The Nora Bernard Memorial Park was officially opened before a crowd of more than 200 people the morning of May 28.

This official opening was the culmination of seven years of work by Mi’kmawey Debert Executive Director Tim Bernard the Mi’kmaq Co-Chair for the Culture and Heritage Working Committee of the Tripartite Forum, and Survivors of the Indian Residential School (IRS) system.

While the occasion – and weather conditions – were somber, Senator Dan Christmas noted that, “although it’s cold and wet, I think we can take it that the Creator has given his presence here by washing away the pain, but then he filled us with a lot of love and laughter and smiles, so the warmth comes from us.”

People shared that warmth, celebrating the park, which honours Survivors of the Indian Residential School (IRS) system, and is named after Nora Bernard, who launched the historic class action lawsuit against the federal government on behalf of all Survivors.

“I’m not sure what it is, maybe it’s the river, maybe it’s all the beautiful greenery around us, maybe it’s the eagles who live here, but there is something very, very special,” Senator Christmas said. “It’s hard for me to put in words but there really is a sense of place here.”

The project that guided this process was the Shubenacadie Indian Residential School (IRS) Legacy Project, which entailed thorough engagement of survivors of the IRS system, and work with Sipekne’katik First Nation to determine and prepare an adequate site for the project.

“Today is not only a ceremony,” said Doreen Bernard, a member of the Survivors Circle, whose knowledge and experience informed and guided the IRS Legacy Project.

“It is an act of truth, an act of love, and an act of responsibility. Commemoration is to only about looking backwards; it is also about what we choose to do now.”

“Thank you for your courage, and your leadership, and your generosity, and sharing your truth. Healing happens in community, in remembrance and reclaiming of identity and belonging. Healing happens in forgiveness and unconditional love, and that is what we want for all our loved ones. May we continue supporting the Survivors and their families. And may we continue building a future, grounded in respect, justice, language, culture and love. When we remember, we honour and we stand together,” she added.

Among those in attendance were the daughters of Nora Bernard, Janice Blenkhorn and Natalie Gloade, who expressed gratitude to all who worked together to make the park a reality.

“We express our utmost appreciation and deepest respect for this honouring of our leader, mother and grandmother, Nora Bernard. Your recognition is received with humility, gratitude and love,” said Janice.

“This park will offer a place to our people to gather for years to come…may all those that visit this park find peace within themselves.

Natalie described Nora’s legacy, her hospitality and willingness to listen, saying, “A day doesn’t go by when I don’t think of our mother and the life she lived. It’s very powerful to be here, and to knot hat she is with our ancestors. At first, I saw the rain and shed a few tears, and thought, ‘there should be sunshine, it should be warm,’ and then driving not far from here, I see a big eagle that came down, very close to the vehicle I was in, and that was a sign. It was like she was saying, ‘It’s okay, it’s going to be a beautiful day.’”

A Long Journey

“It’s been a journey to get here. Today is a meaningful day for many Survivors, descendants, families, community members, Elders, youth, partners and friends. I want to acknowledge our survivors…and offer my thanks for your strength and guidance,” said Tim to the crowd gathered under and near a large tent keeping out the wind and the rain.

“Today, people may see a sculpture, a gathering place, a park. It certainly is all those things, but this space holds so much more than that. It holds memory, it holds truth. It holds reflection, and it holds the care and guidance of survivors who helped shape it,” he added.

Tim praised the legacy of Nora Bernard, noting that her work changed the country.

“Long before the residential schools became part of the national conversation, Nora was gathering testimony from Survivors, listening to experiences many institutions and governments were still unwilling to confront. Her impact continues to be felt everywhere in this country. Together we gather in a place that carries her name and will carry her spirit forward,” he said.  “This park has taken many years of work, collaboration and care. It’s been about a seven-year journey for me.”

The plan to make the Nora Bernard Park a reality heeded the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action and policy recommendations and included the designation of the park as a National Historic Site of Canada.

“This is a place for ceremony, for quiet moments, for conversation, for teaching, and for future generations to come and learn,” Tim said, concluding his remarks. “I hope people who visit here feel the depth of what we carry into this space, not only grief and remembrance, but also love, resilience, and connection. Nora Bernard helped create a path toward courage, persistence and deep love for her community. Today, we honour that legacy together.”

Councillor De-Anne Sack of the Sipekne’katik Band, spoke with praise about the resilience and willingness of IRS Survivors to, “walk forward, despite everything that was taken from you, and everything that you enjoyed.”

“We honour those who never made it home. We honour the children, whose names, we know and whose names we may never know,” Councilor Sack said. “Today is also significant because this monument stands on land that Sipekne’katik intentionally worked to reclaim and protect for future generations. This land is sacred. Our community purchased this land and worked through lengthy and often arduous addition to reserve process and engaged with community members.”

This process was undertaken to create a permanent place of reflection and truth within Sipekne’katik.

“This monument is more than stone, metal and a design. It stands as a permanent reminder of truth, a truth that Indigenous people had carried for generations; a truth that Survivors barely spoke, gone before Canada was prepared to listen,” she added.

Artist Reflects

Ursula Johnson, lead artist behind the design of the park told guests that as a descendant of IRS and Indian day school Survivors, “I carry a deep responsibility in standing here today.”

“At sunrise on September 30th — just before the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation — sunlight moves through stainless steel forms and casts the shadow of a Klokowej, a star basket-weave pattern, onto the ground,” Ursula Johnson, lead artist for Wejkwa’lukwet: Dancing Towards Us, the central feature of the park, explained.

“For me, that moment carries something powerful. Because the light only fully reveals the work when the conditions are right. In many ways, truth works like that too. For generations, Survivors carried truths the world refused to see or hear. But they kept speaking. They kept calling out in one voice. And because of that, the truth could no longer remain hidden.”

Ursula told guests that the project was never about creating an object; it was about listening carefully to Survivors who said they did not simply want a “monument to pain.”

“They wanted a place for reflection, a place for ceremony, a place for healing, where future generations could come and understand not only what happened here, but the strength of the people who survived it,” Ursula said.

That concept eventually became Wejkwa’lukwet the main, and most prominent feature in the park.

The Nora Bernard Commemoration Park features an art sculpture designed by Mi’kmaw Lead Artist Ursla Johnson, and Wolastoq Artists Emma Hassencahl-Perley, and Michelle Sylliboy, which interacts with sunlight throughout the day, casting shifting patterns of light and shadow across the park space, reflecting the passage of time – and serving as a metaphor for the ongoing, changing healing journey of residential school Survivors, reflecting themes of reclamation, hope, love, gratitude and respect.

It is located across from Snides Lake, across from the original site of the Shubenacadie IRS.

Nora Bernard Park also features Mi’kmaq hieroglyphs that, translated, read: “We are strengthened because they called out in one voice.”

“To me, those words hold the heart of this entire project. This place exists today due to the courage of Survivors,” Ursula said.

The Project

Construction work on the park wrapped up recently, the last of four phases, which included the creation of a promotional video explaining the purpose behind the project,  environmental and archaeological assessment work, and survivors’ gatherings and the Survivors Advisory Circle, accumulating Knowledge from IRS survivors from 11 Mi’kmaq Communities to ensure their legacy is respectfully represented by the park and its installations.

The project also entailed researched into missing children and burial sites, a healing gathering, the designation of the location of the park as a National Historic Site, and the development of commemorative art pieces for the park by Mi’kmaw artist Ursula Johnson.

Funding for the project came from a variety of sources, including Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada (CIRNAC), Parks Canada and the Tripartite Forum’s Project Fund for Social and Economic Change.

Check out what our working committees have been up to over the last few months, with progress reports from our work tables, on projects taking place in communities across Mi’kma’ki.

The newsletter can be found HERE.

If you have any questions, concerns or suggestions for future editions, please contact Sam Macdonald (sam.macdonald@cmmns.com)

Denise, who the Nova Scotia Chiefs voted in as Mi’kmaq Co-Chair on October 6th, joins Provincial Co-Chair Melody Martin-Googoo, and Federal Co-Chair Helen Long.

Denise is taking over the reins from previous Mi’kmaq Co-Chair Ann Denny, who left her position when she retired from her career as Aboriginal Services Coordinator with Cape Breton University, in December 2023.

Denise, a member of Sipekne’katik First Nation, was raised just outside of Kjipuktuk (Halifax), with strong family ties to several communities in Mi’kma’ki (Atlantic Canada). She was raised with traditional protocols and a deep respect for her inherent connection to land and water.

At a young age, Denise lost her mother, a loss that had a lasting intergenerational impact on her family. Denise advocates for Indigenous inherent Matrilineal rights, inclusion and equity. She has spoken on behalf of her mother at United Nations, civil rights conferences, journalist conferences. She has spoken domestically and internationally at colleges and universities in Canada and the United States, to bring awareness to the injustices of murdered Indigenous women and girls (MMIWG). She has also worked for the National Inquiry into MMIWG.

Denise, the Nova Scotia Community College Senior Advisor for Mi’kmaw and Indigenous Initiatives, has worked with the Halifax Regional Center for Education (HRCE) for more than a decade. She has most recently worked as HRCE’s Mi’kmaq Indigenous Student Support Worker for the Halifax Region.

Denise has sat as a circle member of the National Family and Survivors Circle with CIRNAC, providing guidance and advice on, and best practices in engaging families, Survivors, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people in the development of National Action Plan to implement the 231 Calls For Justice, from the final report on the National Inquiry into MMIWG.

The committee recently heard from a provincial representative about the program, in a presentation on the funding it offers at a meeting in Glooscap First Nation by Meghan Hallet, Manager of Community and Supports and Infrastructure with the Province.

MCAP funding is offered for Mi’kmaw First Nations, communities, groups and organizations, and is instrumental in sustaining cultural identity and adapting to the changing needs of Mi’kmaw communities across the province, promoting cultural growth, healing and preservation.

The funding specifically supports special or one-time projects in key areas such as cultural preservation and education, community wellbeing, resilience and healing initiatives, traditional arts and crafts, youth engagement and empowerment, and environmental stewardship (such as projects integrated with traditional ecological knowledge), and historical and archaeological initiatives documenting and preserving Mi’kmaw history.

Some examples of the initiatives supported by MCAP funding over the years include basket-making in at the Glooscap Heritage Centre (2013), Mi’kmawey Debert’s Stories from Mi’kma’ki videos for education and outreach (2014), the Mi’kmaq Native Friendship Society’s Way to Healing Project (2015) and the Millbrook Culture and Heritage Center’s repatriation of artifacts from the United Kingdom (2024).

MCAP funding supports the wellbeing and vitality of Mi’kmaq communities, and has funded 121 projects since its launch in 2013. In 2023, MCAP helped a record number of communities and initiatives, with the approval of $115,175 in funding for 13 projects.

MCAP has an annual $100,000 budget, and funds projects that advance cultural traditions, preserve language, and promote the sharing of Mi’kmaq culture. Applicants can include Mi’kmaw First Nations, groups or organizations in Nova Scotia.

Meghan told Culture and Heritage committee members that the MCAP program now offers two tiers of support including

• Up to $5,000, with no application contribution required
• $5,001 to $10,000, requiring a 25% contribution which can partially be in-kind.

Organizations are allowed to submit separate applications for more than one project, and requests for more than $10,000 are allowed, if the application includes multiple partners, or will impact more than one community.

Since 2013, MCAP has seen a total in $1,518,289 requested and has approved $1,091,421 in funding for projects. That funding has supported a range of Mi’kmaq organizations from all 13 Mi’kmaw communities.

Applications, which are accepted from Nova Scotia-based Mi’kmaq bands, groups or organizations, are reviewed by a Peer Assessment Committee, with members from the Mi’kmaq community, and determines eligibility of applications.

For more information on application criteria and the program, visit here.

This year, Gerald Gloade, a former Culture and Heritage Working Committee member, and employee with Mi’kmawey Debert Cultural Centre, has taken time out of his well-deserved retirement to design the poster in honour of the occasion.

The theme for this year’s poster and Mi’kmaw History Month is A’tukwemk – the Mi’kmaq term for storytelling – and A’tukowinu’k, storytellers.

This year’s Mi’kmaq History Month honours the importance of stories and storytellers in Mi’kmaw culture. Stories were (and are) a way people teach, learn, and live, and about how people formed, and still form deep connections with one another. They serve as an important connection between past and present, conveying timeless messages and teachings, and values.

To take a look at what our members have been up to, over the course of the past few months, take a look HERE.

Following a decision to reduce the frequency and increase the amount of content per newsletter, this Spring 2025 edition is the first in a series of biannual newsletters, with the next edition slated for publication in Fall 2025.

If you have any questions, concerns or suggestions for future editions, please contact Sam Macdonald (sam.macdonald@cmmns.com).

Gerald, a longtime member of the Tripartite Forum since its inception in 1997, retired earlier this month, following a storied career as a Mi’kmaq artist, educator, naturalist and visionary.

A Member of Millbrook First Nation, Gerald has worked extensively, and most recently, with Mi’kmawey Debert Cultural Centre (MDCC), in addition to his work with the Tripartite Forum’s Culture and Heritage Committee.

His most recent role was Program Development Officer with MDCC, where his curatorial work guided development of visitor and educational programs for MDCC.

His work drew – and draws – on his deep Indigenous cultural knowledge. Gerald uses his deep Indigenous knowledge to help build cultural bridges of understanding between Nova Scotia’s Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations.

Gerald has earned numerous accolades over the course of his career, the most recent of which is a Doctorate of Humanities from Acadia University in Spring 2023. His artwork has been featured far and wide and has featured on many maps and signs across Nova Scotia and was minted on a Canada 150 nickel to celebrate the country’s 150^th anniversary in 2017. He is also a past member of the Creative Nova Scotia Leadership Council.

Gerald is widely known throughout Mi’kma’ki for his iconic art featured on the Mi’kmaq History Month posters Mi’kmawey Debert releases on a yearly basis, which he would enthusiastically discuss the creation of at Culture and Heritage Committee meetings.

Gerald began his career at 19 as a graphic designer for the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources, in its Communications and Education Branch more than 25 years ago. He has also worked with the Office of Aboriginal Affairs during his time as a public servant with the province.

While his work was initially focused on forestry education, he expanded from that to serve as a cultural educator, sharing his knowledge of Mi’kmaq history, culture and the environment to a broad audience across Mi’kma’ki/Nova Scotia.

Gerald’s extensive cultural knowledge – including an encyclopedic knowledge of the Glooscap Legends – started early in his life. Because of a heart condition, Gerald spent more time with his grandmother, as a child, than other children. In that time, she imparted traditional Knowledge and skills through stories about the community, land and people.

In the interests of keeping members apprised of all working committee activity, the Communications Team has launched a page on the Tripartite Forum website where members can access meeting minutes for reference. Going forward, minutes from all Tripartite Forum meetings will be posted on this page. We will endeavour to post minutes to the website as promptly as possible, after each meeting.

The new page for meeting minutes is part of a larger revitalization effort, and a response to recommendations from a consultant which are summarized here.

Please note: For the sake of privacy and confidentiality, the page where we post meeting minutes is password-protected.

Members wishing to access the page are asked to forward a request to tripartitecommunications@unsm.org, sam.macdonald@cmmns.com or jessicachristmas@unsm.org.

The three-day event, hosted at the Inverary Resort in Baddeck, on Unama’ki (Cape Breton), is the sole event where all members of the Tripartite Forum gather under one roof and the first time since 2022.

The event was led by emcees Camryn and Maisyn Sock, who traveled from Eskasoni to guide the conversations and keep everything on track.

During the June 5th Mi’kmaw-Only Session, members sat down for a frank conversation on what is and isn’t working, sharing insights and concerns from the past few years’ worth of work in their committees. Working committee members spoke to one another about the programs and services they have been providing and developing over the years. A unanimous sentiment during the Mi’kmaw-Only Session was that it’s good to hear what other committees are up to. People who spoke during the session stressed the need to streamline onboarding and orientation processes to get new members up to speed more efficiently.

The Mi’kmaw-Only Session was the first part of a broader conversation between committee members that took up much of the second and third days. A series of eight round-table discussions between committees took place over the course of June 6 and 7,  in which  members from different committees sat and discussed potential collaboration going forward.

Committee Updates

Each committee took to the podium to update everyone in attendance on what they’ve accomplished in the past year. Their presentations entailed committees sharing their challenges and uncertainties since the last Working Development Session, as well as how their work specifically aligns with MMIWG2S Calls for Justice and TRC Calls to Action.

Tim Bernard speaks to the other Tripartite Forum members on what the Culture and Heritage Working Committee has been busy with over the past year.

The Culture and Heritage Working Committee discussed its progress on the Shubenacadie Indian Residential School Commemoration Phase 4, the monitoring of the Bedford Barrens. Speaking to guests Mi’kmaq Co-chair Tim Bernard described uncertainty about the forum’s future during restructuring and the capacity of committees and communities to take on leadership of multiple projects as challenges. For more information on the Culture and Heritage Working Committee’s presentation, click here.

Federal Economic Development Co-chair Mike Rothenburg speaks about the work of the Economic Development Committee at the Inverary Resort.

The Economic Development Working Committee discussed its priorities, which include an economic development organization (EDO) symposium, Indigenous tourism, renewable energy and guest speakers whose presentations have contributed to the committee’s knowledge base. The committee also reported on its work with Nova Scotia Loyal, Mi’kmawitasik, the Kinu Tourism Program and Mount St. Vincent University, and cited challenges that include membership and the need to engage EDOs more. For more information on the Economic Development Working Committee’s presentation, click here.

Melody Martin-Googoo (right) and Helen Long discuss what the Education Committee has been working on.

Education reported that its priorities have included research into programming that supports lifelong learning, identification of needs and challenges of Mi’kmaw students, engaging with education directors and the gathering of data on students with special needs and services provided.  Committee members cited the retirement of their co-chair, understanding responsibilities, maintaining a collective voice and from all members as challenges in the past year. For more information on the Education Committee’s presentation, click here.

Members of the Health Working Committee presenting on their activity over the past year.

Health Working Committee members spoke of their three focus areas over the past year – Indigenous birth rights and midwifery, Jordans Principle (aging out) and Cancer care. Health Committee members cited strategic planning, the participation of Tajikeimɨk, the approval of Mi’kmaw Birthrights proposal and a consistent meeting schedule as successes – and the gap from ideation to deliverables and action as a challenge. For more information on the Health Committee’s presentation, click here.

Shelly Martin, Mi’kmaw Co-Chair of the Justice Committee, speaking to her fellow Tripartite Forum Members on what her committee has been working on.

The Justice Working Committee described by-law related Indigenous rights, legal supports (Indigenous court worker, customary law, Gladue reports and victim services), access to justice and developing collaborative frameworks between involved parties as their main priorities over the past year.

Mi’kmaq Co-chair Shelley Martin told guests that the committee is also working to reduce gender-based violence and implement initiatives that support women with an NSNWA representative, and efforts to ensure 2SLGBTQIA+ rights and develop opportunities to address and correct racism-related issues.

Martin told guests specific focus areas include its by-law project, collaboration and support for Mi’kmaw-led justice support agencies, a Mi’kmaw Child Welfare Initiative and a Gender and Safety Healing Committee. Martin noted difficulties include frustration around funding access and the need for more frequent meetings. For more information on the Justice Committee’s presentation, click here.

The Social Committee reported homelessness, aging out of services and disability support as its areas of key focus when they spoke to guests. Social Committee members said there is a lot of potential to work with other committees, noting that their work is connected to the work of other committees, and mentioned an Indigenous Homelessness Symposium they are requesting Project Fund support to host. For more information on the Social Committee’s presentation, click here.

Members of the Sports and Recreation Working Committee spoke to guests about their work over the past year.

The Sports and Recreation Committee reported that their top areas of focus include updating and finalizing a committee work plan for the sport and recreation sector; a plan to advance leadership and participation opportunities for Mi’kmaw women and girls in sports, physical activity and recreation; a plan to increase awareness education and promotion of ancient trail systems near and in Mi’kmaw committees and to build off the momentum created by the North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) and the legacy plan related to them.

Committee members described committee capacity to advance work, and understanding how work is positioned in the broader sector as challenges in the past year. For more information on the Sports and Recreation Committee’s presentation, click here.

Final Report

At the event, Heidi Weigand presented the Final Report of the 2023 review of a series of changes to policies and working tables implemented in 2019.

Weigand, Assistant Professor with Dalhousie’s Faculty of Management, authored Working Table Review Strategic Plan, a response to the review.

Speaking to committee and community members, and elected officials, Weigand stressed the importance of building relationships and respect between committees and building policy support and revitalization going forward.

Weigand discussed findings from the report, which include:

• A lack of policy support
• The need for a more sophisticated orientation process
• A smoother transition of co-chairs
• A need for clear priorities
• More support for mental health and addictions
• More timely minutes
• A report card on progress

Heidi Weigand, presenting findings at the three-day Working Development Session at the Inverary Resort.

Recommendations from the same report to help working tables move forward include:

• Streamlining communication,
• Monitoring and measuring progress
• Increasing retention of members and co-chairs
• Addressing gender and equity issues
• Creating a niche space for the Tripartite Forum to fulfill its mandate

Weigand said orientation, and the transition of members needs greater support, with a more sophisticated onboarding and orientation processes.

Weigand recommended a two-step approach to find the path forward that best suits the forum and its communities – one that includes a review of organization mandates, identifying overlaps and gaps therein and a 1-day session with table co-chairs, officials and members to determine how those overlaps and gaps should be addressed.

A shared purpose, accountability and a shared sense of urgency were also findings in the report that Weigand spoke of to guests.

“The message you’re going to hear from this report is that we’re not there right now. There are a few relationships that are not at the point we want them to be yet. This is an opportunity,” Weigand said.

Tripartite Forum Members from Nova Scotia Native Women’s Association, enjoying a coffee break and mingling with fellow forum members between roundtables at the Inverary Resort.

The Tripartite Forum is unique to Nova Scotia in the way it allows members to achieve its goals, Wiegand said, adding, “Is it working perfectly? No, it never will, it’s always evergreen and growing.”

The revitalization of the code conduct and terms of reference, and a review of the working tables were all mentioned as important steps to revitalizing the Tripartite Forum.

While COVID-19 made things difficult, Weigand said it gave the Tripartite Forum an opportunity to look at how it was doing things – particularly through a gender-based analysis and the integration of the 275 Calls of Action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada, the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), which were recommended prior to the 2019 changes and after the 2022 review, respectively.

“There are new ways to do things and we found out we can do them very quickly when pressured,” Weigand said.

These include the priorities of the executives and working tables, a more sophisticated communications process and timeliness of minutes – all included in the report’s recommendations.

Data Sovereignty

Julie Whitmer with the UNSM explaining the importance of Indigenous data sovereignty.

At the event, Julia Whitmer, Policy Analyst with the UNSM’s Information Governance and Data Projects (IGDP) team presented on the need for a regional Data Governance Center for First Nation-related data. Whitmer explained the importance of First Nations sovereignty over their own data, adding that the goal is to put data back in the hands of First Nations communities through a Regional Data Centre.

Whitmer said the IGDP team is in the process of exploring IT supports and figuring out the security side of the technology involved with a data hub, stressing the importance of data sovereignty, and noting that most Indigenous data is held by governments with some of it difficult to access by First Nations, themselves.

Gallery

Below are some candid shots from the roundtable sessions and committee presentations on June 6th and 7th.

This newsletter is one in a series of what will be regular, quarterly publications, with the next edition planned for release in mid-summer.

The 2024 Spring Edition Newsletter contains updates pertaining to the past few months’ meetings, and up to date information profiling committees and committee members.

If you have any questions or suggestions for future newsletters, please contact either Sam Macdonald (CMM Communications Officer) at sam.macdonald@cmmns.com or Jessica Christmas (UNSM Communications Specialist) at jessicachristmas@unsm.org.

For access to the Spring Edition Newsletter, click here.