Someday, there wont be any racism
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- Published on Thursday, 14 January 2021 15:30
- Written by editor
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When a violent mob attacked a lobster pound in Nova Scotia this past October, it drew national attention to an issue that had been simmering for decades: the right of all Mi’kmaq people to earn a moderate livelihood from fishing and hunting.And as we watched the news unfold, and read heart-wrenching stories of violence and racism, we knew this was an issue that demanded The Narwhal’s attention. So we connected with a pair of journalists in the Maritimes, and over the holidays we published a fascinating tale of a bright spot amid the bad news.
It starts aboard The Seventeen52, off the shores of Unama’ki or Cape Breton Island, where Michael and Avery Basque are helping chart a new path forward amid the province’s lobster wars. The father and son are band members of Potlotek First Nation, which launched its own livelihood fishery on Oct. 1.
Michael bought the wooden boat off Kijiji for $10,000 with a bank loan, furnishing it and naming it after the year the Mi’kmaq signed treaties — agreements that formed the basis for a 1999 Supreme Court decision that confirmed the Mi’kmaq’s right to a moderate livelihood.
Michael believes the fisheries will help lift Nova Scotia’s First Nations communities out of poverty, one lobster crate at a time. And so far, the Potlotek have been able to peacefully pursue their rights in a way that’s giving other nations hope.One key difference has been the local fishermen’s union’s decision to not protest the Potlotek fishery. But don’t mistake that restraint for approval: there’s still vocal opposition, not to mention vandals who cut the traps set by Potlotek fishermen, including Michael and Avery.
“I know there’s gonna be hate, but I’m willing to be at the forefront of that hate,” Michael told reporter Lindsay Jones. “Someday, there won’t be any racism. Systemic racism will slowly go away. Our communities aren’t going to be poor anymore.”
While critics of moderate livelihood fisheries argue the fisheries are a threat to lobster populations, experts beg to differ and have outlined why they’re not a conservation concern.
It’s an issue that won’t be going away anytime soon. Just this week, Nova Scotia RCMP charged 23 people who took part in the violent mob. Meanwhile, there are still outstanding questions about federal oversight as talks between Fisheries and Oceans Canada and Sipekne’katik First Nation on implementing Treaty Rights have stalled.
For their part, the Potlotek are determined to keep pressing forward out at sea.
“This is only the beginning,” Chief Wilbert Marshall says. “We’re going to continue fighting. We’re not stopping here.”
Take care and watch for pincers,
Arik Ligeti
Audience engagement editor
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The lowdown on the Site C dam
It’s the story that just won’t go away. The Site C dam is back in the news this week in a big way as B.C. Premier John Horgan revealed his government has commissioned two more independent reports about the project. The B.C. government finally received an independent report last week about the state of the dam, but Horgan said more clarity is needed about the safety of a proposed solution to Site C’s geotechnical problems. It’s unclear when any of the three reports will be made public.
Horgan’s announcement comes a day after Sarah Cox’s latest investigation revealed BC Hydro issued $171 million in no-bid contracts for Site C work from November 2019 to July 2020. Among the recipients? BC Hydro’s former chief engineer and SNC Lavalin.
It’s a revelation that’s prompting further calls for a comprehensive public inquiry into the behind-schedule and over-budget project. Go here to read the full story and keep an eye out for more news on Site C in the weeks ahead. The Narwhal in the world
If you’re not following The Narwhal on Instagram yet, what are you waiting for? You’re missing out on behind-the-scenes chats with Narwhal journalists, beautiful photography and our attempts to find the perfect text-to-emoji ratio.This week, our co-founders Carol Linnitt and Emma Gilchrist hosted an Instagram Live session where they revealed how the majestic sea creature known as the narwhal came to be the face of environmental journalism in Canada. Check out that conversation and more on our Instagram!
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When you’re trying to make sense of our upside-down world, r33Copyright © 2021 The Narwhal, All rights reserved.
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