SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. — Canadian and P.E.I. First Nations governments say they have taken a step forward in collaboration and reconciliation.
On Oct. 1, Lennox Island and Abegweit First Nation Chiefs Darlene Bernard and Junior Gould signed a co-management agreement with the federal government and Parks Canada.
For years, the P.E.I. First Nations communities have collaborated with Parks Canada, most recently on the establishment of the Pituamkek National Park Reserve.
The co-management agreement is called Toquktmekl. Separate from the Pituamkek National Park Reserve, it will formalize the collaboration and will allow both governments to share resources going forward.
Toquktmekl will allow for a shared governance structure that will provide guidance through a co-management board which will co-operate in the planning, management, operation, monitoring and evaluation of Parks Canada-administered lands on P.E.I.
In a press release, Bernard said that the agreement will ensure that the lands will be protected for generations to come and considered it a positive step forward.
“As stewards of our ancestral lands for over 12,000 years, the Epekwitnewaq Mi’kmaq are inherently committed to preserving the ecological integrity of our lands and waters while honouring our rich cultural heritage,” said Bernard.
Gary Anandasangaree, minister of Crown-Indigenous relations, agreed.
“For millennia, the Epekwitnewaq Mi’kmaq have been the guardians of the lands and waters of their ancestral lands,” he said.
“The Toquktmekl agreement is not only an important step toward ensuring this stewardship can continue for many generations to come but also a symbol of our dedication to continued partnership on the path to reconciliation.”
Goals of the agreement include honouring Indigenous connections to Canadian parks, including Indigenous narratives into stories told at Parks Canada sites and including Mi’kmaw elders and community members throughout parks.
The agreement also plans to incorporate Indigenous place names in Parks Canada signs and displays and work together on the conservation of at-risk species.
Details regarding Toquktmekl will be developed over the next few months and years, as a board is formed and begins operation.
