Eagle feathers introduced to Nova Scotia court system for legal affirmations

Indigenous peopleinvolved in court matters in Nova Scotia will now have access to eagle feathers for affirmations, or oath swearing.

Members of the Nova Scotia judiciary officially adopted the symbolic items at a ceremony in Halifax Thursday.

Around 30 feathers, harvested by the Mi'kmaqin their ancestral territory ofMi'kma'kiwhich includes Nova Scotia, PEI and parts of New Brunswick,were blessed and presented to judiciary staff.Two feathers are being distributed to each of the main courthouses across the province one for courtroom use and one to be made available at courthouse reception.

"It's afull circle moment for me," said Charlotte Poulette, who is Mi'kmaw of We'koqm'aqFirst Nation in Cape Breton.

Poulette was asked to provide a witnessstatementin a legal matterin 2016.RCMP officersinvolved in the investigation asked her to swear an oath on the Bible, and Pouletterefused.

Hermotheris a survivor ofShubenacadieIndian Residential School andthoughts of the Catholic Church can bepainful, she said.

"I got really upset with thembecause I wanted the eagle feather," she said.

"I am not swearing on a Bible."

Poulettesaidthat while theRCMPofferedher an alternative to provide a sworn statement, having her culture's traditions represented would have helped to ease her distress.

"It was a really difficult moment in my life," she said.

"I needed [the] creator by my side that day. I was praying for strength and to find the right words ... Now, with this ceremony today, that moment in my life came full circle."

'A connection to spirit'

Chief PJ Prosperof PaqtnkekFirst Nation in Nova Scotia led the judiciary ceremony in prayer and provided those in attendance some teachings on the sacredness and symbolism behind the feathers.

"For a lot of Aboriginal people, it provides a connection to spirit. It provides a connection to their place in the world," hesaid.

"When you have the criminal justice system recognizing the connection and the importance of the eagle feather, it makes it all the more relevant for [Indigenous Peoples]to participate in that system."

Prosper said that the eaglefeathers, though a important step forward, are just a small part of what needs to happen in the justice system.

"There's certainly more to do," he said."There's a long ways to go innon-Indigenoussocietyfor government to address the gaps involved with Aboriginal peoples in the justice system."

"There definitely needs to be a way beyond process and punishment to address the issues we face at a community level."

'We could learn a lot': Chief Justice

"I can tell you this is probably the proudest moment I have,"Michael MacDonald, Chief Justice of Nova Scotia, told the Mi'kmaq and judiciary staff at the ceremony.

"I've been involved in the conventional ... colonial justice system for a long time, and let's acknowledge that it has significant problems in criminal law, in family law. It strikes me, friends,that we could learn a lot from our Mi'kmaw friends and their approaches to justice."

Further to theeagle feather initiative and its required educational components, the Nova Scotia judiciary hasbeen engaging in cultural competency training, led in part byMi'kmawofficials, and visiting communities to discussthe issuestheMi'kmaqare facing.