Copyright © 2001 NLThomas
All Rights Reserved

Indian Brook, Nova Scotia

Tuesday, July 3
Lena Siegers, and newly arrived team member Joel Klassen, had a long discussion with a member of Indian Brook First Nation (IBFN) concerning the problems with Canada's Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO.) There are still plans to fish in September and October but the summer fishery has been abandoned because of the "zero tolerance" for Aboriginal fishing by DFO.

Wednesday July 4
CPT moved from the camp at the river to the IBFN to be more available to the people. The team spoke with a Band Councillor about the future of the fisheries. He thought that maybe First Nations should become "more competitive" but most people just want to fish for sustenance.

Thursday July 5
Klassen and Siegers did research on the Coastal Communities Network-- a grassroots organisation drawing together small community fishers against the large corporate fisheries such as Clearwater, National Sea Products, and Irving.

In a discussion CPT decided that when DFO lies blatantly, the team must be better prepared to challenge them. There have been several encounters with DFO when CPT has been accused of lying and did not make a good rebuttal.

Friday July 6
CPT met with the Chief of IBFN and were greeted warmly. Siegers sought counsel regarding team activities at IBFN. His suggestions were to write more letters to the Prime Minister, do demonstrations, and more news releases. He said that if and when there is fishing at St. Mary's Bay, CPT's presence will be important.

Saturday July 7
In the evening the team went to a healing service at the Catholic Church and participated in the long gentle ceremony with lots of music, prayers, circle dances, and laying on of hands. People came from all over the province, both Aboriginal and others.

Sunday July 8
After mass, CPTers visited the traditional chief of IBFN who told stories and took them to visit the local Mennonites who came from Belize about 20 years ago.

Monday July 9
CPT made calls to arrange a meeting with the Coastal Communities Network and were invited to their monthly meeting at Truro, NS on July 11. Siegers had a long conversation with Wayne Eddy whose small Lobster Pound is jeopardised by new policies introduced by the Canadian Government, which wants to increase the minimum amount of pounds of lobsters that fishers can catch

Wednesday July 11
CPT attended the monthly Coastal Communities Network (CCN) meeting. Around two dozen people representing different community organizations were in attendance. There were no people of colour represented. CCN has run a project, however, called On Common Ground that facilitated connections between white communities and people of colour. David Hansen, the provincial Registrar of Licences with the Nova Scotia Department of Fisheries and Agriculture, explained the proposed changes to the regulations concerning fish buyers. Several spoke strongly against changing the minimum lobster pound size from 2,000 to 25,000 lbs. saying that it would force them out of business.

Thursday July 12
The team travelled to Bear River First Nation-- a community of 260 located on St. Mary's Bay in SW Nova Scotia which has never signed fishing agreements with the government but has not fished at all for the past two years.. The team spoke to one of the Councillors for several hours.

Friday July 13
CPT talked with a fisher woman at the band office. She would like to be fishing. The afternoon was spent with the Chief who told many stories. He believes his people will fish some day without being molested by DFO.

Saturday July 14
CPT left Bear River heading to Halifax. Outside Wolfville the team stopped at Just Us! Café owned by Aboriginal Rights Coalition member David Mangle. In the evening, CPTers McKenna and Siegers attended the Maritime Fiddler's competition finals in Dartmouth and then went back to Indian Brook for the night.

Tuesday July 17
CPT attended the Assembly of First Nations (AFN) three-day annual meeting in Halifax as observers. IBFN Chief Reg Maloney gave the welcome address. Minister of Indian Affairs Robert Nault's process for changing the outdated Indian Act caused outrage amongst the delegates and was unanimously rejected. Several alternatives, including sending National Chief Matthew Coon Come to Ottawa with the AFN's counter proposal, were discussed for many hours.

Wednesday July 18
CPT attended a presentation on the Aboriginal Healing Foundation at the AFM meetings. Many people made statements stressing the severity of the residential schools' impact on Aboriginal life. After lunch there were further discussions on the governance issue. The Assembly voted unanimously to support the AFN's counter proposal.

Thursday July 19
The AFN meetings concluded with 37 resolutions including changes to the AFN charter to create a Council of Women and a Council of Youth.

Tuesday July 24
The team travelled to Afton First Nation in central Nova Scotia and met with fishermen and a former Chief. Later they met with the present Chief for over an hour. This community has not signed any DFO agreements, but they do some fishing under purchased DFO licences.

Friday July 27
The team spent the day visiting with numerous people from Tobique First Nation.

Saturday July 28
The team returned to Esgenoôpetitj First Nation and re-established the camp for the coming fall fishing season. Many people greeted the team warmly and expressed their appreciation for the team's return.

CPT has maintained a violence-reduction presence in the Maritimes since April 2000 at the invitation of aboriginal lobster fishers.