News Room
September, 2007
Mi'gmac seek to reassert control over traditional lands; invite Centre to organize conference on governance
With their children’s destinies in mind, the leaders of eight Mi’gmaq communities are working together in order to regain control over traditional Mi’gmaq lands and waters.
Since 2005, the eight chiefs of the Gespe’gewa’gi District, an area that spans from east of Quebec City to New Brunswick, have been taking steps in order to reaffirm their title to their land. The National Centre for First Nations Governance (NCFNG), through its Quebec and Atlantic regional offices, is working with the Chiefs and the Mi’gmawei Mawiomi Secretariat (MMS) to help them achieve this goal.
The three Mi’gmaq communities in Quebec - Listuguj, Gesgapegiag and Gespeg, formed a political alliance and created the MMS. In 2005, they hosted the first modern gathering of the Gespe’gewa’gi Chiefs. At that time, the fire was rekindled, the Sacred pipes were lit and a formal Proclamation signed. The Proclamation reminds governments of their obligation to duly consult and accommodate the Mi’gmaq on any development in Gespe’gewa’gi territory.
The territory is home to a wide range of economic activities: wind power farms, mining, forestry, fisheries, tourism, sport hunting and fishing, leasing of the lands, as well as oil and natural gas exploration. Entire industries have developed and exploited the territory without the consent of the Mi’gmaq. The management and control of these lands have been under provincial or federal government jurisdiction since 1867.
In 2005, the Chiefs of Esgenoopetitj, Ge’goapsgog, Gesgapegiag, Gespeg, Listuguj, Metepenagiag, Natoageneg and Ugpi’ganjig signed the Gespe’gewa’gigewai Saqamawuti Joint Proclamation in order to protect their interests and children, feed their families, provide shelter and also to preserve their language by using their territory that they have never ceded nor surrendered.
“The Proclamation is a strong step to reinforce their traditional government and their affirmation of their rights. The NCFNG has been invited by the MMS to help organize and facilitate a conference on governance, which will bring together Chiefs, Elders, youth, academics as well as the community members and we will work together to make it happen,” says NCFNG Atlantic Regional Manager, Beaver Paul. This conference is expected to take place in spring 2008. The Centre is anticipating providing facilitation services such as meeting coordination, communication support, Open Space sessions, report development and assisting in strategic planning.
According to Fred Metallic, Director of Research at the MMS, the conference is part of the progression of the work communities are doing. “Governance is about nation building. It’s about reclaiming and protecting Mi’gmaq Rights and Title to traditional territories. It’s about developing the capacity to govern for the benefit of our children’s future. The conference is another step towards implementing the Proclamation signed at the historic gathering held in Listuguj in 2005”.
