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WULUST’AGOOGA’WIKS
WULUST ’AGOOGA ’WIKS PEOPLE OF THE BEAUTIFUL RIVER
PNMV Journal (free translation) Volume 8 number 2 July 2016
217, rue de la Grève, Cacouna, G0L 1G0
POW-WOW
AUGUST 13-14
The new Council 217, rue de la Grève
Cacouna, QC, G0L 1G0
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Word from the Grand Chief
QEY members of the Nation!
First, I want to express my gratitude for the vote of confidence you have given me in the
election on June 12th. The result is clear and I will implement my political program
presented for my nomination and during the general assembly. I welcome the high rate of
voting (approximately 46%) which shows the interest of members to devote themselves to
the development of the Maliseet of Viger First Nation (MVFN). I will be the representative of
all members of the Nation.
As you know, my political program includes elements such as the development of the
reserve Whitworth, the participation of MVFN in the project of the port of Cacouna, revising
our rules of governance including the role of elected representatives and the associated
compensation and transparency in the operation of the Band Council.
I have already implemented some elements of my program, to the effect that a reduction of
the overall compensation of chief position by 15%. The day after the elections, I met with
my Council, employees of the MVFN to inform them of my intentions of a separation
between politics and administration also to share with them our vision and priorities. I started thinking about our governance and
by the time you read this, mandates with the objectives of outcomes have been given. Finally, I distributed the responsibilities of
Economic Development, Health & Education, Finance, Natural Resources & Planning. Each folder will be shared between two elect-
ed to promote teamwork within the Council. I will be responsible for Claims & Governance folder. In the coming weeks I prioritize
transparency towards members through better information via our website and shall reopen the Toku management company to
prepare the development of the Whitworth reserve.
Not to forget the socio-economic and cultural fields, I will be happy to meet you in the Maliseet brotherhood during our pow-wow,
held on August 13 and 14 in Cacouna. In closing, I would like to thank all members of the previous Council under the leadership of
Ms. Anne Archambault for their work for the Nation.
Jacques Tremblay, Grand chief
SUMMARY Volume 8 number 2 - July 2016
MVFN CHIEFS
Page 3 Word from Kévin Morais
Word from Pierre Jenniss
Word from Claude Brière
NATURAL RESOURCES AND TERRITORY
Page 4 Word from Amélie Larouche
Energy East Pipeline project
The American eel
Page 5 Aboriginal camps, hunting, fishing
HEALTH AND EDUCATION
Page 6 Health and Education
Nicolas-Riou wind energy project
Word from the general director
Page 7 First Nations Youth summit
Page 8 Wind turbine course
CULTURE
Page 9 Pow-wow
Page 11 Matuweskewin artcraft shop
Page 12 Free activities for members
wulust’agooga’wiks – The Beautiful River People
Is a community newsletter printed in 900 copies and distributed primarily to members and published by the Maliseet of Viger First Nation in French and English. Our community newsletter wants to be a unifying communication tool for our members and partners and inform them of our community’s projects and accomplishments. If you have suggestions or comments, email us at [email protected]
Next edition : November 2016 Legal Deposit: Bibliothèque nationale du Québec and Bibliothèque nationale du Canada ISSN 1712-3402
Maliseet of viger first nation 217 de la Grève St., Cacouna (Québec) G0L 1G0 Telephone: 418.860.2393 Toll free: 1.888.399.2393 Fax: 418.867.3418
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MVFN chiefs
KÉVIN MORAIS Dear Maliseet of Viger First Nation members! I want to thank you for the confidence you showed me during the June 2016 election. It is with much motivation that I started my job on June 13. The following responsibilities were attributed to me: health, education and tax audit. As promised during my electoral speech I will be honest, transparent and will keep you informed. Rest assured dear members that these three points will be at the base of my work throughout my mandate… For any comments or questions, you can reach me by email at: [email protected] or the following telephone number: 418-894-7892. In the meantime, I wish you the best electoral mandate… Thanks again to all!
PIERRE JENNISS Hello dear Maliseet members, let me thank you for your support during the last election, I will do everything in my power to earn your trust and achieve satisfactory results for the community. The last few weeks have been very busy, I started reading different files and I’m trying to learn everything possible concerning the fisheries department. I’ve met Rivière-aux-Renards’ shrimp fishermen and byers, these meetings were very productive. I’m finalizing an agreement for a line of business, agreement that should nearly double revenues from previous years in the fishing activity. The fisheries department is vital to the Nation’s income, so I have to prioritize my efforts in this activity, when I have it well in hand, I will devote more time to the economic develop-ment. I want you to remember that Whitworth Reserve’s development is one of my priorities, I firmly believe that with an effective development we will provide more income for the Nation as well as jobs for our members. I know that many of you would like that we disclose more information on our work since we were elected, I want to say that we must proceed with caution not to hide things but in a concern to comply with the communications policy that we are putting in place. Our desire to be transparent is real, just as must as that of serving our community, we therefore have a responsibility to be careful. Rest assured that we have your best interests at heart. Once again thank you and until next time, Pierre Jenniss
CLAUDE BRIÈRE Qey dear Maliseet of Viger First Nation members, I’m very pleased to communicate with you today. I sincerely thank all members who gave me their trust at the June 12, 2016 election. I take this opportunity to remind you that I work only in the members best interests. I believe I can help to develop our nation and promote employment for our members in different departments of our organization. Grand Chief Jacques Tremblay has given different responsibilities to each chief counselors. For my part, I will for now, I will be responsible of the economic development department jointly with Pierre Jenniss. Also, I continue my collaboration with the hunting, fishing and trapping sector and the Aboriginal camps that are managed by the Natural Resources and Territory department. I’m implicated in Ronceveaux (74,8 MW) and Nicolas-Rioux (224,4 MW) wind farm projects. MVFN and eight Bas-St-Laurent MRCs have equal partnerships in those projects. From this partnerships, the Association Énergie Éolien Bas-St-Laurent (ÉÉBSL) was founded. The EDF EN Canada Company and ÉÉBSL Company are equal partners in this project. The Nicolas-Rioux project is located on the MRC des Basques territory (portion of MVFN ancestral land). The construction phase started in June 2016 and should end in December 2017, date of the start of the wind farm operations. Note that,
for this project, many jobs are available to Maliseet of Viger First Nation’s members. The construction project contractor’s coordinates are available in this newsletter. The Roncevaux wind farm project is situated in the MRC D’Avignon in the l’Acensions de Patapédia sector. The construction phase started in 2015 and should be operational in December 2016. The two wind farm projects should bring significant economic benefits tour Nation. These should be used for members and MVFN’s economic development projects. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions concerning the hunting, fishing and trapping activities or the Aboriginal camps. I’m open to your needs and requests, I will do my best to answer you appropriately and promptly. Finally, I wish you a great summer and hope to see many of you at the Pow Wow! Claude Brière
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Natural resources and territory
AMÉLIE LAROUCHE Qye Psi-wen. Thank you for your great vote of confidence in me that you have shown in the last election. I see this result as your approval facing the work I have done which greatly motivates me to add more passion and enthusiasm in everything I will do for you. This legitimacy I wear it, it will inspire me for the next four years. I, to this day, remains in charge of the department of natural resources and the territory of the MVFN (DRNT-MVFN) that controls the records of consultation and accommodation, environmental issues and projects, forest folders (maple-Parke), occupation of the territory, hunting, fishing and trapping. Claude Brière and Marie-Hélène Ouellet d'Amours always collaborate with industry activities, and is newly attached Audrey Carrier, responsible for Energy East Pipeline project to which we welcome in the DNRT-MVFN. Have a great summer and do not hesitate to contact me: [email protected] or 418-860-2393 Amélie Larouche
ENERGY EAST PIPELINE PROJECT Hello everyone! Following the election of the new Council, we continue to work in the Energy East Pipeline file. Before long we intend to send you the summary of the environmental report about last fall’s tour. Besides, if the entire document interests you, it will be possible to get it. Just send your request by contacting Audrey Carrier, Project Manager by email or phone. All the information needed to join is available on the website. For your information, the Nation Energy Board (NEB) will start its evaluation process on the Energy East Pipeline Project TransCanada early August. We will have to signal our intention to participate in the process to deposit a memory. That is why in the coming weeks you will be invited to get involved in the voting process, to enable us whether you support the project or not. It will be possible to fill the order questionnaire on paper or electronically our website. Thank you for remaining alert during this summer break! Audrey Carrier
THE AMERICAN EEL: A RESOURCE TO BE PROTECTED Is it a sneak? Despite its strange appearance, the American eel is rather a fish with an unusual life cycle. Dawning in the South Seas, the young eels gradually advance to freshwater to feed and grow. From 8 to 23years later, the adult eel begins his reproductive journey to the Sargasso Sea. It is the fish whose range is the most extensive along the Atlantic coastline covering from Brazil to Greenland. However, in Quebec as elsewhere, we notice the disappearance of this species in our water ways mainly because of its habitat fragmentation. In other words, the eel has no longer access to the water-ways that it had before for its growth. Usually ill-conceived streams or dams block the eel’s access to what it had before. That is why the species is de-clared as threatened in Canada since 2012.
According to Michaud (2003), « [for the maliseet people,] eel fishing is a true godsend. The meat drying and smoking activity occupies a large part of the fall activities. Maliseets should be thanked by the lower shore white people
for showing them how to smoke the fish, a custom which is still being practiced today [...] Maliseet know the Weirs fisheries tech-niques which consists of blocking the return to the sea of the fish when the tide drops [...] ». From a historical point of view, the eel was an important Maliseet food source. This information caught our interest and we wanted to act fast out of respect for this spe-cies, which was a great food supply for our ancestors.
Some of you will remember the eel migration barrier inventory project that took place sometime ago. Barriers were likely to
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prevent the eel upstream migration for their growth. That took place in 2013 (read the November 2013 Wulust’agooga’wiks news-letter). In 2016 we wanted to go farther with this project’s result: how can we help the young eels to pass through these « unsurmountable » obstacles? The Sept-Chutes dam, in Saint-Pascal-de-Kamouraska, gave us the opportunity to develop a restoration passage project for the American Eel in the Kamouraska River. After being certain that the passages are possible down river, we will check if the eels are there through a scientific fishing technique. We believe we will find eels at that place since we have proof that they were there before. Afterwards we will proceed to building a migratory pass created especially for that species that can live temporarily out of water on humid grounds. The operation success will be studied a few months later by two other scientific fishing technique which will take place farther in the river. Could young eels re-colonize areas of the Kamouraska River up the dam? Of course, we will keep you posted.
This year’s project as well as the 2013 project was made available through the Aboriginal Fund for Species at Risk at Environment Canada. Also, other partners joined us to make this project a success: le Ministère des Forest, de la Faune et des Parcs du Québec (MFFP), l’Organisme de bassins versants de Kamouraska, l’Islet et Rivière-du-Loup (OBAKIR), the Mi’gmag Maliseet Aboriginal Fisheries Management Association(MMAFMA) and the town of Saint-Pascal-de-Kamouraska. In addition to the protection of mother earth’s heritage, this projects shows that Maliseets are a regional wildlife records leader and create important links with the Lower Laurentian communities.
Marie-Hélène Ouellet D’Amours, Biol. MSc. [email protected]
Natural resources and territory
ABORIGINAL CAMP The DNRT-MVFN is happy to announce that 5 Maliseet are currently in the building process of their aboriginal camp. Therefore, it clearly means that the Government of the Maliseet First Nation reappropriates its ancestral territory and want to defend its rights. We can be proud and especially because everything takes place under a policy that we have drafted and adopted. The DRNT- MVFN team is more than happy to present you the photo of the first Maliseet camp from our own governance.
COMMUNITY FISHING Community fishing will take place on August 5-6-7 on Duchénier Wildlife Sanctuary in Lake des Baies, we invite you there. HUNTING hunting moose packages are still available on the Duchénierwildlife reserve. For any information regarding the Energy East Pipeline, contact Audrey Carrier : [email protected]
For any question regarding community fishing and hunting packages, contact Claude Brière : [email protected]
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Health and Education
IMPORTANT WIND ENERGY NICOLAS-RIOU There will be 5 to 10 positions available for wind energy maintenance technicians for the Nicolas-Riou Wind Energy Project in the Lower St. Lawrence region, close to Trois-Pistoles. This will include 1,395 hours (14 months) of training at the Cégep de Gaspé with the possibility of taking part of the training at the Cégep de Rivière-du-Loup. The training is expected to begin in September 2016. These jobs may possibly become permanent jobs for 25 years. All interested candidates: Please send your contact information as soon as possible at [email protected] and you will be contacted and assisted through the registration process.* ____________________________ * Certain prerequisites will be needed for this training
HEALTH You can contact us anytime should you need help for questions such as: Is a drug covered or not, To send documents to Health Canada, Any other information; ex: check your claim status, make an appeal for a decision made by Health Canada. Make sur to always keep your original invoices, they are necessary to present in your claim, also, expect approximately a 6 week delay of response. Keep in mind that Maliseet of Viger First Nation has no authority in deciding what should be receivable by Health Canada NIHB*program (*Non-insured health benefits) You can also directly contact Health Canada at 1-877-483-1575. EDUCATION Reminder to all post-secondary students of the documents required by INAC: Proof that you are a full-time student (or part-time) Registration invoice, Lease (or proof of leasing) Grade transcript (most recent), Indian registration card (054) Copy of your diplomas These documents are important so your file is up-to-date and necessary for the funding received by Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada (INAC). IMPORTANT: You must inform us of any changes to your student status: if you change program, become part-time student, you stop your studies or have a child. Feel free to contact us if you have any questions. If you wish to become a student (check your eligibility), you could receive a grant for: living out expenses, tuition fees and school supplies reimbursement, send your request to the post-secondary department. The yearly up-dated 2016-2017 post-secondary policy is available upon request.
WORD FROM GENERAL DIRECTOR Qey community members, First of all congratulations to the newly elected chiefs. The day after their election, they have met with employees and their message was very well received. Also, thanks to the former elected officials for their dedication to the Nation. The transition of records are performed smoothly with the new members. Member participation in the general assembly was productive and high, as twenty resolutions were debated. To the members who were present at the general assembly, you received our audited financial statements for 2015-2016 and our results give off a surplus of 805,306$ up 72% from the previous fiscal year. Our financial statements are on our website. At the administrative level, union negotiations have started. Five (5) meetings with the union executive committee were held and they will resume after the vacation. Also, we are currently reviewing our human resource need, watch our jobs offers on our website. On it, we will also enhance transparency between the decisions of the Council and members of the community. Therewith, all the administrative team wishes you a great summer!
François Pelletier CRIA
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Health and Education
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Health and Education
***IN FRENCH ONLY***
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Culture
POW—WOW, AUGUST 13-14TH Our Pow Wow’s Rassemblement de la route des Sauvages eighth edition will take place soon. This event that started humbly enjoys now a certain reputation in our community and our region. A small Pow Wow…of high quality… This family event aims to bring together First Nation’s artists, craftsmen and their guests. This celebration will allow our members and many Lower St-Laurent visitors to better understand our traditions, our culture, our history…Also we are celebrating the fifth year of the cultural partnership between Cacouna Municipality and Maliseet of Viger First Nation continues. Titled «Deux Nations, Une Fête» will feature «Cacouna Historical Festival» (fifth edition) and «Rassemblement de la route des Sauvages» (eighth edition) will be held together on August 13-14, 2016. During these two days we will celebrate «Maliseet of Viger First Nation’s» culture and guests, through demonstrations of our knowledge, arts and crafts booths, open creative workshops, speakers, multimedia immersive installation on the theme of reconnecting with nature, interpretation of the First Arrival’s customs, music and sampling of traditional food. All of these family oriented events are free. For more info, [email protected] or 418-860-2393.
2016 PROGRAM
DRUM MAKING WORKSHOP by Ken Ratte
TRADITIONAL COOKING by Allen Grégoire
FANCY SHAWL DANCE CLASS by Ivanie Aubin-Malo
ART AND ARTCRAFT by Pierre Morais, France Aubin, Steven Neill and Kateri Dubois
HENNA TATTOO by Isabelle Breault
TRAPPING WORKSHOP by Stéphane Brière
KAPSKUKSISOK DANCE GROUP from Madawaska
CONFERENCE ON MALISEET FAMILIES by Ghislain Michaud
WORKSHOP ON TOTEM ANIMALS by Fabienne Gingras
DRUM AND SINGING ANIMATION by Hermel Tremblay
HISTOIRY OF INDIGENOUS PEOPLE by Archie Martin
MULTIMEDIA EXPERIENCE—RECONNECT WITH NATURE by Daniel Brière
SEAFOOD AND WOOD MEAT CANTEEN SERVICE
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Culture
MATUWESKEWIN CRAFT SHOP
The shop is open everyday until september 5th from 9am to 5 pm. Come take a look at the art and craft of maliseet members such
as Pierre Morais, Daniel Brière, Francine Larouche, Hermel Tremblay, Steven Neill, Alphonse Rioux and regional products of artists
and crafstmen.
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Culture
***In French only***
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Culture
RECTIFICATION All pages about Maliseet on Facebook are in no way supported by the Council of the MVFN. Comments and interpretations that you might find are not under the administration of the Maliseet of Viger First Nation. The MVFN don’t have an official Facebook page yet. For questions regarding the different departments, please refer to the administrative center by calling 418-860-2393. Thank you for your understanding.
ARCHEOLOGICAL DIG ON THE ANCESTRAL TERRITORY Curious about archaeology? Take part in an archaeological dig in the Lac-Témiscouata Park and learn the different techniques related to this discipline! The activity will take place at the Park Saturday, July 30th at 1pm. Entrance to the site and activity are free. Also, financial compensation for traveling. Limited places, msg me ([email protected]) for registration before July 27. *ACTIVITY IN FRENCH*
Description of the excavated site : the site of the Iron Earth has been used by humans for millennia. Discovered in 1963 by archaeologist Charles Martin, this site is particularly sensitive to degradation, primarily by shoreline erosion. A large concentration of prehistoric material can be found there. This territory was a place of passage for thousands of years by first Paleoindian and in this historical continuity, by the Maliseet . Near the site, there are also a pine that was planted by the MVFN in 2013 to mark the the Maliseet presence on this territory.
FREE ACTIVITIES FOR THE MEMBERS
LEARN TO TRAP Want to sharpen your hunting skills? Follow Stéphane Briere in the forest to know the different traps and trapping techniques. The workshop will take place Saturday, November 19 in Rimouski, the exact location will be specified soon. For registration : [email protected] before September 5th.
*ACTIVITY IN FRENCH*
Quartier des spectacles de Montréal, August 3th to August 10th
For more info : www.presenceautochtone.ca
