After decades of relationship-building, the Mi’kmaq and Parks Canada have struck a historic partnership in Nova Scotia. A new agreement between the Mi’kmaq and Parks Canada allows both parties to co-govern almost all of Nova Scotia’s parks and historic lands.

The Toqi’maliaptmu’k Arrangement, translating to “we will look after it together,” is an important partnership built on respect and teamwork between the Mi’kmaq and government partners in Nova Scotia. The agreement now allows both sides to share responsibility for caring for parks and heritage sites, including Kejimkujik National Park and National Historic Site. This land has deep meaning for the Mi’kmaq, who lived there for thousands of years before it became a national park in 1969. The new arrangement gives them an important role in protecting the land and honouring their history.

The partnership marks a step in the right direction toward giving the Mi’kmaq a say in the land that was taken away many generations ago. There has been a shift in making things right ever since the landmark R v Marshall decision in 1999, which affirmed First Nations’ treaty right to fish, hunt, and gather for their livelihood. Over the years, the Mi’kmaq and Parks Canada have slowly rebuilt their relationship by working together on projects that respect Mi’kmaw history and connection to the land.

Although the arrangement is about resource management and economic opportunities, it is also about reconnecting with knowledge from these sacred lands after centuries of severed access.

Source: Mira Miller, The Narwhal