6:00 PM
via ZOOM

On behalf of the Senate Committee on Reconciliation, you are invited you to take part in a documentary film screening and a discussion on the issues underlining the fishing situation in Nova Scotia. 

Documentary Film – “Is the Crown at War with Us” (2002) by Alanis Obomsawin  

In this feature-length documentary by Alanis Obomsawin, it's the summer of 2000 and the country watches in disbelief as federal fisheries wage war on the Mi'kmaq fishermen of Burnt Church, New Brunswick. Casting her cinematic and intellectual nets into history to provide context, Obomsawin delineates the complex roots of the conflict with passion and clarity, building a persuasive defence of the Mi'kmaq position. 

REGISTER FOR THE EVENT HERE

Members of the Sipekne'katik First Nation are exercising their treaty rights as well as their rights under a 1999 Supreme Court of Canada decision that provides for a moderate livelihood fishery. Commercial fishers in Nova Scotia have been protesting the fishery. A federally appointed mediator, the President of Université Sainte-Anne, has begun work and there are on-going discussions with the Department of Fisheries.    

This is an issue of national significance and as an institution of higher learning, we have a responsibility to our students to educate and engage. Fundamental to St. Thomas University’s commitment to reconciliation is an acknowledgement of past wrongs, understanding the substance and complexity of current issues, and recognizing the importance of dialogue and positive change. We can do this through class work, activities organized by the Wabanaki Centre, and special events that raise awareness. As well, society looks to post-secondary institutions and to the expertise of our faculty to offer an informed perspective. 

As part of their work, the Senate Committee on Reconciliation has shared ideas as to what the STU community could do to educate ourselves and respond to the situation. The film and community discussion is one response. In addition, internship students at the Wabanaki Centre will be collecting donations from the STU community, from blankets, flashlights, towels, and food supplies to financial support, for the Sipekne'katik First Nation.