Mi'kmaq, Parks Canada celebrate P.E.I. National Park agreement on Treaty Day - Action News
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PEI

Mi'kmaq, Parks Canada celebrate P.E.I. National Park agreement on Treaty Day

A signed agreement that gives Mi'kmaqcommunities co-management responsibilities for P.E.I. National Park and historic sites on Prince Edward Island is being hailed as a 'significant step' toward self-governance and reconciliation.

Ongoing relationship has been made official for future generations, Parks Canada says

Two women standing in front of Epekwitk sign and bald eagle ornament.
Tracey Cutcliffe of L'nuey, left, and Karen Jans of Parks Canada say it's important for the Mi'kmaq to have stewardship over Crown land. (Nicola MacLeod/CBC)

A signed agreement that gives Mi'kmawcommunities co-management responsibilities for P.E.I. National Park and historic sites on Prince Edward Island is being hailed as a "significant step"toward self-governance and reconciliation.

The agreement formalizes a relationship between Parks Canada and the Epekwitnewaq Mi'kmaq that has been in place for years, ensuring a shared commitment the land will be maintained in accordance with Indigenous rights and culture.

P.E.I. National Park is made up of land around Cavendish, Brackley and Greenwich beaches, including sites that have been in use by Indigenous people for millennia. Some of the national park sites include Province House, the historic seat of the provincial legislature.

Ministers signed off on the agreement in July, when it was announced that the Mi'kmaq would co-manage the new Pituamkek National Park Reserve, on a chain of islands off the province's North Shore.

The parties used Treaty Day on Tuesday to make the announcement more public.

Aerial view of P.E.I. shoreline.
The agreement includes land around Cavendish Beach on P.E.I.'s North Shore. (Parks Canada)

"The Mi'kmaq are effectively sitting at a governance table for upwards of 7,000 acres of really important, protected lands," said Tracey Cutcliffe, a senior negotiator for L'nuey, a group representing the two Mi'kmaq first nations on P.E.I.

"That is a significant step in the journey towards reclaiming their role as [a] self-governing nation that they have been for eons here on Prince Edward Island."

Darlene Bernard, chief of Lennon Island First Nation, said it's important for the Mi'kmaq to have stewardship over Crown land, including the Pituamkek National Park Reserve.

'Together we can make great things happen': P.E.I. celebrates Treaty Day

5 days ago
Duration 1:38
Oct. 1 is Treaty Day, which officially recognizes the pact of peace, friendship and respect between the Mi'kmaq and the Crown. CBC's Nicola MacLeod took in a ceremony in Charlottetown and spoke to Lennox Island First Nation Chief Darlene Bernard about the significance of the day.

"I know some people were a little bit worried about that, like 'What does that mean? We're not going to be able to go there.' No, that's not what it means. You're probably going to have even better access to the park once we get it established and things are all up and running."

Sign along a gravel path in wooded area.
Mi'kmaw signage is already present in some areas alongside English and French wording, such as at the Greenwich Dunes Trail. (Parks Canada)

Karen Jans, the field unit superintendent for Parks Canada on P.E.I., said visitors shouldn't notice many big changes, because they've already been working to have a visible Mi'kmaw representation through signage, place names and the sharing of culture and beliefs.

What it does, she said, is solidify the "important" relationship with Mi'kmaqinto the future.

"We've been incredibly privileged here in Prince Edward Island to have an extraordinary relationship with the First Nations, one that isI think, you know, everybody involved, we feel humbled by it, but very much excited about what the future holds."

Corrections

  • A previous version of this story stated that L'nuey represents Mi'kmaqliving on P.E.I. In fact, the group represents the two Mi'kmaq first nations on P.E.I.
    Oct 03, 2024 9:01 AM AT

With files from Nicola MacLeod