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Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) ArchivesCPTnet [Note: CPT encourages our U.S. constituency to see the connections between its ongoing work with First Nations people in Esgeno petitj and its work with First Nations people in South Dakota and Chiapas.] He keeps a postcard hanging in the cabin of his boat to remind him of what he's fighting against. It is a picture of three old east coast fishers standing in a row, grinning from ear to ear as the one in the middle holds a gaping-mouthed carp under his arm. This young Mi'kmaq fisher explains that he keeps it there to remind him of who he needs to convince of the Mi'kmaq peoples' right to fish. Unfortunately, he's had so many negative experiences with non-native fishers that the message he reads loud and clear in the fishers' faces is "The only good Indian is a dead Indian." Since May 9, when the Mi'kmaq people of Esgeno petitj (Burnt Church, New Brunswick--one of Canada's Atlantic coast provinces) finalized their management plan, Mi'kmaq fishers have set over 100 lobster traps with their self-regulated tags, called treaty tags. The excitement of starting another season of lobster fishing has been dampened by the fear that the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) will seize their traps and charge them for not using DFO tags. Reprsentatives of the DFO have aggressively taken every trap with treaty tags they can find. Even Mi'kmaq fishers with DFO certified tags are afraid to go beyond the safety of the bay to "enemy territory" where non-native fishers may gang up on them while representatives of the DFO turn a blind eye or harass them. The Canadian government has consistently refused to relate to the Mi'kmaq people as a sovereign nation. James Ward, a member of the Esgeno petitj band and policy developer, explains that "a treaty is a compact between NATIONS to establish a specific relationship between the two. Canada may not want to recognize that Native peoples throughout North America constitute many Nations now, but their ancestors did by entering into treaties with them." He goes on to say that "obviously the Europeans had to recognize Native Nations in order to use a treaty." Despite the threat of the DFO stealing their traps, a few Mi'kmaq fishers, many of them women, continue to put out their traps. They say that if they don't resist the DFO and insist on Mi'kmaq inherent and treaty rights to fish today, their children and grandchildren won't be able to fish in the future. Fishing is not only a way of life for the Mi'kmaq people of this community, it is also an important part of their diet, a cultural tradition, and a much needed source of income in this rural community. This past weekend brought discouragement as well as jubilation as the DFO seized some of the traps, then fled when Mi'kmaq fishers chased after them. As long as the community stays on watch and takes a boat out to meet the DFO vessel as it approaches, the DFO leaves the traps alone. "This means a tiring schedule for both community members and outside observers like Christian Peacemaker Teams who must constantly be on alert in order to quickly confront the DFO boat as it is sighted." Fishing under this kind of stress is not sustainable, but the people of Esgeno petitj persevere because it has become a political struggle.They call on the DFO, the wider Canadian government, and all Canadians to recognize the Mi'kmaq peoples' right to self-regulate their fishing and to recognize their status as a sovereign nation. CPTer Nina Bailey-Dick answers the question of why everyone across Canada and the United States should be concerned about what is happening in Esgeno petitj. "Every day we white North Americans benefit because of what was stolen from the First Nations people in the last 500 years. We can't undo the past, but we must stop our government from continuing to steal First Nation peoples' rights to their natural resources and look at the racism in our own hearts which continues to oppress them. Being here in Esgeno petitj has been eye-opening and sobering to realize the discrimination and fear the people here live with everyday." Canadians should not let the Canadian government continue stealing Native rights in their name. Write or call the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans, Herb Dhaliwal at House of Commons, Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6 (613-995-7052) dhalih@ parl.gc.ca or Jean Chretian also at the House of Commons (613-992-4211) pm@pm.gc.ca. CPTers presently in Esgeno petitj are Janet Shoemaker (Goshen,
IN), William
Payne (Toronto, ON), Lena Siegers (Blythe, ON), and Nina
Bailey-Dick
(Waterloo, ON) |