley Googoo—about the job, future challenges, and whether she's interested in applying. Hosted on Acast. See aca...

After developing his navigational skills on the West Coast of "Newfoundland," James Cook arrived on the east coast of Australia in 1770. The 250th anniversary of that date gives special significance to this year's Invasion Day, the term Indigenous people give the government-recognized 'Australia Day'—the country's national holiday. But it's a day that, for many Indigenous Australians, marks the be...

Seki Bernard Sr. of Eskasoni is the latest fisherman to have his boat sabotaged in the power vacuum created by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans' failure to implement the 20-year-old Supreme Court decision. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Former Qalipu Chief Brendan Sheppard reflects on the 1976 land claim, why it failed, and how to improve chances of success for a future claim. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Oral history suggests a connection between ancient Beothuk and Mi'kmaq—so far there is no scientific proof, but that could change with the results of a genetic study commissioned by Miawpukwek First Nation. This week, we speak with Steve Carr of Terra Nova Genomics Inc. who was hired by Miawpukwek to do that very research. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the Mi'kmaq First Nations Assembly of Newfoundland gathers for its annual meeting, members will be lamenting the Abbott case but revving up for an appeal. They'll also be planning another crack at becoming the Newfoundland affiliate in the national organization, which represents non-status Indigenous people. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The North American Indigenous Games in 2020 will bring 5,000 athletes to Halifax next July, and culture will be showcased along with the sports. We hear from Brendon Smithson of the organizing committee and Mike Alexander, one of the coordinators for Team Newfoundland and Labrador. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Note: this episode deals with topics of sexual assault that may be triggering to some listeners. Please listen with care. We speak to Elizabeth Marshall about the reaction in Eskasoni to the 25 sex-related charges against Joel Denny, a prominent member of the community known for his work in Mi'kmaq language development. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lawyer Michael McDonald speaks about the land, the treaty and the river at the heart of the struggle to protect the waters of the Shubenacadie that are part of traditional Mi'kmaq life in central Nova Scotia. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A decision by the Federal Court of Appeal in the Brake case means more judicial scrutiny of the controversial side deal between Canada and Federation of Newfoundland Indians. The class action offers another chance to nix the supplemental agreement. We interview plaintiffs' lawyer David Rosenfeld of the law firm Koskie Minsky. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Miawpukek First Nation's Chief Mi'sel Joe still supports the sea-based industry, but worries about transparency—he also has questions about whether warm weather caused the massive die-off at Northern Harvest, and why no other operation was affected. Later in the show, Wade Locke, a professor at Memorial University of Newfoundland Professor, explains why Indigenous issues were left off the table at...

Sea-based aquaculture or no jobs? Government media management offers the public few alternatives to risky ventures. But PODCO, a new provincial affairs podcast, aims to empower citizens with evidentiary background on a variety of policy options. This week, we speak with one of its creators, Stephen Tomblin. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.