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Photo slideshow of re-enactment of Membertou’s baptism

Maureen Googoo — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 22:05:02 +0000

A mass and re-enactment play took place at Port Royal National Historic Site in Annapolis Royal, N.S. to mark the 400th anniversary of Mi’kmaq Grand Chief Membertou’s baptism into Christianity. View Photo Album

Membertou 400 celebrations begin with re-enactment at Port Royal

Maureen Googoo — Thu, 24 Jun 2010 22:00:17 +0000

It was a ceremony to mark the anniversary of what’s considered to be a 400-year-old political alliance the Mi’kmaq made with French and the Vatican. Approximately 500 people gathered near the shoreline at Port Royal National Historic Site in Annapolis Royal, N.S. on Thursday to witness the re-enactment of Mi’kmaq Grand Chief Henri Membertou’s baptism into Roman Catholic religion on June 24, 1610. The event is considered to be the first time an aboriginal person in North American was baptized into Christianity. It also formalized a friendship and an alliance between Membertou’s followers and the French settlers at the Port Royal Habitation. The current Mi’kmaq Grand Chief Ben Sylliboy was joined by most of the 44 members of the Mi’kmaq Grand Council, the traditional government of the Mi’kmaq Nation, for the ceremonies. Other dignitaries included Rick Simon, Assembly of First Nations Vice-Chief for Nova Scotia and PEI, Peter Newton, Warden for Annapolis County and Vickie Conrad, NDP MLA for Queens. The ceremony began in the morning with a two-hour outdoor mass that was held underneath a tent. Archbishop Pedro Lopez Quintana, the Pope’s representative in Canada, joined several other Church representatives from Atlantic Canada in the mass which was read [...]

NS chiefs concerned about lawyer’s views on Marshall decision

Maureen Googoo — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 22:00:44 +0000

Mi’kmaq leaders in Nova Scotia want the provincial government to remove one of its senior lawyers from any advisory role on issues affecting Mi’kmaq people. The Assembly of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq Chiefs has concerns about senior crown attorney Alex M. Cameron who recently wrote a book that takes a critical view of the 1999 Supreme Court of Canada ruling in the Marshall fishing rights case. The book, entitled Power without Law, was released by McGill-Queen’s University Press on Oct. 1st. In his book, Cameron writes that Mi’kmaq “have no more treaty right to ‘hunt, fish and gather’ than their neighbors of Scottish, Irish, Acadian, and other European descent.” He also writes that Mi’kmaq “do not have treaty rights anything like those described by Justice Binnie” in the Donald Marshall court ruling. “Our concern is that he’s a government employee who has written a book and publicly stating that the Supreme Court decision is wrong,” Paq’tnkek First Nation Chief and Assembly Co-Chair Gerard Julian told RadioGoogoo.ca on Thursday. “We would like for him not to be consulted on any (Mi’kmaq) issues because of his strong views,” he said. In September 1999, the Supreme Court of Canada overturned Donald Marshall, Jr.’s fishing [...]

Wagmatcook chief demands release of police report into fatal shooting

Maureen Googoo — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 22:00:26 +0000

The chief of the Wagmatcook First Nation says it’s taking too long for the RCMP to release its report into the shooting death of band member John Simon in December 2008. “It’s pretty hard for the family and the community,” Chief Lester Peck said at a news conference held in Halifax on Tuesday. “It’s been real hard and everybody’s been asking us questions and we got no answers,” he said. “Why he got shot? It’s that simple,” Peck said. Peck called the news conference, which was held at the law office of the band’s lawyer, to also renew calls for a public inquiry into the events leading up to an RCMP officer shooting Simon, 44, inside his home on the night of Dec. 2, 2008. RCMP officers had responded to a 911 regarding a domestic dispute at a home on the Wagmatcook First Nation, located 15 kilometres west of Baddeck, N.S. The shooting happened after a 90-minute standoff with Simon who was alone in the house at the time. Halifax Regional Police were immediately called in to investigate the RCMP shooting death of Simon. Since then, band officials have been hearing conflicting reports on the status of the investigation, Brian [...]

Viola Robinson receives Order of Nova Scotia

Maureen Googoo — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 22:00:22 +0000

Aboriginal rights advocate Viola Robinson recalled the hardship and struggles Mi’kmaq people endured over the years as she listened to her biography being read during the 2009 Order of Nova Scotia ceremony on Wednesday. “Back then, it was really tough for the Mi’kmaq in Nova Scotia,” Robinson told RadioGoogoo.ca following the ceremony. “It was a big struggle for us to get recognition and to have a good political voice,” she said. “Over the years (to) where we are today, we’ve certainly come a long way,” Robinson said. Robinson, a member of the Acadia First Nation near Yarmouth, N.S. was among five Nova Scotians to be honoured with the Order of Nova Scotia. The other recipients included Nova Scotia Aboriginal Affairs Minister Michael Baker (Posthumous); food bank founder Melvin Boutilier; peace advocate Muriel Duckworth (Deceased) and; holocaust survivor Philip Riteman. Robinson, who is in her mid-70s, became the fifth Mi’kmaq person to receive the award since it was first established in 2002. Previous recipients include Daniel Paul, Sister Dorothy Moore, Don Julien and Nora Bernard. The Mi’kmaq woman’s four daughters and son were present during the hour-long ceremony. One of Robinson’s daughter, Acadia Band Chief Deborah Robinson, said she felt a [...]

Youth, elders receive awards at Treaty Day ceremony

Maureen Googoo — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 00:00:37 +0000

The accomplishments of Nova Scotia Mi’kmaq youth and elders were acknowledged during Mi’kmaq Treaty Day celebrations in Halifax on Thursday. Eight people from six Mi’kmaq communities in the province received awards during the Treaty Day ceremony held at the World Trade and Convention Centre. “I would like to congratulate all of you here today who will receive an award this afternoon,” Premier Darrell Dexter said during his Treaty Day address. “Your communities and all Nova Scotians commend you for your accomplishments. You should feel proud of your contributions,” he said. Respected elders and educators Noel Doucette from Indian Brook and Helen Sylliboy from Eskasoni were the recipients of the Grand Chief Donald Marshall, Sr. Elder Award. The award was established in 1993 by then Premier John Savage to honour Mi’kmaq elders’ contributions to their respective communities. Four young people were presented with the Chief Noel Doucette Memorial Youth Award. They were Sara Abram from Millbrook, Robert Francis Julian from Paq’tnkek, Adam Edward Gould and Zaccharary Evander Michael Paul from Membertou. The award was also introduced by then Premier John Savage in 1997 to honour the late Noel Doucette who served as chief of the Chapel Island First Nation. The award [...]

Mi’kmaq leaders want money for Membertou baptism commemoration

Maureen Googoo — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 23:00:05 +0000

Mi’kmaq leaders urged the federal and provincial governments to help pay for commemoration ceremonies to mark the 400th anniversary of the baptism of Grand Chief Membertou in Annapolis Royal, N.S. next year during Treaty Day celebrations in Halifax on Thursday. “I call upon the premier and Canada to help the Mi’kmaq Association of Cultural Studies … to plan and set aside money for these celebrations,” Grand Keptin Denny said during his address at the World Trade and Convention Centre. Grand Chief Membertou was believed to be over 100 years old when he and several other family members were baptized into the Roman Catholic religion on June 24, 1610. The result of Membertou’s baptism, which took place at Port Royal, N.S., was that all Mi’kmaq people converted to Catholicism. “We may never know exactly why he chose this path for many,” Denny said in his speech. “He did leave us with a legacy and a tradition in the profession of thinking ahead,” he said. Membertou Band Chief Terrance Paul said the historic event is a shared history for both Mi’kmaq and Nova Scotians. “The importance of this event cannot be overstated,” Paul said during his speech. “It provides an important milestone [...]

Marshall father, son honoured during Mi’kmaq Treaty Day celebrations

Maureen Googoo — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 22:00:50 +0000

The legacy left by the late Mi’kmaq Grand Chief Donald Marshall, Sr. and his son, Donald Marshall, Jr. was honoured during Mi’kmaq Treaty Day celebrations in Halifax on Thursday. “I’m so glad to see so many people come here this year,” Ben Sylliboy, Grand Chief of the Mi’kmaq Grand Council, told more than 600 people who gathered at Grand Parade Square shortly before noon. “I remember in ’86 when (Donald Marshall, Sr.) started having this Treaty Day celebrations, there were only a few people,” he said. In 1986, the late Grand Chief Donald Marshall, Sr. proclaimed Oct. 1 as Mi’kmaq Treaty Day following the 1985 Supreme Court of Canada ruling in James Simon hunting rights case. In it, the highest court ruled that Mi’kmaq people have a treaty right to hunt under the Peace and Friendship Treaty of 1752 signed between the Mi’kmaq and the British Crown. The treaty calls for a gathering to take place every Oct. 1 to renew friendships and exchange gifts. In September 1999, his son, Donald Marshall, Jr. celebrated his own court victory when the Supreme Court of Canada overturned his conviction of catching and selling eels without a license. In the ruling, five of [...]

Marshall’s family want chiefs to honour promise

Maureen Googoo — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 22:00:20 +0000

Simon Marshall says he just wants Atlantic aboriginal leaders to honour a promise they made to his brother, the late Donald Marshall, Jr., to compensate him for his fishing rights court battle. “He spent seven years in court and they offered a settlement to him,” Marshall, 42, said while holding a protest sign outside of the Lord Nelson Hotel on Wednesday afternoon. “Only one per cent followed through in honouring the settlement,” he said. Marshall and several other family members held signs outside of the Lord Nelson Hotel on South Park Street just as the Union of Nova Scotia Indians was set to begin its 40th annual general assembly inside. Chiefs from seven Mi’kmaq communities in Nova Scotia sit on the board of directors of UNSI. “We want to bring attention to the chiefs that we’re here to stand for Donald,” Marshall said. Donald Marshall, Jr. won a seven-year court battle to have his illegal fishing conviction overturned. On Sept. 17. 1999, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that Marshall had a treaty right to commercially fish for a moderate livelihood. The ruling prompted the federal government to sign multi-million dollar fishing deals with the majority of Mi’kmaq and Maliseet [...]