Tim Fedak, Curator of Geology with the Nova Scotia Museum, shared information on Spencer’s Island, traditionally known to the Mi’kmaq as Wtouml. He explained to the committee that the island has both geographical and cultural relevance to the Mi’kmaq.

“This is a really incredible place,” he said. “When you’re on the island, it feels very important.”

Tim spoke about the historical background of the island located in the Cliffs of Fundy UNESCO Global Geopark. Wtouml received scientific attention after a visiting tourist found a fossil, bringing it to the Fundy Geological Museum, Tim noted. That fossil is evidence of the pivotal geological changes that created the Wtouml we see today– specifically the catastrophic breaking up of the Pangea supercontinent, at the end of the Carboniferous Period, leading to the formation of the Bay of Fundy and the land masses all around it. The fossil, theorized to be a preserved bone from a prehistoric creature, also has direct ties to the name the Mi’kmaq legend surrounding Wtouml.

Traditionally, in local Mi’kmaw lore, Wtouml is regarded as the cooking pot or kettle of Glooscap, a reference to its shape, appearing to have its scraps poured out, scattered and turned to stone.

“That’s exactly what we found at the beach,” Tim said, describing how the connection between the contents of Glooscap’s pot, and the fossils strewn about the beach are a fascinating intersection of cultural legend and geological record.

He described a visit to the island where he studied the features of the island and found evidence of an environment that lends itself to fossil formation – sedimentary rock.

He told the committee his work continues and is excited that there is evidence of Triassic era fossils, potential for deeper research and proof that the local legend and presence of fossils suggest that bones have been observed for a remarkably long time.

Tim proposed a collaboration to share the Mi’kmaq and Western knowledge relating to the island, promoting its importance to the province.

Museum update

Later, Kayla Rudderham, Curator of Mi’kmaq Cultural Heritage with the Nova Scotia Museum, spoke about her role in the process of creating the Pjila’si Gallery at the Nova Scotia Museum.

Kayla described the work she did with the Mi’kmaq Advisory Group that formed to design Pjila’si in 2017, describing the ideas, processes and challenges encountered since the group was created in 2017.

The Mi’kmaq Advisory Group’s decisions determined what would be included in Pjila’si, bringing forward the knowledge, expertise and concerns of its communities regarding cultural heritage, to create a distinctly Mi’kmaw gallery that specifically reflected Mi’kmaq principles, values and customs, from the chosen items and material used for the gallery’s ceiling treatment, to the fonts and colours used, and the physical floorplan of the gallery.

Questions of what people should know, and take away, from the exhibits, and questions of themes, concepts and experiences guided the planning process, Kayla said, adding that a central theme became telling stories with objects in the collection, breaking from typical museum exhibit conventions.

The committee’s guidance resulted in an exhibit that focused on Indigenous resilience, with many featured community belongings, language as a central theme,

Kayla’s presentation was punctuated by a tour of the gallery, as part of the meeting, which took place at the Nova Scotia Museum.

June Anniversary

Keith Mercer, Cultural Resource Manager with Parks Canada, updated the committee on the plans to celebrate the anniversary of the signing of the First Peace and Friendship Treaty on June 4^th, 1726.

Parks Canada has formed a Mi’kmaq-led steering committee to make plans to celebrate the 300^th anniversary of the first treaty signed between the Crown and any First Nation in Canada. Keith noted that the event the committee is planning for June is a bid to honour that moment in history by hosting it at what is now the Fort Anne National National Historic Site in Annapolis Royal.

The committee, which has met twice this year, is working on event planning and fundraising.

Keith told committee members the event’s formal component will entail speeches and a plaque unveiling, with an informal component seeing the Fort Anne’s parade ground filled with activities, such as vendor and educational booths and cultural performances.

Project proponents Sara-Lynne Knockwood-Sack and Ryan Francis reported that Sara-Lynne completed a series of community engagements in 14 Mi’kmaq communities (including Halifax), and compiled a summary of findings from those engagements. These engagements were part of the first of the project’s two phases. The first phase included a literature review and community engagement, and the second phase focused on validating and receiving feedback on findings and action, and hosting a sports summit.

Following those phases, the next step in the project is to draft a Final Action Plan.

At a recent Sport and Recreation Committee meeting, Sara-Lynne provided an overview of how the work was done. The project’s engagements yielded several key findings:

• Participation in SPAR is supported by social connection, family focused programming, female-centered spaces, visible role models, cultural connection and a sense of belonging.
• Much of the SPAR programming accessed was in-community, and included recreational activities, such as gardening, dancing, or family activities
• A low number of participants reporting participation in a provincial and national sport program.
• Walking in communities was most mentioned, across communities
• Participation in provincial and national sports was minimal, indicating ongoing inequities in access and pathways thereto.

The engagements revealed a series of factors that facilitate participation, as well as barriers to participation and challenges or gaps.

Barriers identified through the engagements include:

• Limited financial resources
• A lack of time
• A lack of transportation
• A lack of facilities
• A lack of equipment and safe infrastructure
• Low sense of belonging in mainstream spaces
• Racism and bullying
• Limited awareness of participation and high-performance pathways
• Mental health challengers
• Female-specific health considerations

Facilitating factors include:

• Socialization and fun
• Family-focused programming
• Health and wellness
• Female-centered opportunities
• Female role models
• A sense of belonging
• An opportunity to participate
• Existing initiatives to reduce barriers

Challenges and gaps include:

• Available and accessible resources
• Adult female age group
• Mental health
• Participation and competition pathways
• Health, wellness, and fitness education
• Gender disparity
• Celebrating females In SPAR

The community engagements also identified several opportunities for Mi’kmaq language and culture to be integrated into SPAR, with the potential inclusion of cultural and Elder teachings, smudging, language learning and Indigenous events and more cultural activities.

The SPAR Action Plan will be designed around building capacity and increasing participation in Indigenous sport, physical activity, recreation and culture at community and provincial levels.

This project is a response to evidence of lower rates of SPAR participation among Mi’kmaq women and girls, and is intended to encourage and facilitate participation, along with the physical, mental, emotional and culture wellness it supports.

The Action Plan is also meant to advance Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action 89 and 90 (policy and program development for Indigenous people), and Calls to Justice 1.3, 2.5 and 7.7. (prioritizing resources, establishing sustainable funding for self-determined programs that assist in cultural learning and capacity building).

Marine Renewables Canada’s Executive Director Elisa Obermann spoke to Economic Development Committee members at a November 26^th meeting in Halifax, presenting on potential opportunities for Indigenous participation in offshore wind projects in Nova Scotia.

She told committee members that opportunities and benefits could include 30,000 potential direct jobs during construction, as well as continued employment across the (25-30-year) life cycle of a potential wind project. Employment benefits of offshore wind are greater than onshore turbines, Elisa explained, because operation and maintenance require more labour than onshore turbines, providing more long-term employment.

Elisa identified investment and equity partnerships, local hiring and training, and opportunities for Indigenous-owned business to participate as potential benefits from Indigenous participation in the project.

A supply chain assessment carried out by Marine Renewables identified support for Indigenous involvement in wind generation industry development as a priority, achieved by educating developers on Indigenous equity options, and by integrating Indigenous business into a potential supply chain.

Committee Questions

The committee asked about the environmental impact, and heard that the seismic, drilling and construction stages are where the most environmental impacts would be felt, with the turbines disrupting wildlife minimally once operational.

Elisa, and committee members and chairs discussed the costs, and the benefits relative to other forms of generation, particularly how offshore wind generation is quickly becoming a competitive option, price-wise, and how KMKNO’s existing and ongoing renewable energy initiatives could integrate into a potential offshore wind generation project.

The committee also asked the export opportunities, learning that Nova Scotia has been identified as well-suited to build a supply chain to export wind generated electricity in a report by Xodus Consulting and partners.

Context

Nova Scotia itself doesn’t have any offshore generation infrastructure, but is is ideally situated, with good wind speeds and a suitable seabed for wind turbines.

The motivation for developing offshore wind electricity in Nova Scotia includes the need for clean electricity, decarbonization and electrification of buildings and industry, energy security and resiliency to meet demand and protect against volatility.

Committee members heard that an offshore wind project could generate economic opportunities for workers, capitalizing on Nova Scotia’s existing expertise, experience and infrastructure. Elisa described the different kinds – fixed and floating – of offshore wind turbines, the evolution of the technology to produce more power at a lower cost, as well as the planning, construction, operations and maintenance and eventual decommissioning of any offshore wind turbines.

Potential markets for marine wind-generated electricity include the Nova Scotian, and national grids, as well as possibly even the American electrical grid. The power generated from offshore turbines can also be used in the production of green fuels, such as hydrogen and ammonia, and utilized by heavy energy-intensive industries.

With the necessary regulations in place, energy areas designated for potential wind farms, and ongoing engagement underway, any potential project is in early stages, with a call for bids expected from the regulator in early 2026.

The first call for bids will focus on three areas – Sydney Bight, Middle Bank and French Bank – with the intent to generate between three and five gigawatts of electricity.

Marine Renewables Canada is a 200-member national industry association for offshore wind, tidal, wave and river current technology, advocating, developing and educating on renewable energy.

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.

Michelle MacEwan, Indigenous Employment Ambassador from Membertou, accompanied by other Clearwater staff, presented to the Education Committee about the Bedford-based seafood company’s Careers Set Sail Program, at its October 15th meeting in Millbrook, and later presented to the Economic Development Committee on November 26th, in Halifax.

The Careers Set Sail Program offers First Nations students, graduates and professionals educational work terms, and is available to those just starting their careers, those looking to change their career trajectory – and anyone in between.

Committee members heard that the program’s target is 125 placements over the course of five years, with placements typically lasting around four months. The program also helps provide training that would otherwise be difficult or time consuming to obtain for participants, for work that includes quality assurance and water vessel cooking.

The program offers work terms, rather than full-time work. However, those work terms can lead to opportunities and career growth for participants, sometimes with Clearwater itself. The Clearwater reps explained how the program works and how to apply to committee members.

The Clearwater reps noted that the program could provide support for First Nations students and professionals alongside the support provided through other avenues such as the Mi’kmaq Employment Training Secretariat (METS).

Clearwater’s versatile work terms can run the gamut of its operations, from tradespeople or quality assurance staff at work in its processing plants, and 35-days aboard clam boats, to HR, marketing or finance at its Bedford head office.

Education Committee members praised the versatility of the program, noting that it its’ good that Clearwater offers more than just entry-level positions, and is available to both graduates fresh out of high school or post-secondary, and people looking to change or upgrade their careers. Committee members encouraged Clearwater to reach out to local schools to promote what it offers.

Economic Development Committee members discussed the utility of the program in overcoming barriers. They also reflected on how the program can help make trades and new career paths more viable to participants, and how it has helped Mi’kmaq community members throughout the province get into a vocation, or achieve a successful career pivot.

Business Background

Since 2021, Clearwater has been 50% owned by the Mi’kmaq Coalition, a group of seven First Nations in Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland, that includes Membertou, Miawpukek, Paqtnkek, Pictou Landing, Potlotek, Sipekne’katik and We’koqkmaq.

The Mi’kmaq Coalition’s acquisition of Clearwater was one of the largest Canadian Indigenous investments in the seafood industry.

Clearwater employs around 1,900 people and owns its own fishing quotas, vessels and processing facilities, and delivers to wholesalers, retailers and food service distributors around the world.

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.

Speaking to fellow committee members at a Culture and Heritage Committee meeting in June, Darrell reported on how he is pulling together the final steps in a project that will see Mi’kmaq signage posted on Kellys Mountain.

Kellys Mountain – known to Nova Scotia’s original inhabitants as Mukla’qati (‘Place Where the Geese Land’) – is cut through by a rugged, steep section of Route 105, in Victoria County, near the Seal Island bridge, Great Bras d’Or Channel and Boularderie Island. It is a sacred site to the Mi’kmaq, considered the traditional home to Glooscap.

The additions to the Mukla’qati/Kellys Mountain site will include four signs – two large ones at the bottom of the mountain, near the highway, and two near the lookoff near the top. The signs will be set back and high enough away, that they won’t be interfered with by vandals who frequent the area, leaving graffiti.

Each sign will be designed with a QR code linking to a website sharing historical information about Mukla’qati and the Mi’kmaw communities in the area that existed prior to the inhabitants’ dispossession. Darrell told committee members he hopes to include local tourism information that website as well.

Darrell, the Cultural Manager with the Union of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq (UNSM), told committee members he has recruited Mi’kmaq Artist Loretta Gould to design the signs. The signs themselves are being funded by the Province, and the design for the signs is being funded by Destination Cape Breton.

The revitalization and Indigenization of Kellys Mountain has been an ongoing project since 2023. Darrell previously spoke about his intention to clean up, and bring signate to the mountain at a Culture and Heritage meeting in September, 2024.