Burnt Church-2001/07/13-CPT Archives

Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) Archives

CPTnet
July 13, 2001
Esgenoôpetitj Update: June 4 - 20, 2001

Monday, June 4

CPT'ers Art Arbour, William Payne, and Jane Wright attended a special liturgy at the Catholic Church to celebrate the Feast of St. Anne, the patron saint of the parish. In the social that followed, conversations were held with the former and current chiefs of Esgenoopetitj and other community members about recent court experiences and their suffering from other causes.

Wednesday, June 6

Arbour and Payne accompanied two members of the community to two meetings with bishops. Bishop Faber MacDonald of Moncton, also the chair of the Social Justice Committee of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, was very open to hearing from the EFN representatives. As bishop of the Esgenoopetitj parish, he was interested in increasing understanding of the issues among non-native Catholics. In Moncton, Bishop Ernest Legere also talked about the need for better communication and education between the opposing groups of fishers and asked for ideas on how this might be achieved.

Friday, June 8

Payne and an Aboriginal Rights Coalition observer accompanied Clifford Larry to Tobique, a Maliseet reserve in western New Brunswick, for a meeting with community members there. Lena Siegers and Wright announced their plans to leave a few days later for Indian Brook. The Mi'kmaq band there has also refused to sign an agreement with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) and whose fishers were treated very badly last summer during their lobster fishing season. The two CPTers were treated to a grand farewell dinner by community members in Esgenoopetitj.

Sunday, June 10

Wright and Siegers said their final farewells and left to start a new CPT project in Indian Brook.

Tuesday, June 12

Arbour visited the local peat moss farming operation in the non-native community of Burnt Church. He then spent some time chatting with English-speaking fishers at the Burnt Church wharf.

Thursday, June 14

Arbour and Payne accompanied a community member to a meeting with Bishop Andre Richard in Bathurst who said he was "very happy to have visitors from Burnt Church." He agreed that the Catholic church has a role to play in educating the Acadian community about treaty rights. Natasha Krahn and Janet Shoemaker attended court in Miramichi to support those seeking state-funded council. Brian Bartibogue also requested the return of his boat, which the DFO confiscated last August. The judge informed him that it was out of his jurisdiction, that he needed to file a request for return to the DFO, and if that doesn't work, then he must apply for a hearing in a different court.

Friday, June 15

Payne and Arbour accompanied community members to visit two Redemptionist priests in a neighboring Mi'kmaq community. In the evening, Arbour joined some Esgenoopetitj community members in a meeting with John Kearney, the director of the Centre for Community-Based Management at St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia. Kearney explained that the DFO and corporate policies, which are virtually the same, had succeeded in reducing the number of prosperous fishers from more than 100,000 to 10,000 in the Maritimes in about six years. These policies benefit a few corporate operations at the expense of the small commercial fishers.

Monday, June 16

The team travelled to the 20-year anniversary celebration of the DFO office in Moncton and stood outside holding a banner which read, "The Canadian government must honour the treaties." DFO Minister Dahliwal greeted team members as he passed by them to enter the building and answered questions from the media, but did not wish to respond to questions about treaty rights. Near the end of the witness, a DFO employee encouraged CPT to maintain a peaceful protest; "Remember Mahatma Ghandi," he said.

Wednesday, June 18

A DFO boat was spotted in the bay, pulling and checking traps. Aboriginal Rights Council observer Doug MacDonald followed them to the Neguac wharf where he watched them unload nine untagged traps. Payne and Shoemaker closed up camp for the summer.


		Christian Peacemaker Teams (CPT) Archives CPTnet July 13, 2001 Esgenoôpetitj Update: June 4 - 20, 2001 Monday, June 4 CPT'ers Art Arbour, William Payne, and Jane Wright attended a special liturgy at the Catholic Church to celebrate the Feast of St. Anne, the patron saint of the parish. In the social that followed, conversations were held with the former and current chiefs of Esgenoopetitj and other community members about recent court experiences and their suffering from other causes. Wednesday, June 6 Arbour and Payne accompanied two members of the community to two meetings with bishops. Bishop Faber MacDonald of Moncton, also the chair of the Social Justice Committee of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, was very open to hearing from the EFN representatives. As bishop of the Esgenoopetitj parish, he was interested in increasing understanding of the issues among non-native Catholics. In Moncton, Bishop Ernest Legere also talked about the need for better communication and education between the opposing groups of fishers and asked for ideas on how this might be achieved. Friday, June 8 Payne and an Aboriginal Rights Coalition observer accompanied Clifford Larry to Tobique, a Maliseet reserve in western New Brunswick, for a meeting with community members there. Lena Siegers and Wright announced their plans to leave a few days later for Indian Brook. The Mi'kmaq band there has also refused to sign an agreement with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) and whose fishers were treated very badly last summer during their lobster fishing season. The two CPTers were treated to a grand farewell dinner by community members in Esgenoopetitj. Sunday, June 10 Wright and Siegers said their final farewells and left to start a new CPT project in Indian Brook. Tuesday, June 12 Arbour visited the local peat moss farming operation in the non-native community of Burnt Church. He then spent some time chatting with English-speaking fishers at the Burnt Church wharf. Thursday, June 14 Arbour and Payne accompanied a community member to a meeting with Bishop Andre Richard in Bathurst who said he was "very happy to have visitors from Burnt Church." He agreed that the Catholic church has a role to play in educating the Acadian community about treaty rights. Natasha Krahn and Janet Shoemaker attended court in Miramichi to support those seeking state-funded council. Brian Bartibogue also requested the return of his boat, which the DFO confiscated last August. The judge informed him that it was out of his jurisdiction, that he needed to file a request for return to the DFO, and if that doesn't work, then he must apply for a hearing in a different court. Friday, June 15 Payne and Arbour accompanied community members to visit two Redemptionist priests in a neighboring Mi'kmaq community. In the evening, Arbour joined some Esgenoopetitj community members in a meeting with John Kearney, the director of the Centre for Community-Based Management at St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia. Kearney explained that the DFO and corporate policies, which are virtually the same, had succeeded in reducing the number of prosperous fishers from more than 100,000 to 10,000 in the Maritimes in about six years. These policies benefit a few corporate operations at the expense of the small commercial fishers. Monday, June 16 The team travelled to the 20-year anniversary celebration of the DFO office in Moncton and stood outside holding a banner which read, "The Canadian government must honour the treaties." DFO Minister Dahliwal greeted team members as he passed by them to enter the building and answered questions from the media, but did not wish to respond to questions about treaty rights. Near the end of the witness, a DFO employee encouraged CPT to maintain a peaceful protest; "Remember Mahatma Ghandi," he said. Wednesday, June 18 A DFO boat was spotted in the bay, pulling and checking traps. Aboriginal Rights Council observer Doug MacDonald followed them to the Neguac wharf where he watched them unload nine untagged traps. Payne and Shoemaker closed up camp for the summer.