HALIFAX: On Tuesday, March 3 at 12 p.m., a coalition of more than 60 Mi’kmaw and settler groups from communities throughout Nova Scotia are gathering at the N.S. Legislature to call on the Houston government to respect Mi’kmaw Rights, follow democratic processes and stop selling off Nova Scotia to corporate interests.
“The unceded lands and waters of Mi’kma’ki need to be treated with respect if we are to have a livable future,” says Nina Newington, president of Save Our Old Forests (SOOF).
“This government is erasing years of painstaking progress. They’re firing scientists, dumping commitments, clearcutting moose habitat and greasing the tracks for unchecked resource extraction – all while threatening Mi’kmaq and settlers alike with outlandish penalties for daring to stand up for the health of the Earth and all her creatures.”
Led by Mi’kmaw Rights Holders and in solidarity with the land defenders of Tqamuoweye’katik / Hunter’s Mountain, the group first gathered in November on the Halifax Commons, drawing hundreds of supporters from across the province.
Since then, they say the government’s actions have only worsened – pointing to recent widespread budget cuts, false and divisive claims made by the premier about Mi’kmaw communities, investments in fracking, the dismantling of the wildlife division of DNR and more.
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As public frustration and outcry over the province’s direction continue to grow, organizers are bringing their message directly to Province House, where the N.S. government has just begun the spring sitting of the Legislature.
“Actions by the Houston government seek to undermine Indigenous rights and title as well as proving the colonial boomerang theory,” says Dr. TJ Wilson, Mi’kmaw citizen and professor at Acadia University.
“Houston and his cronies have proven they will seek to criminalize Charter protected activities of all Nova Scotians to attack Indigenous rights and title.”
Despite fears over the Houston government’s actions, organizers are heartened by the groundswell of support they’ve seen.
“People are coming together from all corners of the province,” says Nancy Hunter of The Many Vs. the Money.
“Houston is trying to take us down a path we may never recover from, but we’re building collective resistance and working with each other for a liveable, caring place that we can all call home.”
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The Shoulder to Shoulder rally will start at 12 p.m. AT on Granville St. in Kjipuktuk/Halifax with ceremony and speeches, followed by the tabling of a petition calling for the reinstatement of the provincial ban on uranium mining and exploration by a group of participating organizations.
Organizers are inviting all concerned citizens to join.
“If you live, work, play or pray in Nova Scotia, we want you there,” say Mi’kmaw land defenders Michelle Paul and Glenda Junta.
“We’re standing in solidarity with all resistance movements in Nova Scotia. We want to hear your voices.”