Revenue Sharing 101: Vol. 1 - Our Shared Past ENG

MI’GMAWEI PAST - PRESENT - FUTURE VOL. 1 - OUR SHARED PAST

Citizens of Gespe’gewa’gi, The Mi’gmawei Mawiomi Secretariat (MMS) will be publishing three volumes of this Handbook “Mi’gmawei Past-Present-Future” over the next few months, leading up to an historic Revenue Sharing agreement signing in 2016, the date is still to be determined. We will share the date as soon as we have it confirmed.

In all transparency, the leadership of Gesgapegiag, Gespeg and Listuguj (as represented by the Mi’gmawei Mawiomi or the MM) will provide accurate and up-to-date information on all of the initiatives being undertaken by MMS to generate revenue that will benefit Gesgapegiag, Gespeg and Listuguj.

Along with this Handbook, MMS will also be providing a number of other documents and information about revenue sharing and our ongoing efforts towards greater self-sufficiency, self-determination and self-governance. We are updating our web site so we welcome you to visit our site at www.migmawei.ca in February for more details.

We are proud to present to you Volume I. This Volume provides an overview and background about the Mi’gmawei Mawiomi (MM), the MMS and a history of our territory and our rights as well as information on how MM and MMS started on this path towards securing own source revenues. In February, we will present Volume II, focused on the present and in March, we will publish Volume III, focused on the future.

On behalf of MMS, we provide this informative Handbook which reminds us all of the proud history we share as Mi’gmaq and the bright future we will have as we work together.

Troy Jerome Executive Director - Nutewistoq

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Volume 1 -Our Shared Past

contents index Letter from Executive Director

Contents/Index

Page 2

Page 3

Gesgapegiag • Gespeg • Listuguj

Introduction

Timeline: Milestone Events

Page 4

Page 5

Gespeg

The Secretariat (MMS)

Mi’gmawei Mawiomi (MM)

3 Communities Working Together

Who We Are and What We Do

Page 6 & 7

Page 8 & 9

Our Territory: Gespe’gewa’gi

Our Mi’gmaq Rights

Page 10 & 11

Page 12

Gesgapegiag

Rebuilding Our Nation:

In Our Next Volume...

Our Land, AListuguj Wealth of Opportunities

Page 14

Page 13

www.migmawei.ca MMS Vision www.aboutourland.ca Page 16 facebook.com/migmawei

Glossary Page 15 Mi’gmawei Mawiomi Secretariat

Office Address/ Adresse du bureau 2 Riverside West • P.O. Box 135 Listuguj, (Qc) • Gespe’gewa’gi, Canada G0C 2R0

Tel/Tél: (418)-788-1760 Toll free: Sans frais: 1-(800)-370-1760 Fax/Télecopieur: (418)-788-1315 E-mail/Courriel: secretariat@migmawei.ca Produced and Printed at MMS. © 2016 Mi’gmawei

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introduction Past, Present, future A CHOSEN JOURNEY Collective Strength through Collaboration With strong communities, organizations and corporations that grow, invest, create employment and support each other, Gespe’gewa’gi will thrive.

The Leadership of the Mi’gmawei Mawiomi sees that the key to our self-determination is economic development (with own-source revenues). We see many resource development projects in Gespe’gewa’gi. Now is the time for Mi’gmaq to participate and benefit from this resource and economic development.

In 2000, the leaders of the three communities of Gesgapegiag, Gespeg and Listuguj came together and signed a Political Accord and created the Mi’gmawei Mawiomi (MM). This recognized and formalized a relationship that had existed for many generations and strengthened our social, linguistic, cultural, political, governing and geographical relationship. The MM is comprised of the Chiefs and Councillors from the three communities.

The MM needed an Administrative entity to realize its Vision, and as a result the Mi’gmawei Mawiomi Secretariat (MMS) was established.

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Our relationship continues to strengthen, and as such, a broad consensus had emerged on the importance of shifting the development progress in Gespe’gewa’gi towards our benefit and bringing in revenues to speed up positive changes for our Mi’gmaq way-of-life in Gespe’gewa’gi.

In order to generate revenue, MM has created a business entity called the Mi’gmawei Mawiomi Business Corporation (MMBC). The MMBC explores and develops new business and economic development opportunities, with the goal of generating revenue to benefit our three communities.

Governance defines how relationships between a Nation and its citizens are organized, how money is collected and spent, and how people participate in the common quest for a better life and shared prosperity for all.

Governance must be as central to shaping efforts beyond 2016 as it is in shaping our realities on a daily basis.

This handbook, which is the first volume of three, is created to help explain the past and present relationship of our three communities, the role of the MM and MMS, how we all take care of our territory and bring about a future of Mi’gmaq prosperity, self-reliance and independence.

Volume 1 -Our Shared Past

timeline milestone events 2000 The Mi’gmawei Mawiomi was founded by

consent of the leadership of Gesgapegiag, Gespeg and Listuguj, through the signing of the Political Accord.

2001 The Mi’gmawei Mawiomi Secretariat

offices are officially opened.

2003 The assembly of the Mi’gmawei Mawiomi

agree on and sign the MM Vision, MM Mission and Principles of Engagement.

2005 The Gespe’gewa’gigewei Saqamawuti

Proclamation is signed by the eight Mi’gmaq communites of the Seventh District.

2006 The Niganita’suatas’gl Ilsutagann is

signed. This is the “without prejudice” process entered into for future negotiations with Canada and Quebec.

2007 The Nm’tginen: Statement of Claim is filed with the Canadian and Quebec Governments. This document states the position of the Gespe’gewa’gi Mi’gmaq with regard to our Mi’gmaq Title and Aboriginal rights to the territory.

2009 The Consultation and Accommodation

Unit is formed at MMS.

2013 The Mi’gmawei Mawiomi Business

Corporation is created.

2014 The Power Purchase Agreement (PPA)

was signed for a 150-MegaWatt Wind Project.

2015 Construction begins on the Mesgi’g

Ugju’s’n Wind Farm.

We are always reminded that all this began with the signing of the Political Accord on August 4, 2000 where our 3 communities began to work together with the mission of repatriating our lands and having development projects while moving towards self-determination, which means making our own decisions.

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The

Mi’gmawei Mawiomi (MM)

Who

is Mi’gmawei Mawiomi?

What

does the Mi’gmawei Mawiomi do?

doe

The MM has

The The Mi’gmawei Mi’gmawei Mawiomi Mawiomi (MM) is is comprised of the 3 Chiefs and 27 Councillors, along with 9 Elders as advisors

from the communities of

Gesgapegiag, Gespeg and Listuguj.

The MM was created by the Political Accord in 2000.

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1. Citizen Engagemen

mandated to work by consensus to

uphold and respect

Mi’gmaq rights and title over Gespe’gewa’gi and to

guide and support Mi’gmaq economic and social development.

Volume 1 -Our Shared Past

2. Our Const Our Gov

The

Mi’gmawei Mawiomi (MM)

What

How

are the MM Vision and Mission Statements?

es the Mi’gmawei Mawiomi do its work?

s mandated the MMS to pursue four

Vision:

Strategic Initiatives:

nt

titution / vernance

3. Continuous Presence throughout Gespe’gewa’gi

An Independent (self-sustaining, self-determining) Mi’gmaq Government based on a Constitution that promotes & protects the rights, freedoms and well-being of the L’nu (the people).

Mission: 4. Growing our Economy

To uphold, reaffirm and respect the treaty and Aboriginal rights and aspirations of our people by rebuilding the Mi’gmaq Nation through the repatriation of lands, resources and surrounding waters.

This is achieved by forging alliances to support the pursuit of Mi’gmaq self-determination{...} and by strengthening our traditional and cultural norms and practices and other capacity and nation building endeavours.

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The

Mi’gmawei Mawiomi Secretariat (MMS)

What

Who

does the MMS do?

is the MMS? The Mi’gmawei Mawiomi

Secretariat (MMS) is the

Administrative body that carries out the work for the Mi’gmawei Mawiomi (MM),

thus it is an organization that works to advance the Rights of the Mi’gmaq of Gespe’gewa’gi.

The MMS has staff from Gesgapegiag, Gespeg and Listuguj.

Together, they are working on building capacity within the communities to advance the Mi’gmaq Nation towards self-determination and ensuring

a healthy Mi’gmaq economy while protecting our rights and freedoms.

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The role of the MMS is to support

the work set out by the MM, this includes coordinating and supporting the discussions, activities and broad goals of the Mi’gmawei Mawiomi.

The MMS also implements the Vision and the four Strategic Initiatives of the Mi’gmawei Mawiomi (in the areas of Citizen Engagement, Governance, Asserting our Rights throughout Gespe’gewa’gi and Growing Our Economy).

The MMS has a responsibility to recruit, select and retain the best possible staff, with a preference for Mi’gmaq citizens from Gesgapegiag, Gespeg and Listuguj.

Volume 1 -Our Shared Past

The

Mi’Gmawei Mawiomi secretariat (MMS)

Who

is the Secretariat staff?

Troy Jerome

Laura Vicaire-Johnson

MMS Executive Director-Nutewistoq

Manager, Consultation & Accommodation

Chastity Mitchell

Matt Lehoux-Gray

Information/Records Manager

Activity Coordinator, Ango’tmeq Nm’tginen

Tanya Barnaby

Director, Ango’tmeq Nm’tginen

Erika Barnaby

Administrative Assistant, Ango’tmeq Nm’tginen

Richard Jeannotte

Phillippe LeBlanc

Christina Burnsed

Legal Counsel

I/T Management

Finance Manager

Juliette Barnaby

Andrew Lavigne

Lucie Mercier

Office Manager

Communications / Production

Lisa Gedeon

Blair Metallic

General Office Clerk

Communications / Writer

Volume 1 -Our Shared Past

Finance Clerk

Tammy Martin

Community Liaison, Consultation & Accommodation

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Our Territory What

were the activities occurring on our territory THEN?

Governing Harvesting Trading

T

Gespe’gewa’gi: then & Now

he scope of our Mi’gmaq territory, which is composed of seven districts, includes Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, and New Brunswick as well as the Gaspe Peninsula.

Gespe’gewa’gi, meaning “Last Land,” is the 7th District of the Mi’gmaq Nation and includes the present communities of Gespeg, Gesgapegiag, and Listuguj. Gespe’gewa’gi is the largest district of the Mi’gmaq Nation, encompassing all the land north of the Miramichi River system, the Acadian Peninsula, the Gaspe Peninsula and westward to present-day Riviere du Loup and the surrounding waters.

The idea of ‘owning’ land is a more European concept and not in line with the Mi’gmaq worldview. When we say that Gespe’gewa’gi is ours it is understood that our ancestors upheld our cultural responsibility as Caretakers of this land and of all its living creatures. The Creator entrusted us with this territory to occupy and use since the air, land, and waters have all the necessities to sustain our lives and help our communities flourish. The territory provides everything we need and in return we conserve and protect that territory. Maintaining this ancestral relationship and adapting it to present realities is an essential part of our cultural, political, and economic endeavours.

Managing Spirituality Treaty Making Elder quote taken from “Nm’tginen”.

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Volume 1 -Our Shared Past

Gespe’gewa’gi: then & Now

Our Territory

We, the Mi’gmaq, being among the earliest and still surviving Nations to be colonized by Europeans, have had to contend with over 300 years of colonization and assimilation. The effects of colonization are still apparent today throughout our territory. The life-giving earth, water, trees, and animals that we are entrusted to respect and nurture are being compromised by companies that seek a profit from our territory through oil, gas, forestry, and mineral exploitation.

As Caretakers of this territory, we must ensure that resource development is carried out according to our Aboriginal rights through meaningful consultation and accommodation. It is our sacred responsibility to maintain our land and its resources, and to mitigate impacts of outside developement.

As our Ancestors have done, we, the modern Mi’gmaq Nation, plan to sustain ourselves physically, culturally, spiritually and economically from the land, air and surrounding waters of Gespe’gewa’gi.

Read more about our current Natural Resources projects we are involved with in our next volume, “Our Present”, coming out in March 2016.

What

other activities are occurring on our territory NOW?

Energy Environment Forestry Mining Oil & Gas Wildlife

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our mi’gmaQ rights Treaty, Title & Aboriginal rights The Mi’gmaq Nation has inhabited Gespe’gewa’gi since time immemorial and has lived and sustained itself on its air, land, and waters and has existing Aboriginal rights, Title and Treaty rights throughout the territory.

We are bringing the Mi’gmaq value of caretaking to positively impact the territory into our resource development. The idea of caretaking means “conserving, preserving, managing, protecting, or safeguarding”.

Aboriginal rights are understood as practices, customs, and traditions that distinguish the unique culture for each Nation that were practiced before European contact and continue to be practiced today. There are two ways of looking at our rights: the legal perspective and the Mi’gmaq view. In Canada, legally, Aboriginal rights are protected under Section 35 of the Constitution Act. It is important to note that Section 35 recognizes Aboriginal Rights, but did not create them. Our Mi’gmaq Rights have existed since pre-colonial times. As a Nation, we have Rights and Title that flow from what has been given to us from Creation.

Mi’gmaq rights and title allow us to access and use our resources. In keeping with our sacred responsibility, this development must occur while ensuring that resources are protected for future generations. Living our rights is not just about what we can access today, its also about managing and how the Mi’gmaq can be caretakers of the resources in the present and in the future. This is why it is so important that the Mi’gmaq work together to create guidelines and laws through consensus to fulfill our rights and responsibilities.

The Mi’gmawei Mawiomi wishes to protect, promote, and implement the Mi’gmaq Constitutional right by participating and benefitting from development in Gespe’gewa’gi.

We have the inherent right to self-government and to make our own decisions, especially concerning our natural resources.

Protect Promote Implement

our Mi’gmaq Constitutional Rights 12

Volume 1 -Our Shared Past

rebuilding our nation Our land, a wealth of opportunities Our ancestors were caretakers over the land and its resources. Today, because of them and their careful conservation, we have an abundant supply of resources that we are re-claiming for our people to share.

Even if one is not a hunter, fisher, or harvester, how the resources are managed is still important to everyone. Our ancestors accepted the duty to ensure an abundance of our natural resources for future generations – this is something we can all agree that we must continue.

Our Nation is living within a territory that is rich with a variety of natural resources that modern government and industry have been exploring and exploiting without full consultation and participation of the Mi’gmaq. These resources include oil & gas, wind, wildlife, forests and minerals.

It is essential for our people to not sit on the sidelines and watch others take advantage of our territory.

We, as a unified Mi’gmaq Nation, can continue to exercise our rights and title over our territory and its wealth of resources. As a Nation, we must take ownership and direct how the Industry and Crown will access our resources and to what extent. With a Gespe’gewa’gi Management Plan (GMP), we can ensure that we will remain active participants in the various fields of natural resource development in Gespe’gewa’gi. This will be the legacy that we leave for our children and our children’s children.

We owe it to our past, present, and future generations to act and exercise our rights over our land and its wealth that have been exploited without our say and share of the profits for too long.

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In Our Next volume: We thank you for taking the time to read this first volume of three.

IN OUR NEXT VOLUME … Our Shared Present Volume 2 will include more details about current revenue generating projects underway and how the MMS and MMBC are looking at initiatives in the areas of wind, mining, forestry, fishing, oil & gas, as well as other resource development opportunities. We will also feature our newly created land and resource directorate here at the MMS: Ango’tmeg Nm’tginen.

Our Shared Present will feature these topics: the Revenue Sharing process, the Gespe’gewa’gi Management Plan (Land & Marine Use Plan), Governance and Nation Building, and understanding Ulo’gnitew.

G E M T ’ O G AN N E N I G T ’ M N king Care Of Our Territory Ta

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glossarydefinitions of key terms Glossary TERM DEFINITION Aboriginal Title

Collective Right of the people to a defined territory.

Accommodation

To adjust something for a different situation or different circumstances, such as adjusting a plan to take into consideration the needs of other people.

Ango’tmeg Nm’tginen

“Taking care of our territory,”; also refers to the newly created land & resource directorate within MMS.

Caretaker

Conserving, preserving, managing, protecting, or safeguarding something such as a natural resource. Exactly the opposite of destroying, wasting, neglecting, or using up.

Claim A legal process to obtain a right by demand under the law, such as a land claim for

property or territory that one believes he/she/they own.

Constitution

The system of fundamental principles according to which a nation, state, corporation, or the like, is governed, or the document embodying these principles.

Consultation

The action of asking or conferring with others about an issue or problem; dialogue and agreement between parties who disagree about something.

Gespe’gewa’gi It is one of the seven Districts of the Mi’gma’gi Nation. It translates to “The Last Land”.

Governance

The action, manner, or power of governing. To make and administer the public policy and affairs of (a nation, for example).

Independence

Not influenced or controlled by others in matters of opinion, conduct etc.; thinking or acting for oneself: not subject to another’s authority or jurisdiction; autonomous; free.

L’nu The people (a Mi’gmaq citizen).

Nation

A large body of people, associated with a particular territory, that is sufficiently conscious of its unity to seek or to possess a government peculiarly its own.

Own-Source Revenue

Revenues that come in through various streams, either generated by Mi’gmaq development projects or through agreements, which will benefit all Mi’gmaq citizens in Gespe’gewa’gi.

Resource(s)

A supply of something, either material or non-material, that has value to someone or some group. Resources can be money, property, cultural or artistic items, talents, money, or something occurring naturally such as forests, animals, or minerals.

Right

A legally, morally, or traditionally just and obligatory claim to something.

Self-Determination

Independence, freedom, the ability to exercise one’s rights and privileges as one sees fit, and the ability to choose one’s own actions and future.

Shareholders

Shareholders partially own a company. The three Mi’gmaq communities located on the territory of Gespe’gewa’gi are the shareholders of MMBC.

Ulo’gnitew

Mi’gmaq communal well-being.

Office Address/ Adresse du bureau 2 Riverside West • P.O. Box 135 Listuguj, (Qc) • Gespe’gewa’gi, Canada G0C 2R0

Tel/Tél: (418)-788-1760 Toll free: Sans frais: 1-(800)-370-1760 Fax/Télecopieur: (418)-788-1315 E-mail/Courriel: secretariat@migmawei.ca

Vision An independent Mi’gmaq Government based on a Constitution that promotes & protects the rights, freedoms and well-being of the L’nu.

Gesgapegiag • Gespeg • Listuguj

www.migmawei.ca www.aboutourland.ca facebook.com/migmawei

La Nation Micmac de Gespeg

Listuguj Mi’gmaq Government

Micmacs of Gesgapegiag

C.P. 69 Fontenelle, QC G0E 1H0 Tel : (418) 368-6005 Fax : (418) 368-1272

17 Riverside West P.O. Box 298 Listuguj, QC G0C 2R0 Tel: (418) 788-2136 Fax: (418) 788-2058

100 Perron Blvd P.O. Box 1280 Gesgapegiag, QC G0C 1Y0 Tel : (418) 759-3441 Fax: (418) 759-5856