Andrew Taylor

Returning to A’se’k

A’se’K, meaning “the other room,” is a former tidal estuary in Pictou County, Nova Scotia that was once the provider and the heart of the Pictou Landing First Nation. For the Mi’kmaq community, it supported the “good life” — nourishing, thriving, and sustaining. The “good life” was halted in 1967 when the Northern Pulp mill contaminated A’se’K beyond recognition with industrial pulp effluent. In 2020, the mill ceased operation and now remediation is underway. This thesis aims to offer a landscape strategy for the community to reclaim and re-engage in lost local knowledge and cultural practices associated with the waters of A’se’K.

Advisor: Liat Margolis