Mi'kmaq Matters

Mi'kmaq are written out of the tourism narrative of Newfoundland and Labrador in favour of quaint and quirky people and events sanitized of their historic reality. Case in point: mummering, that charming Christmas-season dress-up. But in the 1800s, mummers' parades were marked by drinking, violence, and sectarian clashes between a Catholic underclass and Protestant-dominated elite. This week, we speak with folklorist Joy Fraser about the history of mummering.

In New Brunswick, provincial governments handed over unceded lands to forestry companies that were not theirs to give. Now, Wolastoqey are trying to right a historic wrong. This week, we speak with their lawyers: Renée Pelletier and Senwung Luk of OKT LLP.

The day after Premier Andrew Furey gifted the fossil fuel industry with $25 million in public money, southwest Newfoundland was flooded by a weather formation known as an "atmospheric river." The frequency and severity of atmospheric rivers are increasing due to climate change, of which the burning of fossil fuels are a major factor. This week, we discuss atmospheric rivers and climate change with two experts: atmospheric scientist Rachel White of the University of British Columbia and meteorologist Marty Ralph of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego.

Though it will have gone through a process to remove cyanide and other deadly chemicals, effluent from mine operations will go into salmon rivers. This week, Don Ivany of the Atlantic Salmon Federation on why he fears it will have negative impact on vulnerable fish population.

This week, Charlene Combdon, David Howse and Toby Penney on the the neglect and alienation of Qalipu members in central Newfoundland, and how things could be different.

Famed medical philanthropist Wilfred Grenfell has a university and a health authority named after him, but for the Inuit of coastal Labrador, he was the one who took away the children. As the complete story of Grenfell emerges, there are calls for the renaming of institutions that bear his name. This week, we speak with Evan Careen, a journalist with The Telegram and Saltwire.com, whose recent article sparked protest from Grenfell defenders, and with Michelle Kinney, deputy minister of health and social development for the Government of Nunatsiavut.

Highlights from our panel discussion in Stephenville on the troubled Bay St. George–Qalipu relationship. This week, finding an Indigenous response to the addictions/mental health crisis in the area, and Qalipu's privileging of Corner Brook in economic development, featuring Stephenville mayor Tom Rose; Kippens mayor Debbie Brake-Patten; candidate for Qalipu Western Vice-Chief Jenny Brake; and Peggy White, Chief of the Three Rivers Mi'kmaq Band and candidate for Qalipu Chief.

D'Arcy Butler calls for an Indigenous approach to the opioid crisis in the Bay St. George area. And we have details about the upcoming Mi'kmaq Matters debate between four candidates for chief of Qalipu First Nation.

The first part of our special Mi'kmaq Matters presentation held on September 23 in Stephenville, featuring Stephenvlle mayor Tom Rose, candidate for Qalipu Chief Peggy White, Kippens mayor Debbie Brake-Patten, and candidate for Qalipu Western Vice-Chief Jenny Brake.

After serving on Qalipu council with Chief Brendan Mitchell for three years, Stephenville ward councillor Odelle Pike is seeking to topple the embattled incumbent.

This week, Terri Greene wants to make members her ward feel more connected to the band, and Rod (Blackie) Bennett promises to be a Vice-Chief who gets people answers—even they aren't always what the answers they want to hear.

This week, veteran journalist Trina Roache on her move from APTN to the University of King's College school of journalism, and her mission to change the way mainstream media approaches Mi'kmaw issues.

This week, Peggy White—the second candidate to announce their candidacy for the top elected position of Qalipu First Nation—calls for a change in focus so that the band can more effectively serve members in all communities.

Innu entered into Impact Benefit Agreement with Canada and province of Newfoundland and Labrador regarding Muskrat Falls hydro development, but economic promise to Innu have been undermined by a pending rate mitigation deal—a double cross that has alarmed First Nations across the country, who wonder if the same thing could happen to them. This week, we speak with John Olthuis, a lawyer for the Innu Nation.

This week, we speak with vice-Chief candidate Jenny Brake, who says Qalipu has to be more Indigenous- and less business-focused; more welcoming to Mi'kmaq who visit the band office; and more willing to heal the wounds caused by the enrolment disaster.

As a lacklustre and lame duck band council ends its term, we look at what we need from the next chief and council as Qalipu enters its second decade.

Caribou were the giver of life and warmth for many nations of Indigenous people, and the Innu honoured this precious creature through intricately made caribou skin coats won by hunters. There are only a few of these coats left; most of them were taken away by colonizers. But after an unexpected discovery earlier this month, we know about at least one more. This week, we hear from Jodie Ashini, cultural and heritage guardian for the Innu Nation, about the unlikely finding.

This week, we speak with Evan Butler of the Wabanaki Two-Spirit Alliance about new funding the organization has received to do outreach in the province, and its plans for a conference in the fall.

The proposed Bay du Nord offshore oil field would overlap with vulnerable marine ecosystems that are closed to fishing under international law in order to protect the corals and sponges on the ocean floor. This week, we speak with Sigrid Kuehnemund of the World Wildlife Fund-Canada on how the profitability of the project is exaggerated, while the environmental risk is minimized.

A lack of environmental oversight is part of the business model for the troubled oil and gas sector. This week, we speak with lawyer James Gunvaldsen Klassen of the NGO Ecojustice about the plan to allow 100 exploratory oil wells off the coast of Newfoundland without a proper environmental assessment, and the court challenge against it.

A warning to our listeners: this week's episode talks about residential schools, trauma, and violence against Indigenous peoples. Please listen with care. This week, we speak with Mary Ann Nui, Deputy Grand Chief of the Innu Nation, about the impact on her and her community after the discovery of a mass grave of 215 Indigenous children on the grounds of what was once the Kamloops Indian Residential School. Later in the show, Karen Pictou of the Nova Scotia Native Women's Association tells us about the fight to stop the proposed Goldboro LNG plant on Nova Scotia's eastern shore, which would include a 5,000-person camp largely made up of men, and the dangers it could pose to Indigenous women, girls, and Two-Spirit people. RESOURCES If you or someone you know needs someone to talk to, you can contact the Indian Residential School Survivors Society for counselling support available at 1-800-721-0066, or a national 24/7 Crisis Line at 1-866-925-4419. Read the Final Report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls here: https://www.mmiwg-ffada.ca/final-report/ Read the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada's final report here: http://www.trc.ca/about-us/trc-findings.html

One of the biggest political issues in Maine these days is a bid by Hydro Quebec to push a corridor through pristine wilderness to carry power across the state to Massachusetts. Land defenders say Hydro Quebec's billing of the corridor as "clean power" is a green lie, evidenced by the impact on Indigenous people in Labrador in Quebec. This week, we speak with John Banks of the Penobscot Nation and Becky Bartovics of Sierra Club Maine about the impact of this corridor on the land, and the ways in which land defenders based in the U.S. are supporting Innu in their bid for Churchill Falls hydro compensation.

Cathy Martin, a band councillor of Listuguj First Nation, offers a new vision for the Indigenous advocacy organization while recognizing her long political odds.

This week, more on the decline of wild salmon on the south coast of the island of Newfoundland and the possible role of salmon escapees from fish farms, whose hybridization or inter-breeding create mutant fish unsuited to the marine environment. Our guest is Department of Fisheries and Oceans research scientist Ian Bradbury.

In theory, everyone living in what is now Canada should be able to file access to information and privacy (ATIP) or freedom of information (FOI) requests with their governing bodies. In practice, it isn't always that simple—especially when it comes to First Nation bands. This week, our intern-in-residence, Ellen Riopelle, tries to find out why it's so difficult—and, at times, impossible—to access information about First Nations governments. We hear from former Elsipogtog chief Susan Levi-Peters and reporters Wawmeesh Hamilton and Paul Barnsley about how a lack of access affects not only those filing the requests, but communities at large. A big thank you to Ellen, who has been with us since April working on this story, and to King's College for facilitating the internship.

After Qalipu First Nation chief and council boycotted a protest held in support of ousted band members, Greg Janes, Chief of the Burgeo Band of Indians, and Margaret Cranford, who was denied status because she lives on the east coast of Newfoundland, ponder where to from here.

According to Chief George Ginnish, that would be Blaine Higgs, who last week launched a financial war against New Brunswick First Nations that will starve them of the shared tax revenue they use for health, education, and Elder care. This week, we speak with Chief George Ginnish, spokesperson for Mi'kmaw chiefs in the province.

This week, Geoff Sparkes, candidate for Chief, says seeing complete Qalipu enrolment file would help explain why talks with the band and feds collapsed. And we speak with Grand Chief Etienne Rich of the Innu Nation about what hydro development has taken from his people, and their continental campaign for compensation.

Miawpukek-backed fish farms have been linked to the near-extinction of Conne River salmon. This week, Fisheries and Oceans Canada biologist Nick Kelly explains that it aquaculture-associated factors like sea lice and interbreeding are contributing to the alarming decline.

Capelin are a forage fish that are a major source of food for cod, but they're being scooped up offshore before they have a chance to spawn. This week, Robert Rangeley, director of science for Oceana Canada, explains why that has to stop.

This week, Cathy LeBlanc and Dave Chapman of Mi'kmaw Moons speak about the Mi'kmaw moon of spring, named after the maple sap that our ancestors collected to make sweet water.

This week, we discuss the latest Qalipu election news, the band's so-called "strategic" plan, and what it might mean for community bands.

One year old and looking to the future, the new community band continues to advocate for an aging community with dwindling services and nurture Mi'kmaq culture—all while looking for a relationship with Qalipu. This week, we speak with Chief Peggy White.

In 2018, Murray Duffy was charged with taking too many fish in the recreational cod fishery. This April, nearly three years later, he will be back in court to continue his fight to establish that Mi'kmaq in Newfoundland, like our people in Nova Scotia, have a Treaty right to fish. Despite promising in the last election campaign to fight for fishing rights for Qalipu members, Chief Brendan Mitchell now says there's nothing he can do to help. Duffy will have to face the judge alone.

Two members have already bowed out of the Qalipu Chief and Council race, and at least two more are also expected to do so. The future of Brendan Mitchell is up in the air, but if he runs again for chief he'll face his cousin, Geoff Sparkes. This week, Sparkes explains how he wants to change Qalipu. Plus, we hear from Jeff Young about why he's running for Port au Port ward councillor.

A warning to our listeners: this episode features conversations about anti-Indigenous racism, violence, and death. Please listen with care. More than six months after Chantel Moore was killed by an Edmunston, New Brunswick, police officer, her family remains in the dark about the progress of the investigation into her death. We speak with Lorraine Whitman, president of the Native Women's Association of Canada, who wonders if the grieving family would have been treated differently if Chantel was not an Indigenous woman.

Elaine Ingram remembers being shunned as a child for being Mi'kmaq. Now, she's chief of the Burgeo First Nation, which provides food, culture, and belonging to everyone in the town—whether they're Mi'kmaq or not. This week, we speak with Ingram about her experiences growing up in Burgeo, her initial hesitation about becoming chief, and what's next for the band.

While Mi'kmaq chiefs like Misel Joe and Terry Paul defend sea-based aquaculture, First Nations in BC have been waging a years-long struggle to shut it down. Just before the holidays, they scored a major victory: a phaseout of aquaculture operations near the Discovery Islands between Vancouver Island and the BC mainland. This week, we speak with Bob Chamberlin, one of the leaders of the successful First Nations effort.

This week, we speak with Rhonda Sheppard, newly elected Chief of the St. Georges Indian Band, about the important role bands like hers play in connecting status and non-status Mi'kmaq with our culture.

Highlights from the Mi'kmaq Matters online public meeting on the proposed Valentine Lake gold mine, featuring Muchie Bennett, Brian McLaren, Richard Huang, Jim Kuipers and Simone Cominelli. You can watch the full meeting at facebook.com/mikmaqmatters.

Millions of dollars flow into rural Newfoundland communities each year from the outfitting industry, which draws hunters and anglers to the area from across the United States and around the world. One of the biggest draws is the world's only non-resident hunt for woodland caribou. Now, many outfitters—and the revenue they bring into the province—are threatened by the proposed Valentine Lake gold mine. This week, we speak with Cory Foster, executive director of the Newfoundland and Labrador Outfitters Association. You can view a recording of our December 14 virtual public meeting about the impacts of the Valentine Lake gold mine on our Facebook page. Visit https://www.facebook.com/mikmaqmatters

Join us on Monday, December 14, for a public discussion about the potential environmental impact of the Valentine Lake gold mine, moderated by Glenn Wheeler—host of the Mi'kmaq Matters podcast and radio program. The virtual public meeting begins at 7 p.m. NST (6:30 p.m. AST/5:30 p.m. ET) with an opening prayer from Muchie (Kenneth) Bennett, keeper of traditional Mi'kmaq knowledge, followed by a panel discussion with Brian McLaren, Lakehead University professor and caribou expert; Richard Huang, Trent University graduate student; Jim Kuipers, mining engineer; Suzanne Dooley, Conservation Director of Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS NL); and Simone Cominelli, Memorial University graduate student. A 30 minute Q&A session will follow, when attendees can submit questions for the panelists. Register in advance for the virtual meeting here: https://us02web.zoom.us/.../reg.../WN_PdRPEPMKTYG-pz8Bcrlujw After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.

Mining engineer Jim Kuipers, who has studied resource developments across the continent on behalf of Indigenous peoples, says the area in Central so-called "Newfoundland" is at the height of land and near multiple bodies of water, making an operation that will use cyanide in its processes more risky. Plus: details on the Mi'kmaq Matters virtual community circle on the proposed mine, happening on December 14 at 7 p.m. NST (6:30 p.m. AST/5:30 p.m. ET). This is the opportunity to hear from mining experts, and to ask questions about the environmental impacts of the proposed Valentine Lake mine.

Marathon Gold Corporation has released its environmental impact statement on the controversial Valentine Lake mega-mine. Marathon acknowledges there will be "significant" negative effects on the Buchans Plateau caribou herd—already at historic low numbers—and it is not known if mitigation measures will work. The release of the Marathon impact statement begins the period for public comments, which can be sent to iaac.valetine.aeic@canada.ca. Here at Mi'kmaq Matters, we're using public participation funds from the Impact Assessment Agency to review the Marathon submissions on caribou. This week, we speak with our lead researcher, Dr. Brian McLaren, a caribou expert and professor at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario.

The purchase of Clearwater by Mi'kmaq is the perfect antidote for those images of harassment by non-Indigenous fishers. But what does the mega deal mean for sustainability and internal equity among Mi'kmaw communities? This week, we speak with professor Tony Charles of St. Mary's University. Plus a preview of the next Qalipu meeting and the enrolment protest that will greet chief and council.

Let down by RCMP and government, the Sipekne'katik First Nation band has launched a flurry of lawsuits challenging provincial fish buyer regulators and targeting perpetrators of harassment and violence against Moderate Livelihood fishers. This week, we speak with Ron Pink—the lawyer leading the legal fight.

With less than a year until the next election for Qalipu Chief and Council, we survey the field for those who may run—and for those who definitely will not.

Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) were quick to seize Moderate Livelihood, but the DFO looked the other way for years while corporate seafood giant Clearwater ignored key fisheries regulation. This week, we speak with Shannon Arnold of the Ecology Action Centre about the events leading up to the exposé of Clearwater's "gross violation."

Labelled "Waspu" after the Mi'kmaq word for seal, Qalipu will soon launch its own brand of seal oil capsules says John Davis of Qalipu Development Corporation. Plus: are the feds really getting it on Moderate Livelihood?

Jaimie Lickers has been front and centre in the legal struggle on behalf of Qalipu applicants, but now she's leaving law for the corporate world. We sit down with her to talk about the wins, the losses and the future of the Abbott appeal.

Traditional leader Gary Mettalic Sr. of Listuguj First Nation calls for Mi'kmaq to assert Aboriginal title for the rest of Mi'kma'ki not included in Elsipogtog claim. And we hear from lawyer David Rosenfeld on who's in and out of Qalipu enrolment class action case.