Boats have already been heading out on the water for the 2016 fishing season. They go for days at a time, to where you can’t see land in any direction.  The snow crab season opened mid-March, and the shrimp season started in April.

This marks the 15th season Listuguj has been participating in the commercial fisheries. With two boats entirely run by First Nations crew and 12 boats in total, the operation has been growing steadily. “It was a learning curve for everybody,” said Chris Metallic, the Commercial Fisheries Coordinator with the Natural Resource Directorate. “Although we had been participating in fishing salmon and other things, we still had to adjust to the commercial aspect of the fishery.”

In 1999, the Marshall Decision reaffirmed the Mi’gmaq right to fish in the Supreme Court of Canada. After that, Listuguj began taking the steps to enter the commercial fishery. Among the first community members to be involved was Blayze Isaac who started as a deckhand.

As a kid he would often head down to the beach with a fishing pole, but he never imagined it would be a job.  “I was a land lover, kind of thing,” he said.  He had been working in the woods when the opportunity to take a deckhand course  came up in 2001. He took it, and went out on the water for the first time.

First Nation fishing operations are run a little differently than the privately owned operations founded at Sainte-Thérèse-de-Gaspé, or elsewhere in the Gaspesie. The boats and licenses are communally owned —  which non-native fishermen sometimes don’t quite understand.

“It doesn’t go to one person, it doesn’t go to one family. Unlike non-native fishermen — their whole family benefits, whoever they hire,” said Metallic. “That’s not the case here for Listuguj. What we do is we hire people from different families, and all different families benefit from it … It’s a communal license, meaning it belongs to everybody.” But good jobs have been created.
Among the highest around. And 62 people are  employed during the season. Listuguj, combined with other First Nations fishing in the region also create jobs for local people in Matane, Fox-River, Ste Therese, etc.  Ways to expand the quotas are also always being explored, but as of now, the Listuguj Fishery holds the largest quota for snow crab and shrimp on the east coast says Metallic. Other species, like halibut and turbot are also fished. This is the second year in an attempt to grow scallops as well.

This is a significant change from when Isaac first headed out on a crab fishing boat, 15 years ago.  He’s now Captain of the Maqatgwig.   Isaac admits that the first year as a captain was stressful — taking care of everyone, and hoping to find the right spots to set traps. Now, into his third season, it’s second nature, he said.

As the captain, he often stays on the boat when it’s docked, and lets his crew go home. And even though the job is hard on the body, he still loves it. “You’re getting paid for something that you like,” he said over the phone before one of the few occasions during the season when he gets to go to Listuguj.

He plans to take a break for a few days, and then “head back home,” he said.  “Well, not home, but to my boat. Back on my boat — it’s pretty much home to me.”

 

Protect the fishery for future generations

By Dr. Fred Metallic,
Director of Listuguj Naturals Resources

The Mi’gmaq have been fishing within Gespe’gewa’gi territorial waters for countless generations and more recently, the courts and government have begun to recognize Mi’gmaq have a right to access fishery resources and to make a moderate livelihood. What does this mean? Even though we harvest approximately 1.7 million lbs. of crab and 4.5 million lbs. of shrimp (estimated gross revenue of 8-9 million dollars with over 60 direct jobs in Listuguj) the development of the fishery goes beyond making a moderate livelihood.

The development of the fishery aside from its economic value is also important from a cultural and political perspective. We see ourselves as fishermen and fisherwomen, as Treaty quota holders with a cultural responsibility to protect the fishery for future generations.  And even though the fishery generates revenues for much needed community programs (from health to education) the fishery is a source of pride, identity and self-determination.

Self-determination in the sense that we are re-establishing our place within the fishing Industry as a major player and our involvement goes beyond harvesting. We are looking to be more involved in the overall management and governance of fisheries resources found within our territorial waters. The development of the fishery means we are contributing to Listuguj’s goal of self-determination.

As part of the many ongoing attempts to incorporate Mi’gmaq and First Nation’s culture, the University of New Brunswick held it’s second annual Pow Wow on April 6. Natasha Martin-Mitchell, from Listuguj, was one of the committee members. “Everything worked out the way we had hoped,” she said. “We had great attendance, it looked like everyone had a great time.”

The live stream also turned out to be a hit. People from all over logged in to see the ceremonies. Others from Listuguj, like Craig Isaac, danced.

The Pow Wow, and all the other First Nation’s driven initiatives are coming out of the Mi’kmaq-Wolastoqey Centre. As the director, and former Chief of Tobique First Nation, David Perley and his wife Imelda Perley – the Elder in Residence -have been working to make the University more inclusive.

“Everything that we’re doing here is based on a vision that’s been formulated in consultation with the elders of First Nations communities, and First Nation education directors, and so on,” said David Perley.

Perley said there are three main components to what they’re trying to achieve at the university. (Read about them online in the full story on news.listuguj.ca) For the Project Coordinator of the Pow Wow, Starlit Simon of Elsipogtog First Nation, the recent changes have been “refreshing.”

“Now it’s kind of like everyone is so interested,” she said. “Everybody wants to know, they want to know more about our history, more about our culture.”

For Martin-Mitchell, these trends and the diversity of people who attended the Pow Wow is directly meeting the goal.  “That’s what we wanted,” she said. “Sharing our culture with other nations, right.”

Martin-Mitchell and her husband Brandon Mitchell — also from Listuguj — are both graduating on May 19th from the Bachelor of Integrated Studies Program, but will remain a volunteer at the MWC.

DAVID PERLEY

For David Perley, it’s good to be surrounded by people who support what he’s trying to do. As the Director of the Mi’kmaq-Wolastoqey Centre, he has been helping develop initiatives around the University. He says there are three main components.

1st Component

“Mi’gmaq and Wolastoqey worldviews, histories, philosophies, knowledge bases, traditions, and contributions will flourish within UNB grounds. Either within the curriculum, or of course, UNB in general”

2nd Component

“I’m a strong believer that when our Mi’gmaq and Wolastoqey graduates leave here, they should also have a strong cultural foundation.

So having an education doesn’t mean you have to abandon your identity. What we want to do here is reinforce that identity, so that students know they have something to be proud of — that could be Mi’gmaq identity, or that could be the Wolastoqey identity. But when they leave here, they will have that strong cultural foundation. So when I see  our graduates walking across the that stage to get their diplomas and degrees, then I know that student has a strong cultural foundation. ”

3rd Component

“We have to ensure that our faculty members – doesn’t matter which faculty it is – they should know something about Mi’gmaq Wolastoqey histories, traditions, worldviews, contributions, and knowledge bases, and so on.

They should have some knowledge about that. So what we want to do is educate them on those aspects of Mi’gmaq/Wolastoqey societies and ensure that they, hopefully, have a better understanding of Mi’gmaq/Wolastoqey societies.

As a matter of fact, one of the initiatives that we’re now planning is cultural immersion for faculty members. So I’m hoping that sometime this late spring, or summer, we’ll have at least one week with them, and then they’ll be immersed in the culture of our ancestors.

I would like for the faculty members to know at least the greetings in Mi’gmaq and Wolastoqey languages. So we’ll have Mi’gmaq or Wolastoqey elders who will come and teach them about the greetings in their languages.

Another one would be to ensure that they also take part in ceremonies. As I mentioned to my colleagues, I keep on saying that it’s nice to read about those ceremonies, but what’s more important is for you to take part in those ceremonies, so this way you have a deeper understanding, because when you read something, it gives you a superficial understanding of the ceremony, but if you take part then it has a whole new meaning.”